Odessa region

Square: 33.3 ths. sq. km.
Center of the region: city of Odessa.
Administrative and territorial division: 26 districts.
Population: 2 388.3 ths. people.

Geographical position

The region is situated in the south-west of Ukraine. It is washed by the Black sea in the south-east. There are a lot of estuaries at the sea shore, which are partially or completely separated from the sea by sand and shell embankments (Khadzhibey and Kuyalnitskiy estuaries are the largest ones). The main rivers of the region are Danube (with Kiliyskoye mouth), Dnestr, Kodima, and Savranka. There are a lot of small intermittent rivers.

Transportation network

Odessa, Izmail, and Bolgrad are the main railway junctions. Sea transportation plays an important role in inner and especially overseas freight and passenger carriages (main ports are Odessa, Ilyichevsk, and Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy). River carriages are fulfilled over Danube (ports Izmail, Kiliya, Reni, and Vilkovo). Airlines connect Odessa city with many cities of Ukraine and foreign states.

Economic potential

Large industrial enterprises presenting all sectors of industry (oil-refinery, machine building, metallurgy, metal work, chemical and petrochemical, light industry, etc.) are operating in the region.

Machine building industry plays a special role in the region. A lot of machine building enterprises and R&D institutes of the region possess unique technologies without analogues in Ukraine and the CIS states.

Instrument making industry was specifically well-developed in the region. It is represented by enterprises producing cutting machines and press-forging equipment. The share of foodstuffs makes 48% in the pattern of consumer goods’ production.

Companies producing bricks, cement, natural walling materials, precast units, and reinforced concrete framing play a leading role in construction materials’ industry. These enterprises are based on local raw stock.

Local land resources are main wealth of the region. They are represented by mainly highly fertile black earths. Together with warm steppe climate such soils create high agricultural and industrial potential of the region. There are more than 2.5 mn ha of agricultural households in the region including more than 2 mn ha of arable lands and more than 80 ths. ha of vineyards and orchards.

Natural and recreational potential

Valuable and unique natural complexes, wetlands, and ecosystems forming high biospheric potential of the region of national and international global importance are located in lower course of large rivers (Danube and Dnestr), in estuaries, at the sea coast, and in shelf zone.

Diseases of cardiovascular system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, gastrointestinal tract, as well as male and female genital sphere are treated in Odessa sanatoria and preventoriums.

Curative muds and mineral waters are applied in some health resorts of the city of Odessa.

Maritime air, washing in the sea, significant reserves of curative silt muds of Kuyalnik, Khadzhibey estuaries, and Tuzlovskiye salt lakes, as well as various by physical and chemical composition mineral waters represent curative resources of the region. Nature itself gives an opportunity to combine balneotherapy and mud treatment with climatic treatment and curative sea bathing.

Muds of Kuyalnik are recognized as a standard according to their curative characteristics. They contain a complex of active substances and microelements preventing inflammation, stimulating protective and adjusting functions of a body, and helping to restore functions of damaged organs. Brine of Kuyalnitskiy estuary has specific medicinal value. This biological preparation made by nature is highly mineralized sodium magnesium chloride water and contains numerous different compounds useful for human body in solution.

Resorts of Arkadia, Bolshoy Fontan/Large Fontain, and Kuyalnik, one of the most efficient mud resorts of Ukraine, are most popular.

Climate in the regime is moderately continental with hot dry summer and mild low snow winter. Average temperature in January reaches -5 ?С in the north of the region and -2 ?С in the south, and in July +21 ?С in the north and +24 ?С in the south. Precipitation occurs mainly in summer as heavy showers. Droughts occur in the southern part of the region.

Historical and cultural potential

City of Odessa is a cultural center of the region. The city has a lot of cultural monuments as well as monuments to outstanding culture workers. Odessa boasts with s miraculous Opera and Ballet Theater and endlessly long, stud with old-fashion small houses Frantsuzskiy Bulvar/French Boulevard. Odessa is a “humor capital”, while its inhabitants are sure that odessit/inhabitant of Odessa is a nationality. Each year Yumorina fest is conducted here.

The following are the most interesting tourist objects: Troitskaya/Trinity church of 1808, monument to de Richelieu of 1828, Old stock exchange (1828-1834), house of Sea museum of 1842, Odessa Opera and Ballet Theater (1884–1887), monument to Pushkin of 1888, Inzov Mausoleum of 1825, Armyanskaya/Armenian and Grecheskaya/Greek churches of ХІІІ–ХІV centuries, Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy (Ankerman) fortress of ХІІІ–ХV centuries, underground church of Saint Ioann/John Suchavskiy of ХІV–ХVІІ centuries, Krestovozdvizhenskaya/ Exaltation of the Cross church of ХІV–ХVІ centuries, ancient burial mound in the village of Usatovo, farmstead (palace, part of park, and utility building) in the village of Petrovka, diorama “Assault of Izmail fortress by Russian troops in 1790”, Nikolayevskay/St. Nicholas church and bell tower of ХІІІ–ХVІІІ centuries, Rozhdestva/Christmas church of 1822, and a number of historical, local lore, literature, and art museums.

The following materials were used for preparation of the article:
Odessa regional state administration,
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine,
Ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine