Regions of Belarus

Regions and the Special administrative district of Belarus
Рэгіёны і Спецыяльны адміністратыўны раён Беларусі (in Belarusian)
Регионы и Специальный административный район Беларуси (in Russian)
Regions and the Special administrative district of Belarus; Рэгіёны і Спецыяльны адміністратыўны раён Беларусі (in Belarusian); Регионы и Специальный административный район Беларуси (in Russian)
Category	Unitary state
Location	Belarus
Created	1960
Number	7 regions
Populations	(Regions only): 1,018,000 (Mogilev) – 1,987,000 (Minsk)
Areas	(provinces only): 25,118.1 km2 (9,698.14 sq mi) (Grodno) – 40,361.6 km2 (15,583.72 sq mi) (Gomel)
Government	province government
Subdivisions	Raion

Belarus is divided into six oblasts (voblasts or provinces). These oblasts are the first-level subdivisions of Belarus. The city of Minsk^[1] has a special status as the capital of Belarus. Minsk is also the capital of Minsk Region.^[2]

The regions of Belarus are divided into raions (districts).

The layout and size of the regions were created in 1960 when Belarus (then the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic) became a republic of the Soviet Union.^[3]

History

At the start of the 20th century, the borders of the Belarusian lands in the Russian Empire were still being made. In 1900 it was made of the entire Minsk Governorate and Mogilev Governorate, most of Grodno Governorate, parts of Vitebsk Governorate, and parts of Vilna Governorate (Vilna Governorate is now in Lithuania).^[4] World War I, the independence of Poland, and the 1920-1921 Polish–Soviet War changed the borders. In 1921, Belarus had what is now all of Minsk Region except for the western fringe, the western part of Gomel Region, a western slice of Mahilyow Region, and a small part of Vitebsk Region. In 1926, the eastern part of Gomel Region was added.^[4]

In Soviet Belarus, new administrative units, called oblast or voblast were created in 1938. And again, during World War II, the borders changed. In 1939 they were reset with Belarus gaining territory to the west, Baranavichy, Belastok (Białystok), Brest, Pinsk, and Vileyka oblasts. In 1944 Belastok was removed and the new oblasts of Babruysk, Grodno, and Polotsk were created. At the same time, Vileyka Oblast was renamed Molodechno Oblast.^[5]

At different times between 1938 and 1960, the following oblasts existed:

Babruysk Oblast, created 1944, deleted 1954
Baranavichy Oblast, created 1939, deleted 1954
Belastok Oblast, created 1939, deleted 1944 (now Białystok in Poland)
Brest Oblast, created 1939
Gomel Oblast, created 1938
Grodno Oblast, created 1944
Maladzyechna Oblast renamed from Vileyka Oblast 1944, deleted 1960
Mogilev Oblast, created 1938
Minsk Oblast, created 1938
Navahrudak Oblast, created 1939, renamed Baranavichy Oblast December 1939
Pinsk Oblast, created 1939, deleted 1954
Polatsk Oblast, created 1944, deleted 1954
Polesia Oblast, created 1938, deleted 1954
Vitebsk Oblast, created 1938
Vileyka Oblast, created 1939, renamed to Maladzyechna Oblast 1944

Regions

Regions of Belarus
	Region	Capital	Russian	Belarusian	Population (2022)^[6]	Area (km²)	Density	Percentage of Belarus
1	City of Minsk		Минск	Мінск	1,987,000	305.50	6,606.48	21.44%
2	Brest	Brest	Брестская	Брэсцкая	1,356,000	32,790.68	41.11	14.32%
3	Gomel	Gomel	Гомельская	Гомельская	1,380,000	40,361.66	34.40	14.75%
4	Grodno	Grodno	Гродненская	Гродзенская	1,037,000	25,118.07	40.88	10.91%
5	Mogilev	Mogilev	Могилёвская	Магілёўская	1,018,000	29,079.01	35.24	10.89%
6	Minsk	Minsk	Минская	Мінская	1,464,000	39,912.35	36.86	15.63%
7	Vitebsk	Vitebsk	Витебская	Вiцебская	1,128,000	40,049.99	28.36	12.06%
	Belarus	Minsk	Беларусь		9,370,000	207,617.26	45.34	100.00%