| Regions of Belarus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Category | First-level subdivision of aunitary state |
| Location | Belarus |
| Created |
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| Number | 6 regions 1 capital city |
| Populations | (Regions only): 981,174 (Mogilev) – 1,992,862 (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 |
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| Subdivisions | |
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Judiciary |
 Belarus portal |
At the top level of administration,Belarus is divided into six regions and one capital city. The six regions areoblasts (also known asvoblastsi), while the city ofMinsk has a special status as the capital of Belarus.[1] Minsk also serves as the administrative center ofMinsk Region.[2]
At the second level, the regions are divided intodistricts (raions).
The layout and extent of the regions were set in 1960 when Belarus (then theByelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic) was aconstituent republic of theSoviet Union.[3]
At the start of the 20th century, the boundaries of the Belarusian lands within theRussian Empire were still being defined. In 1900 it was contained within all of theMinsk andMogilev governorates, most ofGrodno Governorate, parts ofVitebsk Governorate, and parts ofVilna Governorate.[3] World War I, the independence of Poland, as well as the 1920–1921Polish–Soviet War affected the boundaries. In 1921, Belarus had what is now all of Minsk Governorate except for the western fringe, the western part of Gomel Region, a western slice of Mogilev, and a small part of Vitebsk Region. In 1926, the eastern part of Gomel region was added.[3]
In theByelorussian SSR, new administrative units, calledoblasts orvoblastsi[4] (cognate ofRussian wordoblast withprothetic v-) were introduced in 1938. During World War II, Belarus gained territory to the west, with the Baranavichy, Belastok (Białystok), Brest, Pinsk, and Vileyka oblasts. In 1944, Belastok was eliminated and the new oblasts of Babruysk, Grodno, and Polotsk were created. At that same time, Vileika oblast was renamed Molodechno Oblast.[3]
At different times between 1938 and 1960, the followingoblasts existed:
| Flag | Region | Capital | Russian | Belarusian | Population (2024)[5] | Area (km2) | Density | % of population | GDP[6] | Average monthly gross wage[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Минск | Мінск | 1,992,862 | 305.50 | 6,606.48 | 21.44% | US$ 22.6 billion | US$ 953 | ||
| 2 |  | Brest | Brest | Брестская | Брэсцкая | 1,308,569 | 32,790.68 | 41.11 | 14.32% | US$ 8.4 billion | US$ 639 |
| 3 |  | Gomel | Gomel | Гомельская | Гомельская | 1,338,617 | 40,361.66 | 34.40 | 14.75% | US$ 8.8 billion | US$ 643 |
| 4 |  | Grodno | Grodno | Гродненская | Гродзенская | 992,556 | 25,118.07 | 40.88 | 10.91% | US$ 8.1 billion | US$ 643 |
| 5 |  | Mogilev | Mogilev | Могилёвская | Магілёўская | 981,174 | 29,079.01 | 35.24 | 10.89% | US$ 5.7 billion | US$ 600 |
| 6 |  | Minsk | Minsk | Минская | Мінская | 1,460,289 | 39,912.35 | 36.86 | 15.63% | US$ 14.1 billion | US$ 720 |
| 7 |  | Vitebsk | Vitebsk | Витебская | Вiцебская | 1,081,911 | 40,049.99 | 28.36 | 12.06% | US$ 6.8 billion | US$ 602 |
| Belarus | Minsk | Беларусь | 9,155,978 | 207,617.26 | 45.34 | 100.00% | US$ 74.5 billion | US$ 714 | |||
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