View source for Belgorod Oblast

{{short description|First-level administrative division of Russia}}
{{Expand Russian|topic=geo|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox Russian federal subject
|en_name=Belgorod Oblast
|ru_name=Белгородская область
|image_map=Map of Russia (2014–2022) - Belgorod Oblast (disputed Crimea).svg
|coordinates = {{coord|50|46|N|37|27|E|type:adm1st_region:RU|display=inline,title}}
|image_coa=New Coat of arms of Belgorod Oblast.svg
|image_flag=Flag of Belgorod Oblast (Dark color).svg
|anthem=
|anthem_ref=
|political_status=Oblast
|political_status_link=Oblasts of Russia
|federal_district=[[Central Federal District|Central]]
|economic_region=[[Central Black Earth economic region|Central Black Earth]]
|adm_ctr_type=Administrative center
|adm_ctr_name=[[Belgorod]]
|pop_2021census=1540486
|pop_2010census_rank=30th
|urban_pop_2021census=65.2%
|rural_pop_2010census=34.8%
|pop_2021census_ref=<ref name="2021Census" />
|pop_latest=1541000
|pop_latest_date=January 2013
|pop_latest_ref=<ref name="2013Est">Belgorod Oblast Territorial Branch of the [[Russian Federal State Statistics Service|Federal State Statistics Service]]. [http://belg.gks.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosstat_ts/belg/resources/4f6861804c55829180a6ac052efb10e3/sisl.xls Численность населения Белгородской области на 1 января] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140303011820/http://belg.gks.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosstat_ts/belg/resources/4f6861804c55829180a6ac052efb10e3/sisl.xls |date=3 March 2014 }} {{in lang|ru}}</ref>
|area_km2=27134
|area_km2_rank=67th
|established_date=6&nbsp;January 1954
|established_date_ref=<ref name="Established">Official website of Belgorod Oblast. [http://www.belregion.ru/region/history.php History of Belgorod Oblast] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721045423/http://www.belregion.ru/region/history.php |date=21 July 2016 }} {{in lang|ru}}</ref>
|license_plates=31
|ISO=RU-BEL
|leader_title=[[Governor of Belgorod Oblast|Governor]]
|leader_title_ref=<ref name="HeadLegis">Charter, Article&nbsp;5</ref>
|leader_name= [[Vyacheslav Gladkov]]
|leader_name_ref=<ref name="HeadName">Official website of Belgorod Oblast.  [http://www.belregion.ru/author/governor.php Yevgeny Stepanovich Savchenko, Governor of Belgorod Oblast] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629184043/http://www.belregion.ru/author/governor.php |date=29 June 2016 }} {{in lang|ru}}</ref>
|legislature=[[Belgorod Oblast Duma|Oblast Duma]]
|legislature_ref=<ref name="HeadLegis" />
|website={{URL|http://www.belregion.ru/}}
}}

'''Belgorod Oblast''' ({{langx|ru|Белгоро́дская о́бласть|Belgorodskaya oblastʹ}}) is a [[federal subjects of Russia|federal subject]] (an [[oblast]]) of [[Russia]]. Its [[administrative center]] is the [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|city]] of [[Belgorod]]. {{As of|2021}}, the population is 1,540,486.

==History==
[[File:Belgorod Governorate 1745.jpg|thumb|left|Map of Belgorod Governorate (1745)]]

During the Princely era of [[Kievan Rus']], the region was part of the [[Principality of Chernigov]]. The area was devastated by [[Mongol invasion of Europe|Mongol]]-[[Timeline of the Golden Horde|Tatar raids]] and came under the control of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] in the 14th and 15th centuries. Since 1500 it was part of the [[Grand Duchy of Moscow]].

At the turn of the 17th century, a solid [[Great Zasechnaya cherta|line of military fortifications]] was built in the area, stretching for almost {{convert|800|km|sp=us}}. [[Zaporozhian Cossacks]], who moved here because of the nobility and the tax burden, were in charge of the line defenses. Even more Cossacks moved to the area during the [[Khmelnytsky Uprising]] (1648–1657) and the internecine wars in the [[Cossack Hetmanate]] (1659–1679). Belgorod became the military and administrative center, after originating as an [[outpost (military)|outpost]] on the southern borders of Russia.

Following the [[Battle of Poltava]], [[Peter the Great|Peter I]] granted to soldiers of Greater Belgorod the regiment flag.

From 1708 to 1727, the territory of the modern Belgorod Oblast was part of the [[Kiev Governorate|Kiev]] and [[Azov Governorate|Azov]] governorates. In 1727, [[Belgorod Governorate]] [[administrative divisions of Russia in 1727–1728|was established]] from parts of Kiev Governorate. The governorate lasted until 1779. This territory was much greater than that of today, and the governorate incorporated territories modern [[Kursk Oblast|Kursk]], [[Oryol Oblast|Oryol]], and parts of [[Bryansk Oblast|Bryansk]] and [[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkiv]] oblasts.  The [[coat of arms]] of the then-Governorate is still used by the modern Belgorod Oblast.

In 1775–1779, the territory of Belgorod Governorate was abolished and divided between the newly formed governorates and vice-royalties.  The city of Belgorod and the area around it became a part of Kursk Vice-Royalty, while the southeastern [[uyezd]]s became a part of [[Voronezh Governorate]].

[[File:Nikolo-Tikhvinsky Monastery.jpg|thumb|Nikolo-Tikhvinsky Monastery in 1900]]

During the 19th century and up until 1928 the territory of modern Belgorod Oblast remained part of the Kursk and Voronezh governorates. After the signing of the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]] in April 1918, in January 1919 the territory was incorporated into the [[Ukrainian State]] under [[hetman]] [[Pavlo Skoropadskyi]].

The current administrative-territorial boundaries of Belgorod Oblast were formed by the Decree of the Presidium of the [[Supreme Soviet of the USSR]] on 6 January 1954. The oblast was formed from several [[raion|districts]] of [[Kursk Oblast|Kursk]] and [[Voronezh Oblast]]s.

For the courage and resilience shown by the people of Belgorod Oblast in defense of the Motherland during the [[Great Patriotic War (term)|Great Patriotic War]], and for progress in reconstruction and development of national economy. On 4 January 1967, Belgorod Oblast was awarded the [[Order of Lenin]], and in 1980 the city of Belgorod was awarded the [[Order of the Patriotic War]], first degree.

In 2007, the city of Belgorod received the honorary title of the [[City of Military Glory]].

In May 2023, the governor of the region claimed that a Ukrainian "sabotage group" [[Shelling of Grayvoron|entered the region]]. Ukrainian media identified the alleged groups as the [[Freedom of Russia Legion]] and [[Russian Volunteer Corps]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/governor-russias-belgorod-says-ukrainian-sabotage-group-crossed-border-2023-05-22/|title=Governor of Russia's Belgorod says Ukrainian 'sabotage group' crossed border|newspaper=Reuters |date=22 May 2023|via=www.reuters.com}}</ref> The units claimed they had "completely liberated" the settlement of Kozinka in the oblast, and that they had entered Graivoron.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newsweek.com/putin-defectors-freedom-russia-legion-ukraine-belgorod-war-1801786|title=Putin Defectors Say They've Seized Belgorod Towns, Vow to 'Liberate Russia'|first=Isabel|last=Van Brugen|date=22 May 2023|access-date=22 May 2023|work=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref>

Government officials declared a state of emergency in the Belgorod region on 14 August 2024 during the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]] following the [[August 2024 Kursk Oblast incursion|incursion of Ukrainian military forces into the neighboring Kursk region]] and many attacks on airbases within Belgorod itself.<ref>[https://www.politico.eu/article/belgorod-region-state-of-emergency-ukraine-hammering-russian-territory/ Ukraine hammers Russian airbases as Kyiv’s incursion triggers panic], Politico Europe, 14 August 2024.</ref>

==Geography==
{{Infobox settlement
| mapframe          = yes
| mapframe-zoom     = 6
}}
Belgorod Oblast is part of the [[Central Black Earth economic region]] and the [[Central Federal District]]. It borders with [[Luhansk Oblast|Luhansk]], [[Kharkiv Oblast|Kharkiv]], and [[Sumy Oblast]]s of [[Ukraine]] in the south and west, [[Kursk Oblast]] in the north and northwest, and [[Voronezh Oblast]] in the east.  The total length of its borders is about {{convert|1150|km|sp=us}}, of which {{convert|540|km|sp=us}} are on the border with Ukraine.

[[File:Белгород Belgorod (40664046510).jpg|thumb|View of [[Belgorod]] and its surroundings]]
The area of the oblast is {{convert|27100|km2|sp=us}}; the oblast stretches for about {{convert|190|km|sp=us}} from north to south and for about {{convert|270|km|sp=us}} from east to west. The oblast is located in the southwestern and southern slopes of the [[Central Russian Upland]] in the [[Dnieper River|Dnieper]] and [[Don River (Russia)|Don River]] [[drainage basin|basins]], in the [[steppe]] zone of elevated hilly plain with an average height of {{convert|200|m|sp=us}} above the sea level. The highest point is {{convert|277|m|sp=us}} above sea level, in [[Prokhorovsky District]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=74500|title=Belgorod Oblast High Point - Peakbagger.com|website=www.peakbagger.com|access-date=2018-07-05}}</ref> The lowest point is located at the bottom of the [[Oskol River|Oskol]] and [[Seversky Donets River]] valleys.

{{multiple image
| total_width = 400
| align = right
| image1 = Река_Нежеголь_зимой.jpg
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = [[Nezhegol River]]
| image2 = Lob Река Корень2.jpg
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = Koren River
| footer = 
}}
Rivers, lakes, and marshes occupy about 1% of the oblast. There are more than 480 small rivers and streams. The largest of them are in the northwest—the [[Seversky Donets River|Seversky Donets]], [[Vorskla River|Vorskla]], Vorsklitsa, [[Psyol River|Psyol]], and in the eastern regions—the [[Oskol River|Oskol]], [[Tikhaya Sosna River|Tikhaya Sosna]], [[Chyornaya Kalitva River|Chyornaya Kalitva]], Valuy. The total length of the river network is roughly {{convert|5000|km|sp=us}}, and in addition, there are 1,100 ponds and four artificial [[reservoirs]].

===Climate===
The [[climate]] of Belgorod Oblast is temperate continental with a relatively mild winter with some snowfall and long summers. Average annual air temperature varies from {{convert|+5.4|C}} to {{convert|+6.7|C}}, being warmer on average in the southeast than the north. The coldest month is January and the frost-free period is 155–160 days, with an average of 1800 hours of sunshine. Rainfall is uneven by year and season,  with an average of 540–550&nbsp;mm although rainfall can dramatically differ between the western and northern areas and the warmer, drier eastern and southeast where some years lows of around {{convert|400|mm|sp=us}} have been recorded.

===Natural resources===
Over 40% of known [[iron ore]] reserves of Russia are concentrated in the oblast.  Deposits are confined to the [[Kursk Magnetic Anomaly]] area. Among them are Korobkovsky, Lebedinskoye, Stoylenskoye, and prospective Prioskolskoye iron ore deposits in Stary Oskol District, Bolshetroitskoye in [[Shebekinsky District]], as well as Yakovlevskoye and Pogremetskoye fields.

Identified and explored in varying degrees are the large deposits of [[bauxite]]s, [[apatite]]s, underground mineral waters, and numerous deposits of construction materials such as [[chalk]], [[sand]], [[clay]], and more. There are also known occurrences of [[gold]], [[graphite]], and other rare metals.  Geographical features make the oblast likely to have deposits of [[platinum]], [[hydrocarbon]]s, and other minerals.

===Biodiversity===
{{See also|Belogorye Nature Reserve}}

The [[fauna]] is predominantly of the meadow-steppe variety and comprises, by various estimates, from ten to fifteen thousand species. About 10% of the animal species are in need of special protection. Fifty species are included in the [[IUCN Red List]]. There are about 279 species of birds, including 152 that breed in the oblast. The richest bird populations include sparrows (111 species); [[wader]]s (45 species); [[geese]] (up to 30 species); day [[predator]]s (21 species). The richest bird populations include sparrows (111 species); waders (45 species); geese (up to 30 species); day predators (21 species). The numbers of game animal species are as follows: moose: 387; deer: 501; roe deer: 4474; boar: 2574; hare: 18361; fox: 3856; marten: 2025; polecat: 1120; wolf: 36. The annual number of game animals remains stable.

The vegetation reflects the features of the northern forest-steppe, characterized by the alternation of forests with the meadow steppes. It is chiefly represented by two types of vegetation—the zonal and extrazonal.  In all, there are 1,284 flora species.  Woodlands cover 9.8% of the total area, of which over 800 hectares are classified as protected areas because their rare species of plants and habitats of animals are on the IUCN red list.

==Culture==
The Belgorod region played a significant role in the evolution of Russian culture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://russiatrek.org/belgorod-oblast|title=Belgorod oblast, Russia guide|website=russiatrek.org|access-date=2018-12-19}}</ref>
It was inhabited by different tribes besides [[East Slavs]] and was one of the earliest Rus' principalities. Belgorod region played an important role in the Russian wedding tradition of the [[Rushnyk]]. Belgorod is also famous for its wood carving.
{|
| [[File:Рушник белгородский 02.jpg|thumb|150x200px|none|Old Russian Rushnyk in Belgorod]]
| [[File:Женские наряды Белгородчины 01.JPG|thumb|150x200px|none|Traditional folk costumes of Belgorod]]
| [[File:Ложкарь Ракитянский 12.JPG|thumb|200x130px|none|Wood carvings of Belgorod]]
| [[File:Акулиновка 25.jpg|thumb|200x130px|none|Belgorod bread. Belgorod region was one of the Old Russian regions from which the [[Bread and salt|Bread and Salt]] tradition spread]]
|}

==Politics==
[[File:Monument to City of Military Glory in Belgorod.jpg|thumb|Oblast Administration building in Belgorod]]

During the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] period, the high authority in the oblast was shared between three persons: The first secretary of the Belgorod CPSU Committee (who in reality had the biggest authority), the chairman of the oblast Soviet (legislative power), and the Chairman of the oblast Executive Committee (executive power). Since 1991, when the CPSU lost power, the head of the Oblast administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected alongside elected [[Regional parliaments of Russia|regional parliament]].

The Charter of Belgorod Oblast is the fundamental law of the region. The Legislative Assembly of Belgorod Oblast is the province's standing legislative (representative) body. The Legislative Assembly exercises its authority by passing laws, resolutions, and other legal acts and by supervising the implementation and observance of the laws and other legal acts passed by it. The highest executive body is the Oblast Government, which includes territorial executive bodies such as district administrations, committees, and commissions that facilitate development and run the day to day matters of the province. The Oblast administration supports the activities of the [[Governor of Belgorod Oblast|Governor]] who is the highest official and acts as guarantor of the observance of the oblast Charter in accordance with the [[Constitution of Russia]].

The governor of Belgorod Oblast, [[Yevgeny Savchenko]], was first appointed to this position in 1993 and subsequently re-elected in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2012 and 2017. In the 1999 election, his rival was [[Vladimir Zhirinovsky]]. Savchenko holds the title of longest-serving governor in post-Soviet Russia, being in office for 27 years. Since November 2020, [[Vyacheslav Gladkov]] is the governor of Belgorod Oblast.

On 13 September 2020, elections to the 7th Belgorod Oblast Duma were conducted. The [[United Russia]] Party has won 44 out of 50 seats, 4 seats were won by the [[Communist Party of the Russian Federation|Communist Party]], 1 by the [[LDPR]], and 1 by the [[Russian Party of Pensioners for Social Justice]].

==Demographics==
[[File:Life expectancy in Russian subject -Belgorod Oblast.png |thumb|upright=1.35|Life expectancy at birth in Belgorod Oblast]]
In terms of area, the oblast is in the [[list of federal subjects of Russia by area|67th place]] among the federal subjects of Russia; while in terms of population it is [[list of federal subjects of Russia by population|30th]] (as of the results of the [[Russian Census (2021)|2021 Census]],<ref name="2021Census" /> down two places compared to the [[Russian Census (2010)|2010 Census]] results. According to the results of the 2021 Census, the population of the oblast was 1,540,486, with the urban population of 65.2% and the rural population of 34.8%.<ref name="2021Census" /> This is up from 1,532,526 recorded in the 2010 Census,<ref name="2010Census">{{ru-pop-ref|2010Census}}</ref> and 1,380,723 recorded in the [[Soviet Census (1989)|1989 Census]].<ref name="1989Census">{{ru-pop-ref|1989Census}}</ref>

Population density in 2008 was 56.1 persons per 1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="gks">[http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/2008/demo/popul08.htm Оценка численности постоянного населения Российской Федерации] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217105021/http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/2008/demo/popul08.htm |date=17 December 2008 }} // [http://www.gks.ru/ Федеральная служба государственной статистики] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203204759/http://www.gks.ru/ |date=3 December 2010 }}</ref> The average age is 38.5 years—35.6 for men and 41 for women; 46% of the population are economically active.

As in other regions of the European part of Russia, since the dissolution of the [[Soviet Union]] there has been a natural population decrease (about -5 per 1,000 of the population). In recent years, there has been some reversion of this decline as a result of growth of fertility and mortality. Nevertheless, despite the negative trend of growth, the population of the area has remained relatively stable because of immigration. Belgorod, in Soviet times, attracted retirement workers from the Far North and Ukraine. This trend has increased since 2005 and now cancels out the natural decline in population. Worker migrants also arrive in Belgorod from [[Uzbekistan]]; however, Muslim migrants face discrimination on a daily basis, and choose to leave.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2007/0301/barom03.php|script-title=ru:Естественная убыль населения в первом полугодии 2007 года продолжала снижаться, а миграционный прирост - увеличиваться |trans-title=The natural population loss in the first half of 2007 continued to decline, but migration gained - increases|language=ru |magazine=Demoscope Weekly|issue=301–302 |date=September 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209132008/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2007/0301/barom03.php |archive-date=February 9, 2009}}</ref><ref name="census2021">{{cite web |title=Национальный состав населения |location=Russia |publisher=[[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Federal State Statistics Service]] |url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/Tom5_tab1_VPN-2020.xlsx |accessdate=30 December 2022}}</ref>

===Settlements===
{{Largest cities
| country      = Belgorod Oblast
| stat_ref     = 2021 Russian Census
| list_by_pop  =
| div_name     =
| div_link     = Administrative divisions of Belgorod Oblast{{!}}Administrative Division
| city_1 = Belgorod
| div_1 = Belgorod{{!}}City of oblast significance of Belgorod
| pop_1 = 339,978
| city_2 = Stary Oskol
| div_2 = Stary Oskol{{!}}City of oblast significance of Stary Oskol
| pop_2 = 221,676
| city_3 = Gubkin
| div_3 = Gubkin{{!}}City of oblast significance of Gubkin
| pop_3 = 85,225
| city_4 = Shebekino
| div_4 = Shebekino{{!}}City of oblast significance of Shebekino
| pop_4 = 39,680
| city_5 = Alexeyevka, Belgorod Oblast{{!}}Alexeyevka
| div_5 = Alexeyevka, Belgorod Oblast{{!}}City of oblast significance of Alexeyevka
| pop_5 = 36,578
| city_6 = Valuyki, Belgorod Oblast{{!}}Valuyki
| div_6 = Valuyki, Belgorod Oblast{{!}}City of oblast significance of Valuyki
| pop_6 = 33,032
| city_7 = Stroitel, Belgorod Oblast{{!}}Stroitel
| div_7 = Yakovlevsky District, Belgorod Oblast{{!}}Yakovlevsky District
| pop_7 = 23,780
| city_8 = Novy Oskol
| div_8 = Novooskolsky District
| pop_8 = 18,359
| city_9 = Chernyanka, Belgorod Oblast{{!}}Chernyanka
| div_9 = Chernyansky District
| pop_9 = 14,896
| city_10 = Borisovka, Borisovsky District, Belgorod Oblast{{!}}Borisovka
| div_10 = Borisovsky District
| pop_10 = 12,553
}}

===Population===
{{Historical populations
|type =
|footnote = Source: Census data, estimate<ref name=2025Estimate>{{cite web|title=Предварительная оценка численности постоянного населения на 1 января 2025 года|url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/PrPopul2025_Site.xlsx|publisher=[[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Federal State Statistics Service]]|accessdate=3 February 2025}}</ref>
|[[1926 Soviet census|1926]] | 896061
|[[1959 Soviet census|1959]] | 1226328
|[[1970 Soviet census|1970]] | 1261140
|[[1979 Soviet census|1979]] | 1304675
|[[1989 Soviet census|1989]] | 1380723
|[[2002 Russian census|2002]] | 1511620
|[[2010 Russian census|2010]] | 1532526
|[[2021 Russian census|2021]] | 1540486
|2025 | 1481098
}}
Population: {{Ru-census|p1989=1,380,723|p2002=1,511,620|p2010=1,532,526|p2021=1,540,486}}
[[File:Fonar.tv Узорный хоровод 2015 29.jpg|thumb|People in the Belgorod Oblast]]

===Ethnic composition===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! rowspan="2" |Ethnicity
! colspan="2" |2010<ref name="2010Census" />
! colspan="2" |2021<ref name="census2021" />
|-
! Number !! % !! Number !! %
|-
| [[Russians]]||1,404,653 || 94.4% || 1,234,338 || 95.3%
|-
| [[Ukrainians]]|| 41,914 || 2.8% || 15,481 || 1.2%
|-
| [[Armenians|Armenian]]|| 7,588 || 0.5% || 4,931 || 0.4%
|-
| [[Turkish people|Turks]]|| 4,665 || 0.3% || 3,818 || 0.3%
|-
| [[Azerbaijanis|Azeri]]|| 4,621 || 0.3% || 3,471 || 0.3%
|-
| Others || 25,073 || 1.7% || 33,349 || 2.6% 
|-
|Ethnicity not stated
|44,012
|–
|245,098
|–
|-
|}
[[File:Belgorod Smolensky church.JPG|thumb|right|Smolensky church in Belgorod]]

'''Vital statistics for 2024:<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 February 2025 |title=Естественное движение населения в разрезе субъектов российской федерации за декабрь 2024 года |url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/storage/mediabank/EDN_12-2024.htm |access-date=25 February 2025 |website=Rosstat}}</ref>'''
*Births: 9,179 (6.1 per 1,000)
*Deaths: 20,937 (14.0 per 1,000)

'''Total fertility rate (2024):<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-25 |title=Рейтинг рождаемости в регионах: кто в лидерах, а кто в аутсайдерах {{!}} Москва |url=https://fedpress.ru/article/3365231 |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=ФедералПресс |language=ru-RU}}</ref>'''<br />
1.07 children per woman

'''Life expectancy (2021):'''<ref name="rosstat">{{cite web|url=https://rosstat.gov.ru/folder/210/document/13207 |title=Демографический ежегодник России |publisher=[[Federal State Statistics Service (Russia)|Federal State Statistics Service of Russia]] (Rosstat) |access-date=2022-06-01 |language=ru |trans-title=The Demographic Yearbook of Russia}}</ref>  <br />
Total — 70.67 years (male&nbsp;— 66.54, female&nbsp;— 74.66)

===Religion===
{{Bar box
|title=Religion in Belgorod Oblast as of 2012 (Sreda Arena Atlas)<ref name="2012ArenaAtlas">[http://sreda.org/en/arena "Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia"]. Sreda, 2012.</ref><ref name="2012Arena-religion-maps">[http://c2.kommersant.ru/ISSUES.PHOTO/OGONIOK/2012/034/ogcyhjk2.jpg 2012 Arena Atlas Religion Maps]. "Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 21/04/2017. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170421154615/http://c2.kommersant.ru/ISSUES.PHOTO/OGONIOK/2012/034/ogcyhjk2.jpg Archived].</ref>
|float=right
|bars=
{{Bar percent|[[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian Orthodoxy]]|DarkOrchid|50.5}}
{{Bar percent|Other [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]]|MediumOrchid|1.7}}
{{Bar percent|[[Catholic Church in Russia|Roman Catholic]]|RoyalBlue|0.7}}
{{Bar percent|Other [[Christianity in Russia|Christians]]|DeepSkyBlue|8.6}}
{{Bar percent|[[Islam in Russia|Islam]]|Green|0.6}}
{{Bar percent|[[Spiritual but not religious]]|DarkSlateGray|22.2}}
{{Bar percent|[[Atheism]] and [[irreligion]]|Black|10.5}}
{{Bar percent|Other and undeclared|Gray|5.2}}
}}
According to a 2012 survey<ref name="2012ArenaAtlas"/> 50.5% of the population of Belgorod Oblast adheres to the [[Russian Orthodox Church]], 8.1% are [[nondenominational Christianity|nondenominational Christians]] (excluding Protestant churches), 1.7% are [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] Christians who don't belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. In addition, 22.2% of the population declares to be [[spiritual but not religious]], 10.5% is [[atheism|atheist]] or [[irreligion|irreligious]], and 7% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.<ref name="2012ArenaAtlas"/>
{{clear}}

==Administrative divisions==
{{Main|Administrative divisions of Belgorod Oblast}}

Belgorod Oblast is administratively divided into twenty-one districts (''[[raion]]s''), which are further divided into 335 [[selsoviet|rural okrugs]].  There are ten [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|cities/towns]] in the oblast, as well as twenty [[urban-type settlement]]s and 1,592 rural-type settlements.

==Economy==
{{multiple image
| total_width = 360
| align = right
| image1 = Панорама центральной части Белгорода.JPG
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = [[Belgorod]] city
| image2 = S.Oskol 15.jpg
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = [[Stary Oskol]]
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Belgorod Oblast is a highly developed [[Agrarian society|industrial-agrarian]] region, whose economy relies on its enormous wealth of mineral resources and the black [[chernozem]] soils. Some 2,713.4 thousand hectares is dedicated to agriculture, over 70% of which are chernozems. Per capita, there are an average of 1.43 hectares of pastoral land, and 1.1 hectares of arable land. Natural forests and forest plantations occupy 248.3 thousand hectares, or 12.5% of the oblast's area.  Total timber reserves are estimated to be 34.3&nbsp;million m<sup>3</sup>.

Belgorod Oblast has traditionally had and still has strong ties with the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine. Despite its relatively small size, the oblast accounts for one fifth of the trade turnover between Russia and Ukraine.{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}}

===Transport===
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| image1 = Аэропорт Белгород.jpg
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| caption1 = [[Belgorod International Airport]]
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| caption2 = Belgorod Train Station
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Important railways and highways of regional significance cross the oblast's territory, connecting Moscow with the southern and western regions of Russia and Ukraine. Of major importance is the Crimea Highway, or federal highway M-2 Crimea, and the Moscow-[[Kharkiv]]-[[Sevastopol]] railway line. The length of railways for general use is 694.6&nbsp;km; the length of paved roads is 8,500&nbsp;km; roughly 87% of the total road surface in the oblast.
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==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{RussiaBasicLawRef|bel}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Belgorod Oblast}}
* [http://www.belregion.ru/ Official website of Belgorod Oblast] {{in lang|ru}}; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210002307/http://www.belregion.ru/ |date=10 December 2020 }}
* [https://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/03/belgorod-residents-speak-their-own.html "Belgorod Residents Speak Their Own Language, Even Russian Linguists Say"] by [[Paul A. Goble]], ''Window on Eurasia'' (March 24, 2024)
* [http://russiatrek.org/belgorod-oblast Belgorod Oblast sceneries photos]

{{Subdivisions of Russia}}
{{Belgorod Oblast}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Belgorod Oblast| ]]
[[Category:Oblasts of Russia]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1954]]