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{{Short description|Administrative division in some Slavic states}}
{{For|the municipality in Croatia|Okrug, Croatia}}

An '''okrug'''{{efn|{{langx|bg|окръг|okrag}}, {{IPA|bg|ˈɔkrɐk|pron}}; {{langx|mk|округ}}; {{langx|ru|округ}}; {{langx|sr|округ}}, {{IPA|sr|ôkruːɡ|pron}}; {{langx|uk|округ|okruh}}; {{langx|be|акруга|akruha}}; {{langx|pl|[[okręg]]}}; {{langx|ab|оқрҿс|translit=oqrḉs}}; {{langx|mhr|йырвел|translit=jyrvel}}}} is a type of [[administrative division]] in some [[Slavic languages|Slavic]]-speaking states. The word ''okrug'' is a [[loanword]] in English,<ref>[[Oxford English Dictionary]] on CD-ROM, Second Edition.  Entry on ''okrug''. Oxford University Press, 2002</ref> alternatively translated as [[area]], [[district]], [[county]], or [[region]]. 

Etymologically, ''okrug'' literally means '[[Circuit (administrative division)|circuit]]', derived from Proto-Slavic {{Lang|sla-x-proto|*okrǫgъ}}, in turn from {{Lang|sla-x-proto|*ob-}} "around" + {{Lang|sla-x-proto|*krǫgъ}} "circle". In meaning, the word is similar to the [[German language|German]] term ''[[Bezirk]]'' or ''[[Districts of Germany|Kreis]]'' ('[[district]]') and the French word ''[[arrondissement]]''; all of which refer to something "encircled" or "surrounded".

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== Kazakhstan ==
In [[Kazakhstan]], an ''okrug'' ({{Lang|kk|округ}}) refers to an administrative-territorial unit that operates below the [[district]] (''raion'') level. The term is most commonly used in the form of rural district ({{Lang|kk|ауылдық округ}}), which encompasses one or several rural settlements ([[Village#Kazakhstan|aul]]) administered collectively under a single local government.

Each rural okrug has an elected or appointed [[akim]] (executive head) who manages administrative affairs on behalf of the district authorities. The okrug serves as an intermediary administrative level between the district and individual auls, often responsible for local public services, infrastructure maintenance, and basic civil registration.

The use of the term "okrug" differs from other former Soviet countries where it may refer to larger administrative units; in Kazakhstan, it specifically denotes these small local government areas.

==Serbia==
{{See also|Administrative divisions of Serbia}}

The [[Serbia|Republic of Serbia]] is divided into twenty-nine ''okrug'' ({{Plural abbr|okruzi}}) as well as the [[Belgrade|City of Belgrade]]. The term ''okrug'' in Serbia is often translated as either ''district'' or ''county''. The usage of ''okrug'' dates back to the early 19th century.

===Principality of Serbia===
 {{main|Administrative divisions of the Principality of Serbia}}
In 1833 six ''[[Nahiye (Ottoman)|nahiya]]'' that had been part of the [[First Serbian Uprising]] (1804–13), but remained outside Serbia following the [[Second Serbian Uprising]] (1815), were transferred to Serbia by Sultan [[Mahmud II]].{{sfn|Petrović|1898}} In 1834 the former Ottoman administrative units in Serbia were abolished, replaced with five ''serdarstvo'', 19 ''okrug'' and 61 ''kapetanija'' (renamed ''srez'' in 1835).<ref>{{harvnb|Cvijetić|1984|pp=10-12}}, {{harvnb|Petrović|1898}}</ref>

===Kingdom of Serbia===
 {{main|Administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Serbia}}
In 1890, Serbia was divided into 15 ''okrug'' ({{Plural abbr|okruzi}}) which were further divided into counties, ''[[srez]]'' ({{Plural abbr|srezovi}}). Cities of [[Belgrade]] and [[Niš]] had special administrative status. The districts were: [[Valjevo]], [[Vranje]], [[Kragujevac]], [[Negotin Valley|Krajina]], [[Kruševac]], [[Ćuprija|Morava]], [[Pirot]], [[Loznica|Podrinje]], [[Podunavlje District|Podunavlje]], [[Požarevac]], [[Rudnik (mountain)|Rudnik]], [[Timok Valley|Timok]], [[Toplica (region)|Toplica]], [[Užice]] and [[Crni Timok|Crna Reka]]. In 1900 the [[Podunavlje District|Podunavlje]] district was divided into the districts of [[Belgrade]] and [[Smederevo]] and in 1902 the district of [[Čačak]] was separated from [[Rudnik (mountain)|Rudnik]] district.

In 1912 and 1913 Serbia enlarged its territory after victorious [[First Balkan War]]. In August 1913, 11 new districts were formed in the newly liberated areas: [[Bitola]], [[Debar]], [[Kavadarci]], [[Novi Pazar]], [[Kumanovo]], [[Pljevlja]], [[Prizren]], [[Priština]], [[Skopje]], [[Tetovo]] and [[Štip]]. Few months later, [[Pljevlja]] and [[Debar]] districts were abolished and the new [[Prijepolje]] and [[Ohrid]] districts formed instead. A new [[Kosovska Mitrovica|Zvečan]] district was formed as well.

===Republic of Serbia===
 {{Main article|Districts of Serbia}}
The [[Serbia|Republic of Serbia]] is divided into twenty-nine ''okrug'' ({{Plural abbr|okruzi}}) as well as the [[Belgrade|City of Belgrade]].

{{Collapse top|title=Districts of the Republic of Serbia}}
* [[Bor District|Bor]]
* [[Braničevo District|Braničevo]]
* [[Central Banat District|Central Banat]]
* [[Jablanica District|Jablanica]]
* [[Kolubara District|Kolubara]]
* [[Mačva District|Mačva]]
* [[Moravica District|Moravica]]
* [[Nišava District|Nišava]]
* [[North Bačka District|North Bačka]]
* [[North Banat District|North Banat]]
* [[Pčinja District|Pčinja]]
* [[Pirot District|Pirot]]
* [[Podunavlje District|Podunavlje]]
* [[Pomoravlje District|Pomoravlje]]
* [[Rasina District|Rasina]]
* [[Raška District|Raška]]
* [[South Bačka District|South Bačka]]
* [[South Banat District|South Banat]]
* [[Srem District|Srem]]
* [[Šumadija District|Šumadija]]
* [[Toplica District|Toplica]]
* [[West Bačka District|West Bačka]]
* [[Zaječar District|Zaječar]]
* [[Zlatibor District|Zlatibor]]
* [[Kosovo District|Kosovo]]{{sup|a}}
* [[Kosovo-Pomoravlje District|Kosovo-Pomoravlje]]{{sup|a}}
* [[Kosovska Mitrovica District (Serbia)|Kosovska Mitrovica]]{{sup|a}}
* [[Peć District (Serbia)|Peć]]{{sup|a}}
* [[Prizren District (Serbia)|Prizren]]{{sup|a}}
{{collapse bottom}}

==Former usage==
===Bulgaria===
{{Main article|Provinces of Bulgaria}}

In [[Bulgaria]], {{Transliteration|bg|okrag}}''s'' are the abolished primary unit of the administrative division and implied "districts" or "counties". They existed in the postwar Bulgaria between 1946 and 1987 and corresponded approximately to today's [[oblast]]s.

===Poland===
{{Main article|District (Poland)}}

As historical administrative subdivisions of [[Poland]], {{Lang|pl|okręgi}} existed in the later part of the [[Congress Poland]] period, from 1842, when the name was applied to the former [[powiat|''powiats'']] (the name {{Lang|pl|powiat}} being transferred to the former ''[[obwód|obwody]]'').<ref>[[:pl:Podział administracyjny Królestwa Polskiego 1837-1914|Administrative division of the Congress Poland]] {{in lang|pl}}</ref> See: [[subdivisions of Congress Poland]].

{{Lang|pl|Okręgi}} were also created temporarily from 1945 to 1946, in the areas annexed to Poland from Germany as a result of the Soviet military advance. An {{Lang|pl|okręg}} was then subdivided into {{Lang|pl|obwody}}. These {{Lang|pl|okręgi}} were later replaced by [[voivodeships of Poland|voivodeship]]s, and the {{Lang|pl|obwody}} by {{Lang|pl|powiat}}s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://baza.archiwa.gov.pl/sezam/iza.php?nrarchiwum=65&nrzespolu=357&cdnumeru=0&mode=showzesp&search1=get&offset=100 |title=Article in Polish re 1945-46 |access-date=2013-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023080501/http://baza.archiwa.gov.pl/sezam/iza.php?nrarchiwum=65&nrzespolu=357&cdnumeru=0&mode=showzesp&search1=get&offset=100 |archive-date=2007-10-23 }}</ref>

===Russia===
====Imperial Russia====
''Okrugs'' were one of the several types of administrative division for [[oblast]]s and selected [[governorate (Russia)|governorates]] in [[Russian Empire|Imperial Russia]]. Until the 1920s, okrugs were administrative districts in [[Cossack host]]s such as the [[Don Cossacks]].

====Soviet Union====
{{See|Okruhas of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic}}

Inherited from Imperial Russia, in the 1920s, ''okrugs'' were administrative divisions of several other primary divisions such as [[oblast]]s, [[krai]]s, and others. For some time in the 1920s they also served as the primary unit upon the abolishment of [[governorate (Russia)|guberniyas]] and were divided into [[raion]]s. On 30 July 1930 most of the okrugs were abolished. The remaining okrugs were phased out in the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]] during 1930–1946, although they were retained in [[Zakarpattia Oblast]] of the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]] in a status equivalent to that of a raion.

National okrugs were first created in the [[Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Mountain ASSR]] of the Russian SFSR in 1921 as units of the Soviet autonomy and additional national okrugs were created in the Russian SFSR for the peoples of the north and Caucasus region. In 1977, all national okrugs were renamed autonomous okrugs.

====Russian Federation====
{{Main article|Political divisions of Russia}}

In the present-day [[Russia|Russian Federation]], the term ''okrug'' is either translated as ''district'' or rendered directly as ''okrug'', and is used to describe the following types of divisions:
*[[Federal districts of Russia|Federal Districts]] ({{Transliteration|ru|federalny okrug}}), such as the [[Siberian Federal District]]
*[[Autonomous okrugs of Russia|Autonomous okrugs]] ({{Transliteration|ru|avtonomny okrug}}), such as [[Chukotka Autonomous Okrug]]

After the series of mergers in 2005–2008, several autonomous okrugs of Russia lost their federal subject status and are now considered to be administrative territories within the federal subjects they had been merged into:
*[[Agin-Buryat Okrug]], a territory with special status within [[Zabaykalsky Krai]]
*[[Komi-Permyak Okrug]], a territory with special status within [[Perm Krai]]
*[[Koryak Okrug]], a territory with special status within [[Kamchatka Krai]]
*[[Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug]], a territory with special status within [[Irkutsk Oblast]]

''Okrug'' is also used to describe the administrative divisions of the two "[[federal cities of Russia|federal cities]]" in Russia:
*the [[administrative divisions of Moscow|administrative ''okrugs'']] of [[Moscow]] are an upper-level administrative division
*the [[administrative divisions of Saint Petersburg|municipal ''okrugs'']] of [[Saint Petersburg|St.&nbsp; Petersburg]] is a lower-level administrative division

In the federal city of [[Sevastopol]], municipal okrugs are a type of municipal formation.

In [[Tver Oblast]], the term ''okrug'' also denotes a type of an [[city of federal subject significance|administrative division]] which is equal in status to that of the districts.

Furthermore, the designation ''okrug'' denotes several ''[[selsoviet]]''-level administrative divisions:
*[[Selsoviet#Selsoviets in Russia|okrugs]], such as [[administrative divisions of Samara Oblast|okrugs of Samara Oblast]]
*[[Selsoviet#Selsoviets in Russia|rural okrugs]] ({{Transliteration|ru|selsky okrug}}), such as the [[administrative divisions of Belgorod Oblast|rural okrugs of Belgorod Oblast]]
*[[Selsoviet#Selsoviets in Russia|rural territorial okrugs]] ({{Transliteration|ru|selsky territorialny okrug}}), such as the [[administrative divisions of Murmansk Oblast|rural territorial okrugs of Murmansk Oblast]]
*[[Selsoviet#Selsoviets in Russia|stanitsa okrugs]] ({{Transliteration|ru|stanichny okrug}}), such as the [[administrative divisions of Krasnodar Krai|stanitsa okrugs of Krasnodar Krai]]

In some cities, the term ''okrug'' is used to refer to the administrative divisions of those cities.  Administrative okrugs are such divisions in the cities of [[Murmansk]], [[Omsk]], and [[Tyumen]]; city okrugs are used in [[Krasnodar]]; municipal ''okrugs'' are the divisions of [[Nazran]]; okrugs exist in [[Belgorod]], [[Kaluga]], [[Kursk]], and [[Novorossiysk]]; and territorial okrugs are the divisions of [[Arkhangelsk]] and [[Lipetsk]].

The term ''okrug'' is also used to describe a type of a [[Political divisions of Russia#Municipal divisions|municipal formation]], the municipal urban okrug—a municipal urban settlement not incorporated into a municipal district.<ref name="Mun">{{cite Russian law
|ru_entity=Государственная Дума Российской Федерации
|ru_type=Федеральный Закон
|ru_number=131-ФЗ
|ru_date=6 октября 2003 г.
|ru_title=Об общих принципах организации местного самоуправления в Российской Федерации
|ru_amendment_type=Федерального Закона
|ru_amendment_number=290-ФЗ
|ru_amendment_date=4 октября 2014 г
|en_entity=[[State Duma]] of the Russian Federation
|en_type=Federal Law
|en_number=131-FZ
|en_date=October&nbsp;6, 2003
|en_title=On the General Principles of Organization of the Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation
|en_amendment_number=290-FZ
|en_amendment_type=Federal Law
|en_amendment_date=September&nbsp;28, 2010
}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Administrative division]]
*[[Krai]]
*[[Military district]]
*[[Oblast]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite journal|last=Cvijetić|first=Leposava|title=Popis 1834|editor-last=Milić|editor-first=Danica|journal=Мешовита грађа [Miscellanea]|volume=13|year=1984|publisher=Istorijski institut|pages=9–118}}
* {{cite book|last=Petrović|first=Mita|title=Finansije i ustanove obnovljene Srbije do 1842 II: Drugi ustanak, finansiranje i narodni prihodi do 1835 po originalnim dokumentima|year=1898|publisher=Državna štamparija|location=Belgrade}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161220201005/http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CU%5CN%5CUnionfortheLiberationofUkraineSVU.htm%5CO%5CK%5COkruha.htm Okruha] in the [http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/ Encyclopedia of Ukraine]

{{Slavic terms for country subdivisions}}
{{Types of administrative country subdivision}}

[[Category:Types of administrative division]]
[[Category:Political divisions of Russia]]
[[Category:Russian-language designations of territorial entities]]
[[Category:Former types of subdivisions of Serbia]]
[[Category:Former types of subdivisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]