View source for Raion

{{Short description|Administrative division in several countries}}
{{Other uses|Rayon (disambiguation)}}

A '''raion''' (also spelt '''rayon''') is a type of administrative unit of several [[post-Soviet states]]. The term is used for both a type of [[administrative division|subnational entity]] and a division of a [[city]]. The word is from the [[French language|French]] {{Lang|fr|rayon}} (meaning 'honeycomb, department'),<ref>[[Merriam-Webster]]'s ''Third New International Dictionary'' (1961, repr. 1981), s.v. ''raion''.</ref> and is commonly translated as '[[district]]' in English.<ref>[[Saunders, R.A.]], Strukov, V. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=l_uAoNJiOMwC&pg=PA477 Historical Dictionary of the Russian Federation]''. "[[Scarecrow Press]]", 2010, {{ISBN|978-0-8108-5475-8}}, S. 477.</ref>

A raion is a standardized administrative entity across most of the former [[Soviet Union]] and is usually a subdivision two steps below the national level, such as a subdivision of an [[oblast]]. However, in smaller USSR republics, it could be the primary level of administrative division. After the [[fall of the Soviet Union]], some of the republics kept the ''raion'' (e.g. [[Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan|Azerbaijan]], [[Districts of Belarus|Belarus]], [[Raions of Ukraine|Ukraine]], [[Districts of Russia|Russia]], [[Administrative divisions of Moldova|Moldova]], [[Districts of Kazakhstan|Kazakhstan]], [[Districts of Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyzstan]]) while others dropped it (e.g. [[Administrative divisions of Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Administrative divisions of Uzbekistan|Uzbekistan]], [[Administrative divisions of Estonia|Estonia]], [[Administrative divisions of Latvia|Latvia]], [[Administrative divisions of Armenia|Armenia]], [[Districts of Tajikistan|Tajikistan]], [[Districts of Turkmenistan|Turkmenistan]]).

In [[Bulgaria]], it refers to an internal administrative subdivision of a city not related to the administrative division of the country as a whole, or, in the case of [[Sofia Capital Municipality|Sofia municipality]] a [[Districts of Sofia|subdivision of that municipality]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2133624321|title=Lex.bg - Закони, правилници, конституция, кодекси, държавен вестник, правилници по прилагане |trans-title=Laws, regulations, constitution, codes, state gazette, implementing regulations |website=lex.bg |access-date=8 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816110817/http://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2133624321|archive-date=16 August 2017}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The word ''raion'' is derived from French ''rayon'', which is itself derived from [[Frankish language|Frankish]] *''hrātu'' 'honeycomb'. It is used in many languages spanning [[Central Europe]] to [[Central Asia]] and [[Siberia]]. For instance, {{langx|az|rayon}}; {{langx|be|раён|rajon}}; {{langx|bg|район|rajon}}; {{lang-ka|რაიონი|tr}}; {{langx|de|Rayon}}; {{langx|izh|raijona}}; {{langx|lv|rajons}}; {{langx|lt|rajonas}}; {{langx|pl|rejon}}; {{langx|ro|raion}}; {{langx|ru|район|raion}}; {{langx|tr|reyon}}; {{langx|uk|район|rajon}}; {{langx|ug|رايون|rayon}}; and {{langx|sah|оройуон|oroyuon}}.

==List of countries with raion subdivisions==
Fourteen countries have or had entities that were named "raion" or the local version of it.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Country
! From
! Until
! Local name
! Comment
! Details
|-
| [[Abkhazia]] (partially recognised state)
| 
| (existing)
| araion (араион)
| inherited from the [[Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Abkhaz ASSR]] 
| [[Districts of Abkhazia]]
|-
| [[Armenia]]
| 
| 1995
|
| inherited from the [[Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic|Armenian SSR]] 
| [[Districts of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|-
| [[Austria]]
| 
| ~ 1918
| Rayon, Rajon
| Used only by the [[Gendarmerie (Austria)#K.k. Gendarmerie|k.k. Gendarmerie]] to designate police districts ("Behördenrayon", lit. authorities' raion).
| 
|-
| [[Azerbaijan]]
| 
| (existing)
| rayon, pl. rayonlar;
| inherited from the [[Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic|Azerbaijan SSR]] 
| [[Districts of Azerbaijan]]
|-
| [[Belarus]]
| 
| (existing)
| {{langx|be|раён, rajon}}
| inherited from the [[Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic|Byelorussian SSR]] 
| [[Districts of Belarus]]
|-
| [[Bulgaria]]
| 
| (existing)
| район, pl. райони (rayoni)
| raions are subdivisions of three biggest cities: [[Sofia]], [[Plovdiv]] and [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]]. Sofia is subdivided to 24 raions ([[Sofia districts]]), Plovdiv - 6, Varna - 5 raions 
|
|-
| [[China]]
| 
| (existing)
| {{zh|c=行政分区|labels=no}}
| restricted to the [[Xinjiang|Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region]] as influenced by the USSR. The districts of Ürümqi City and Karamay City are called ''رايون'' ([[SASM/GNC romanization|SASM/GNC/SRC]] and [[Uyghur Latin alphabet|ULY]]: ''rayon'') in Uyghur. 
| 
|-
| [[Crimea]] (Republic of Crimea - short lived Republic recognized by only a few UN member states)
| 2014-03-16
| 2014-03-16
|
| inherited from Ukraine. The Republic is now split into the [[federal subjects of Russia]] named [[Republic of Crimea (Russia)|Republic of Crimea]] and [[Sevastopol]] 
|
|-
| [[Estonia]]
| 1950
| 1990
| {{langx|et|rajoon}}, pl. ''rajoonid''
| used in the [[Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic|Estonian SSR]]. In 1990, transformed into counties ({{langx|et|maakond}}) 
| [[Counties of Estonia]]
|-
| [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]
| 
| 2006
| {{lang-ka|რაიონი}} ''raioni''
| inherited from the [[Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic|Georgian SSR]]; 2006 as first-level entities reorganized into municipalities. A ''raioni'' remains a territorial subdivision of Georgia's capital, [[Tbilisi]]. 
| [[List of municipalities in Georgia (country)]]
|-
| [[Kazakhstan]]
| 
| (existing)
| {{langx|ru|райо́н}}
| inherited from the [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakh SSR]] 
| [[Districts of Kazakhstan]]
|-
| [[Latvia]]
| 
| 2009-07-01
| rajons; pl. rajoni
| inherited from the [[Latvian SSR]] 
| [[Districts of Latvia]]
|-
| [[Lithuania]]
| 
| 1994
| {{langx|lt|rajonas}}
| inherited from the [[Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic|Lithuanian SSR]]. In 1994 transformed into district municipalities ({{langx|lt|rajono savivaldybė}}) 
| [[Municipalities of Lithuania]]
|-
| [[Moldova]]
| 
| (existing)
| [[Romanian language|Romanian]]: raion
| introduced in administrative reform in 2003 
| [[Districts of Moldova]]
|-
| [[Romania]]
| 
| 1968-02-16
| {{langx|ro|raion}}
| one of the [[Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of Romania]] 
| [[Districts of the People's Republic of Romania]] 
|-
| [[Russia|Russian Federation]]
| 
| (existing)
| {{langx|ru|райо́н}}
| inherited from the [[Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]] 
| [[Districts of Russia]]
|-
| [[South Ossetia-Alania]] (partially recognised state)
| 
| (existing)
| 
| inherited from the [[South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast|South Ossetian AO]] || [[Districts of South Ossetia]]
|-
| [[Soviet Union]]
| 
| 1991-12-26 (end of entity)
| 
| At various levels below the constituent republics.
|
|-
| [[Transnistria]] (breakaway territory; de jure part of Moldova)
| 
| (existing)
|
| inherited from the [[Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic|Moldavian SSR]] 
| [[Raions of Transnistria]]
|-
| [[Ukraine]]
| 
| (existing)
| {{langx|uk|райо́н}}
| 490 raions were inherited from the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]], which were replaced by 136 new raions in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |title=Україна з новим адмінтерустроєм: парламент створив 136 нових районів та ліквідував 490 старих |trans-title=Ukraine with a new administrative system: the parliament created 136 new districts and eliminated 490 old ones |url= https://decentralization.gov.ua/news/12634|work=[[Decentralization Reform]] |date=17 July 2020|language=uk}}<br>{{cite news |title=The council reduced the number of districts in Ukraine: 136 instead of 490|url= https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2020/07/17/7259715/|work=[[Ukrainska Pravda]] |date=17 July 2020|language=uk}}</ref> Major Ukrainian cities are also [[Raions of cities in Ukraine|subdivided into raions]], constituting a total of 118 nationwide.
| [[Raions of Ukraine]]
|}

==History==

===Raions in the Soviet Union===
In the [[Soviet Union]], raions were administrative divisions created in the 1920s to reduce the number of territorial divisions inherited from the [[Russian Empire]] and to simplify their bureaucracies.<ref name="Gale">James R. Millar.  ''Encyclopedia of Russian History''.  Macmillan Reference USA.  New York, 2004.  {{ISBN|0-02-865693-8}}</ref>  The process of conversion to the system of raions was called '''''raionirovanie''''' ("regionalization").  It was started in 1923 in the [[Urals]], [[North Caucasus]], and [[Siberia]] as a part of the Soviet administrative reform and continued through 1929, by which time the majority of the country's territory was divided into raions instead of the old [[volost]]s and [[uyezd]]s.<ref name="Gale" />

The concept of ''raionirovanie'' was met with resistance in some republics, especially in [[Ukraine]], where local leaders objected to the concept of raions as being too centralized in nature and ignoring the local customs.  This point of view was backed by the Soviet Russian [[People's Commissariat of Nationalities]].<ref name="Gale" />  Nevertheless, eventually all of the territory of the Soviet Union was regionalized.

Soviet raions had self-governance in the form of an elected [[soviet (council)|district council]] (''raysovet'') and were headed by the local head of administration, who was either elected or appointed.

===Raions outside the Soviet Union===
{{Further|Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of Romania}}
Following the model of the Soviet Union, raions were introduced in Bulgaria and Romania. In China the term is used in Uyghur in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

In Romania they have been later replaced.

===Raions after the dissolution of the Soviet Union===
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, raions as administrative units continue to be used in [[Azerbaijan]], [[Belarus]], [[Moldova]], [[Russia]], and [[Ukraine]].

They are also used in breakaway regions: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Set
! Quantity
! Comment
|-
| [[Districts of Abkhazia]] || 7 || first-level
|-
| [[Districts of Azerbaijan]] || 59 || first-level, 18 other entities at that level exist
|-
| [[Districts of Belarus]] || 118 || second-level below oblasts and Minsk City
|-
| [[Districts of Moldova]] || 32 || first-level, 5 other entities at that level exist
|-
| [[Districts of South Ossetia]] || 4 || first-level, 1 other entity at that level exists
|-
| [[Districts of Russia]] || 1731<ref group=nb>Including Crimea and Sevastopol.</ref> || second-level below federal subjects
|-
| [[Districts of Transnistria]] || 5 || first-level
|-
| [[Districts of Ukraine]] || 136 and 118 city raions || second-level, numbers as of 2020, including Sevastopol and Crimea
|}

In Georgia they exist as districts in Tbilisi.

==Modern raions==
===Abkhazia===
{{Main|Districts of Abkhazia}}

Abkhazia is divided into seven districts.

===Azerbaijan===
{{Main|Districts of Azerbaijan}}

===Belarus===
{{Main|Districts of Belarus}}
In [[Belarus]], raions ({{langx|be|раён, rajon}}<ref>According to the [http://www.pravo.by/pdf/2007-159/2007-159(027-028).pdf Instruction on Latin Transliteration of Geographical Names of the Republic of Belarus, Decree of the State Committee on Land Resources, Surveying and Cartography of the Republic of Belarus dated 23.11.2000 No. 15] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924081314/http://www.pravo.by/pdf/2007-159/2007-159(027-028).pdf |date=2015-09-24 }} recommended for use by the Working Group on [[Romanization of Belarusian|Romanization Systems]] of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) — {{cite web |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/9th-uncsgn-docs/e-conf-98-crp-21.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-07-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090824062135/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/9th-UNCSGN-Docs/E-CONF-98-CRP-21.pdf |archive-date=2009-08-24 }}. See also: [[Instruction on transliteration of Belarusian geographical names with letters of Latin script]]; [[Romanization of Belarusian]].</ref>) are administrative units subordinated to [[oblast]]s. See also: [[:Category:Districts of Belarus]].

===Bulgaria===
In [[Bulgaria]], raions are subdivisions of three biggest cities: [[Sofia]], [[Plovdiv]] and [[Varna, Bulgaria|Varna]]. Sofia is subdivided to 24 raions ([[Sofia districts]]), Plovdiv - 6, Varna - 5 raions.

===Moldova===
*[[Administrative divisions of Moldova]]

===South Ossetia===
{{Main|Districts of South Ossetia}}

===Transnistria===
{{Main|Districts of Transnistria}}

===Russia===
{{main|Districts of Russia}}

=== Ukraine ===
{{Main|Raions of Ukraine|Urban districts of Ukraine}}

In [[Ukraine]], there are a total of 136 raions which are the administrative divisions of [[Oblasts of Ukraine|oblasts]] (provinces) and the [[Autonomous Republic of Crimea]]. [[City of regional significance (Ukraine)|Major cities]] as well as the two national [[City with special status|cities with special status]] ([[Kyiv]] and [[Sevastopol]]) are also [[Raions of cities in Ukraine|subdivided into raions]] (constituting a total of 118 nationwide).

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* {{RussiaBasicLawRef|ty}}

{{Polish terms for country subdivisions}}
{{Slavic terms for country subdivisions}}
{{Types of administrative country subdivision}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Political divisions of Russia]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions of regions of Ukraine|+Raion]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Belarus]]
[[Category:Types of administrative division]]
[[Category:Former subdivisions of the Socialist Republic of Romania]]
[[Category:Russian-language designations of territorial entities]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Georgia (country)]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions of Ukraine]]