Zakarpattia Oblast

Zakarpattia Oblast Ukrainian: Закарпатська область, romanized: Zakarpats'ka Oblast', also referred to as simply Zakarpattia (Ukrainian: Закарпаття; Hungarian: Kárpátalja) or Transcarpathia in English, is an oblast located in the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukraine, mostly coterminous with the historical region of Carpathian Ruthenia. Its administrative centre is the city of Uzhhorod. Other major cities within the oblast include Mukachevo, Khust, Berehove, and Chop, the last of which is home to railroad transport infrastructure.

Zakarpattia Oblast was established on 22 January 1946, following Czechoslovakia's abandonment of its claim to the territory of Subcarpathian Ruthenia (Czech and also Slovak: Podkarpatská Rus) under a treaty between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. The territory of Subcarpathian Ruthenia was then taken over by the USSR and became part of the Ukrainian SSR.

During the Ukrainian independence referendum held in 1991, a referendum on autonomy was also held in the region. 78% of voters voted in favor of autonomy, but the region was never granted an autonomous status.

Situated in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine, except the southwestern Hungarian-populated region that belongs to the Hungarian plain, Zakarpattia Oblast borders four countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. Since the Carpathian Mountains have a reputation as an important tourist and travel destination (home to many ski and spa resorts), they play a major role in the oblast's economy.

With a land area of almost 13,000 square kilometres (5,000 sq mi), the oblast is ranked 23rd by area and 15th by population; according to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, the population of Zakarpatska Oblast stood at 1,254,614. In 2022, the region's population was estimated at approximately 1,244,476 (2022 estimate). This total includes people of many nationalities, among which Hungarians, Romanians, and Rusyns constitute significant minorities in some of the province's cities, while in others, they form the majority of the population (as in the case of Berehove).