The Smolensk oblast is situated in the center of the East European plain, in the extreme west of the Russian Federation. The oblast enters the Central administrative okrug of the RF and according to the economic regional zoning it belongs to the territory of the Central economic region.

The area of the Smolensk oblast in its present-day boarders is 49.800 square kilometers, which takes about 0,3% of Russia’s total area. The length of the territory from west to east is 280 kilometres and it stretches 250 kilometres from north to south. The administrative-territorial structure of the oblast consists of 25 administrative regions and 2 towns of oblast subordination: Smolensk, the capital city of the oblast (350.600 people) and Desnogorsk (37.300 people). The largest towns of the Smolensk oblast are Vyazma (58.600 people), Gagarin (30.200 people), Roslavl (57.700 people), Safonovo (51.800 people), Yartsevo (55.600 people) and Dorogobuzh (12.600 people). There are 15 settlements of urban type, the largest of which are Vyerkhnednieprovsky and Ozyorny.

In the center and in the east hills prevail, they are divided by deep engraved river valleys. The average height of the surface is about 220 metres above sea-level. The hills are crossed by a great number of rivers and brooks (the total number of the latter is 1149). 60 per cent of the territory is washed by the rivers of the Dnieper system (the Dnieper originates in the district of Sichevka, its main influxes are the Sozh, the Desna), 25 per cent – by the basin of the Western Dvina. About 50 lakes in Smolensk region have glacial origin.

The Smolensk oblast borders on five Russian oblasts. They are the Pskov and the Tver oblasts in the north, the Moscow and Kaluga oblasts in the south-east and Bryansk oblast in the south. It borders on two Byelorussian oblasts – the Vitebsk oblast in the north-west and the Mogilev oblast in the south-west. Being historically a borderer between Byelorus and the Great Rus, the Smolensk oblast today has 1/3 of its perimeter as the state borders. It is crossed by more than one hundred and fifty road passages of all categories and road types (such as, highway M1 of federal significance Moscow – Western Europe and country roads used for transborder exchanges by the population living in boarding settlements).

The territory of the Smolensk oblast is crossed by the shortest routs, connecting different regions of Russia with each other and with countries abroad. Being located in middle latitudes noticeably influenced by the air masses of the Atlantic, its territory is a watershed of three large river systems in the European part of the country – the Volga, the Dnieper and the West Dvina. These peculiarities of geographical position define the main characteristics of the region’s nature – temperate continental climate, predominance of uplands and small rivers, large areas of forests and sod-podzolic soils.

Climate is temperate continental. Summer is warm (the average temperature in July is + 17-18°C. Winter is moderately cold (the average temperature in January is – 8,5°C). The annual average rainfall varies between 530 and 650 mm.

In the earlier times forests covered the whole territory of Smolensk region, presently they occupy about one fifth of its total area.

Forests intermitted by open spaces on the hills and in river valleys create charming landscapes.

Various natural resources are available in Smolensk region.

These include: low-caloried brown coal (its supply’s about 1.5 milliard tons), peat (its supply is about 450 million tons), a number of deposits of building materials (clay, loam, dolomite, chalk, marl, limestone, etc.). The supply of sulphate-calcium-magnesium mineral waters have been found and are broadly used.

In the lakes of the region there are considerable supplies of sparopels (more than 150 million cubic metres).

The region is situated in the zone of mixed forests. The total area of available land is 2093.9 thousand hectares, and 1000.2 thousand hectares are under the jurisdiction of state structures of forestry. The average age of plantations is 44.

The great importance is attached to the development of natural (national) parks, which are created for preservation of landscapes and unique natural complexes. The national park “Smolensk lakes” was founded on the territory of the region. Its area is 146.2 thousand hectares and 112.5 of them are forests. The available land of Smolensk region is 4977.9 thousand hectares.

The fauna of the region is remarkable for its variety. About 55 species of mammals, 260 species of birds, 40 species of fish inhabit the territory of the region. In the forest hares, squirrels, foxes, wild boars, elks, wolves are widespread. Sometimes you can see bears, trots, martens, weasels, ermines there.

Mineral and raw materials base

Mineral resources play an important role in the economy of the region, being the raw material base for the construction materials industry and road construction. The mineral resources structure is dominated by brown coal, sand and gravel materials, peat, fireproof clays, construction stone, rock ce-ment, sapropel and others.

Mineral and raw materials base structure of Smolensk region
• construction stone - 8,7%
• carbonates - 3,5%
• peat - 22,6%
• ceramic clays - 3,8%
• claydite - 0,7%
• sand-gravel materials - 25,6%
• sand - 3,3%
• travertine - 0,4%
• phosphorites - 0,6%
• rock cement - 2,8%
• brown coal - 26,7%
• fireproof clays - 1,3%

The region also has fresh drinking and mineral (underground) water (52 deposits) that are used for industry and fresh drinking water supply.

Smolensk region rates 13 among the Central Federal District regions as far as its mineral and raw materials potential is concerned, and 8 - in construction materials deposits.

The rivers and the lakes are full of pikes, pike-perches, breams, perches, burbots and other species of fish.

All that creates perspectives for organization of sporting hunting, fishery and short rest.

The map of Smolensk region (1112 kb)