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'Chita Oblast' (), ''Chitinskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) in south-east Siberia. Its administrative center is the city of Chita. It has extensive international borders with China (998 km) and Mongolia (868 km) and internal borders with Irkutsk and Amur Oblasts, as well as with the Buryat and the Sakha Republics. It contains the Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug.
The territory that makes up today's Chita Oblast was first explored by Cossacks led by Pyotr Beketov in 1653. People began to move into and develop the area in order to strengthen Russia's border with China and Mongolia, extract mineral resources, and build the Trans-Siberian railway. In 1920, Chita became the capital of the Far East Republic, which merged with Russia in November 1922, a month before the Soviet Union was constituted. Then in 1923 was founded Zabaykalsky Krai which in 1937 was transformed into today's Chita Oblast. A referendum on merging Chita Oblast and Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug into Zabaykalsky Krai was held on March 11, 2007; since the referendum succeeded, a new region will be formed on March 1, 2008.
The oblast is rich in ferrous, non-ferrous, rare, and precious metals, coal, charcoal, and mineral waters. Russia's estimated reserves of ores with a high uranium content are 145,400 tons. Most of these deposits are located in Chita Oblast, near Krasnokamensk, site of the Priargunskiy Mining and Chemical Combine (PMCC).[1] Forests cover about 60% of its territory. As a result, the oblast's main industries are metallurgy, fuel, and timber. It also has advanced light and food industries. Local agriculture focuses on cattle, sheep, and reindeer breeding.

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Time zone

Administrative divisions

References

Time zone

Chita Oblast is located in the Yakutsk Time Zone (YAKT/YAKST). UTC offset is +0900 (YAKT)/+1000 (YAKST).

Administrative divisions

Birth Rate: Quite high at 13.77 (2004), but still there are more deaths than births (2005 official figures).

References