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:''The federal districts of Russia should not be confused with the federal subjects of Russia.''
Russia is divided into seven large 'federal districts' (, sing. федера́льный о́круг; tr.: ''federalnyye okruga'', sing. ''federalny okrug'') (four in Europe, three in Asia).
The federal districts are a level of administration for the convenience of the federal government. They are ''not'' constituent units of the Russian Federation. The constituent units of the Russian Federation are called federal subjects.
Each district includes several federal subjects. Each federal district has a presidential envoy, whose official title is Plenipotentiary Representative. The official task of the Plenipotentiary Representative is simply to oversee the work of federal agencies in the regions, although in practice this oversight is extensive and of considerable consequence.

Contents

Creation of the federal districts

Role and functioning of the federal districts

Presidential plenipotentiary envoys

Map of the federal districts

List of federal districts by federal subjects included within their boundaries

Creation of the federal districts

The federal districts were created in May 2000 by Vladimir Putin as a part of a wider program designed to reassert federal authority. This wider program of reform included the Federation Council becoming indirectly elected, the scrutinizing of republican constitutions and regional charters, and the President gaining the right to dissolve subjects' parliaments and dismiss subjects' governments if they disobey federal law.

Role and functioning of the federal districts

The Plenipotentiary Representatives and their staff ascertain the extent of a subjects' violation of federal laws and norms. They also oversee the process of correction at a closer level than can the federal institutions in Moscow. They are therefore central to Putin's reassertion of federal authority. The creation of the federal districts has assisted in restricting laws and practices of the subjects which contravene federal law, for instance, the curtailment of citizens rights, the authoritarian practices of subjects' governors (or, in case of republics, their presidents), the manipulation of police and the control of the judiciary by subjects' governments, the strict control of journalism, and the manipulation of elections.
Federal agencies, particularly in the justice system, had been "captured" by subjects' governments during the segmented federalism of the Yeltsin period. This process is being forestalled as Plenipotentiary Representatives ensure that agencies do the work for which they are intended rather than being brought under the influence of powerful local elites with vested interests.
The Plenipotentiary Representatives are overseeing a system of rotation of federal employees throughout the regions in order to avoid them becoming dependent on local leaders.
The federal districts coincide exactly with the Interior Ministry forces' military regions, and coincide closely with the Defense Ministry regions. This allows the Plenipotentiary Representatives to have direct access to the command structure of the military and security apparatus. This sends a clear message to the subjects that they must cooperate with the federal government, and is very useful for the Plenipotentiary Representatives.

Presidential plenipotentiary envoys

★ Central Federal District

★
★ Georgy Poltavchenko (since May 182000)

★ Southern Federal District

★
★ Viktor Kazantsev (May 182000, – March 92004)

★
★ Vladimir Yakovlev (March 9 – September 132004)

★
★ Dmitry Kozak (since September 132004)

★ Northwestern Federal District

★
★ Viktor Cherkesov (May 182000, – March 112003)

★
★ Valentina Matviyenko (March 112003, – October 152003)

★
★ Ilya Klebanov (since November 12003)

★ Far Eastern Federal District

★
★ Konstantin Pulikovsky (May 182000, – November 142005)

★
★ Kamil Iskhakov (since November 142005)

★ Siberian Federal District

★
★ Leonid Drachevskiy (May 182000, – September 92004)

★
★ Anatoly Kvashnin (since September 92004)

★ Urals Federal District

★
★ Pyotr Latyshev (since May 182000)

★ Volga Federal District

★
★ Sergei Kiriyenko (May 182000, – November 142005)

★
★ Alexandr Konovalov (since November 142005)

Map of the federal districts

'Map legend'
#Central Federal District
#Southern Federal District
#Northwestern Federal District
#Far Eastern Federal District
#Siberian Federal District
#Urals Federal District
#Volga Federal District

List of federal districts by federal subjects included within their boundaries

==='Central Federal District'===

★

★ Romanization: ''Tsentralny federalny okrug''

★ Administrative center: Moscow

★ Presidential Envoy: Georgy Poltavchenko

★ Includes:

★
★ Belgorod Oblast

★
★ Bryansk Oblast

★
★ Ivanovo Oblast

★
★ Kaluga Oblast

★
★ Kostroma Oblast

★
★ Kursk Oblast

★
★ Lipetsk Oblast

★
★ Moscow (federal city)

★
★ Moscow Oblast

★
★ Oryol Oblast

★
★ Ryazan Oblast

★
★ Smolensk Oblast

★
★ Tambov Oblast

★
★ Tver Oblast

★
★ Tula Oblast

★
★ Vladimir Oblast

★
★ Voronezh Oblast

★
★ Yaroslavl Oblast
==='Southern Federal District'===

★ Южный федеральный округ

★ Romanization: ''Yuzhny federalny okrug''

★ Administrative center: Rostov-na-Donu

★ Presidential Envoy: Dmitry Kozak

★ Includes:

★
★ Republic of Adygea

★
★ Astrakhan Oblast

★
★ Chechen Republic

★
★ Republic of Dagestan

★
★ Republic of Ingushetia

★
★ Kabardino-Balkar Republic

★
★ Republic of Kalmykia

★
★ Karachay-Cherkess Republic

★
★ Krasnodar Krai

★
★ Republic of North Ossetia-Alania

★
★ Stavropol Krai

★
★ Rostov Oblast

★
★ Volgograd Oblast
==='Northwestern Federal District'===

★ Северо-Западный федеральный округ

★ Romanization: ''Severo-Zapadny federalny okrug''

★ Administrative center: St. Petersburg

★ Presidential Envoy: Ilya Klebanov

★ Includes:

★
★ Arkhangelsk Oblast

★
★
★ Nenets Autonomous Okrug

★
★ Kaliningrad Oblast

★
★ Leningrad Oblast

★
★ Republic of Karelia

★
★ Komi Republic

★
★ Murmansk Oblast

★
★ Novgorod Oblast

★
★ Pskov Oblast

★
★ St. Petersburg (federal city)

★
★ Vologda Oblast
==='Far Eastern Federal District'===

★ Дальневосточный федеральный округ

★ Romanization: ''Dalnevostochny federalny okrug''

★ Administrative center: Khabarovsk

★ Presidential Envoy: Kamil Iskhakov

★ Includes:

★
★ Amur Oblast

★
★ Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

★
★ Jewish Autonomous Oblast

★
★ Kamchatka Krai

★
★ Khabarovsk Krai

★
★ Magadan Oblast

★
★ Primorsky Krai

★
★ Sakha (Yakutia) Republic

★
★ Sakhalin Oblast
==='Siberian Federal District'===

★ Сибирский федеральный округ

★ Romanization: ''Sibirsky federalny okrug''

★ Administrative center: Novosibirsk

★ Presidential Envoy: Anatoly Kvashnin

★ Includes:

★
★ Altai Republic

★
★ Altai Krai

★
★ Buryat Republic

★
★ Chita Oblast

★
★
★ Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug

★
★ Irkutsk Oblast

★
★
★ Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug

★
★ Republic of Khakassia

★
★ Kemerovo Oblast

★
★ Krasnoyarsk Krai

★
★ Novosibirsk Oblast

★
★ Omsk Oblast

★
★ Tomsk Oblast

★
★ Tuva Republic
==='Urals Federal District'===

★ Уральский федеральный округ

★ Romanization: ''Uralsky federalny okrug''

★ Administrative center: Yekaterinburg

★ Presidential Envoy: Pyotr Latyshev

★ Includes:

★
★ Kurgan Oblast

★
★ Sverdlovsk Oblast

★
★ Tyumen Oblast

★
★
★ Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

★
★
★ Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug

★
★ Chelyabinsk Oblast
==='Volga Federal District'===

★ Приволжский федеральный округ

★ Romanization: ''Privolzhsky federalny okrug''

★ Administrative center: Nizhny Novgorod

★ Presidential Envoy: Alexander Konovalov

★ Includes:

★
★ Republic of Bashkortostan

★
★ Chuvash Republic

★
★ Kirov Oblast

★
★ Mari El Republic

★
★ Republic of Mordovia

★
★ Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

★
★ Orenburg Oblast

★
★ Penza Oblast

★
★ Perm Krai

★
★ Samara Oblast

★
★ Saratov Oblast

★
★ Republic of Tatarstan

★
★ Udmurt Republic

★
★ Ulyanovsk Oblast