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Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
Нижегородская область (Russian)
—  Oblast  —

Flag

Coat of arms
Anthem: None
Coordinates: 56°29′N 44°32′E / 56.483°N 44.533°E / 56.483; 44.533Coordinates: 56°29′N 44°32′E / 56.483°N 44.533°E / 56.483; 44.533
Political status
Country Russia
Federal district Volga
Economic region Volga-Vyatka
Established January 14, 1929 (first),
December 5, 1936 (second)
Administrative center Nizhny Novgorod
Government (as of February 2014)
 • Governor Valery Shantsev
 • Legislature Legislative Assembly
Statistics
Area (as of the 2002 Census)
 • Total 76,900 km2 (29,700 sq mi)
Area rank 40th
Population (2010 Census)
 • Total 3,310,597
 • Rank 10th
 • Density 43.05/km2 (111.5/sq mi)
 • Urban 78.9%
 • Rural 21.1%
Population (January 2014 est.)
 • Total 3,281,008
Time zone(s) MSK (UTC+03:00)
ISO 3166-2 RU-NIZ
License plates 52, 152
Official languages Russian
Official website

Nizhny Novgorod Oblast (Russian: Нижегоро́дская о́бласть, Nizhegorodskaya oblast), also known in English as Nizhegorod Oblast, is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Nizhny Novgorod. Population: 3,310,597 (2010 Census). From 1932 to 1990 it was known as Gorky Oblast.

The oblast is crossed by the Volga River. Apart from Nizhny Novgorod's metropolitan area (including Dzerzhinsk, Bor and Kstovo) the biggest city is Arzamas. Near the town of Sarov there is the Serafimo-Diveyevsky Monastery, one of the largest convents in Russia, established by Saint Seraphim of Sarov. The Makaryev Monastery opposite of the town of Lyskovo used to be the location of the largest fair in Eastern Europe. Other historic towns include Gorodets and Balakhna, located on the Volga to the north from Nizhny Novgorod.

The oblast covers an area of 76,900 square kilometers (29,700 sq mi), which is approximately equal to the entire area of the Benelux countries or Czech Republic. Agricultural land occupies 41% of this area; forests, 48%, lakes and rivers, 2%; and other lands, 9%. Nizhny Novgorod Oblast borders Kostroma Oblast (N), Kirov Oblast (NE), the Mari El Republic (E), the Chuvash Republic (E), the Republic of Mordovia (S), Ryazan Oblast (SW), Vladimir Oblast (W), and Ivanovo Oblast (NW).


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