Ternopil Oblast (Ukrainian: Тернопільська область, translit. Ternopilska oblast; also referred to as Ternopilshchyna - Ukrainian: Тернопільщина, Polish: Obwód Tarnopolski) is an oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Ternopil, through which flows the Seret River, a tributary of the Dnister.

One of its natural wonders of what the region is proud are its caves. Although Ternopil Oblast is among the smallest regions in Ukraine, there are over 100 caves. Scientist however think that it is only 20% of all caves possibly in the region. The biggest cave is Optymistychna Cave. Measuring 240 m (790 ft) in total length, places the cave on the first place among caves of Eurasia and the fifth in the world ranking (see list of longest caves). Some caves are used for scientific research.

Ternopil Oblast is accounted for some 34 castles. The most beautiful one is the Zbarazh Castle. Its fortifications alone expand over 16 ha (40 acres). In the summer of 1649 the castle appeared to be in the epicenter of a standoff between troops of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and the army of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. These events were later described in the novel "With Fire and Sword" by Polish Noble Prize recipient Henryk Sienkiewicz.

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Wikipedia