Administrative divisions of Ukraine

Administrative divisions of Ukraine
The administrative divisions of Ukraine are under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Constitution. Ukraine is a unitary state with three levels of administrative divisions: 27 regions (24 oblasts, 2 cities with special status and 1 autonomous republic), 136 raions and 1469 hromadas.
The latest administrative reform of July 2020 merged most of the 490 raions and 118 cities of regional significance into 136 raions. The overall structure did not change significantly from the middle of the 20th century. The next level below raions are hromadas.
Following the annexations of Crimea and southeastern Ukraine by the Russian Federation, Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol as well as portions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts came under the de facto administration of the Russian Federation. Internationally, most states have not recognized the Russian claims.
Overview
According to Article 133 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the system of administrative and territorial organization of Ukraine consists of: AR Crimea, oblasts, raions, cities, urban raions, towns and villages.
In the 2020 administrative reform, all populated places in Ukraine (except for two cities with special status: Kyiv and Sevastopol) were resubordinated to raions. The new figure of 136 raions includes 10 in the AR Crimea (though they are not presently functional) and Sevastopol.
First level
There are three types of first-level administrative divisions: 24 oblasts, 1 autonomous republic and 2 cities with special status.
List
Autonomous republic
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea geographically encompasses the major portion of the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine. Its capital is Simferopol. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the only region within Ukraine that has its own constitution.
On 16 March 2014, after the occupation of Crimea by the Russian military, a referendum on joining the Russian Federation was held. A majority of votes supported the measure. On 21 March 2014, the Russian Duma voted to annex Crimea as a subject into the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian government does not recognize the referendum or annexation of Crimea as legitimate. On 27 March, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 68/262 by 100 to 11 votes, recognizing the referendum as invalid and denying any legal change in the status of Crimea and Sevastopol.
Oblasts
An oblast is on the first level of the administrative division of Ukraine.
Most oblasts are named after their administrative center. Volyn and Zakarpattia, whose respective capitals are Lutsk and Uzhhorod, are named after the historic regions Volhynia and Transcarpathia.
Cities with special status
Two cities have special status: Kyiv and Sevastopol. Their special status puts them on the same administrative level as the oblasts, and thus under the direct supervision of the state via their respective local state administrations, which constitute the executive bodies of the cities. Following the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, Sevastopol is controlled by Russia and is incorporated as a federal subject of Russia.
Second level
Raions
Raions are smaller territorial units of subdivision in Ukraine. There are 136 raions. Following the December 2019 draft constitutional changes submitted to the Verkhovna Rada by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 136 new raions have replaced the former 490 raions of Ukraine.
Urban raions
An urban raion is subordinate to the city administration.
Third level
Hromadas
The territorial hromadas (lit. 'territorial community'), or simlply hromadas were established by the Government of Ukraine on 12 June 2020 as a part of administrative reform that started in 2015.
There are three types of hromadas: rural, settlement and urban. There are 1469 hromadas in total (as of January 1, 2022).
History
Before the introduction of oblasts in 1932, Soviet Ukraine comprised 40 okruhas, which had replaced the former Russian Imperial governorate subdivisions.
In 1932 the territory of the Ukrainian SSR was re-established based on oblasts. At the same time, most of the Western Ukraine at the time formed part of the Second Polish Republic and shared in the Polish form of administrative division based on voivodeships.
The top level: duchy (land) → palatinate (voivodeship) → regiments (polk) / palanka → governorate → okruha → oblast → TBD
The intermediate level: apanage duchy → county (povit) / eldership (starostvo) → hundred (sotnia) → raion → county (povit)
The local level: volost → kurin / community (hromada) → volost → city council (rada) → community (hromada)
See also
Geography of Ukraine
Local government in Ukraine
References
External links
Ukraine