Moscow Oblast

Moscow Oblast (Russian: Моско́вская о́бласть, Moskovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia. It is located in western Russia, and it completely surrounds Moscow. The oblast has no capital, and oblast officials reside in Moscow or in other cities within the oblast.According to Article 24 of the Charter of Moscow Oblast, the government bodies of the oblast are located in the city of Moscow and throughout the territory of Moscow Oblast. However, Moscow is not named the official administrative center of the oblast. As of 2015, the oblast has a population of 7,231,068 people.Moscow Oblast Territorial Branch of the Federal State Statistics Service. Оценка численности населения на 1 января 2014 и 2015 годов и в среднем за 2014 год  

Balashikha is the biggest city in the oblast, with a population of 215,494 people in 2010.

 Geography 
The oblast is located in the central part of the East European Plain.
The largest rivers are Oka, Moskva and Klyazma.

 History 

In 1708 Moscow governorate became one of the 8 first ones in Russia.

In 1929 was established Central Industrial Oblast, in little time renamed in Moscow Oblast.

The Battle of Moscow was fought in the oblast.

 Demographics 

According to the 2010 census, the ethnic composition is:НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ СОСТАВ НАСЕЛЕНИЯ ПО СУБЪЕКТАМ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ . gks.ru
 Russian : 87.42%
 Ukrainian : 1.68%
 Armenian : 0.89%
 Tatar : 0.79%
 Belarusian : 0.45%
 Moldovan : 0.28%
 Azerbaijani : 0.27% Mordvin : 0.26%
 Chuvash : 0.18%
 Georgian : 0.14%
 Jewish : 0.10%
 German : 0.06%
 Uzbek : 0.06%
 others : 7.42%

Below is the religious composition of the city:Arena – Atlas of Religions and Nationalities in Russia. Sreda.org2012 Survey Maps . "Ogonek", № 34 (5243), 27/08/2012. Retrieved 24-09-2012.

 Russian Orthodox : 45.5%
 Atheism : 9.0%
 Other Christianity : 3.0%
 Other Orthodoxy : 2.0%
 Rodnovery : 1.0%
 Islam : 1.0%
 Other, undeclared or "spiritual but not religious" : 38.5%

The largest cities are:
Balashikha - 507,307
Podolsk - 309,250
Khimki - 257,757

 References 

 Other websites 


 Official website of Moscow Oblast