The geographical position

The Kharkiv Oblast, one of the territorial social and economic oblast rank systems of Ukraine – lies in the northeastern part of Ukraine. In area (31.400 square kilometres or 5.2 per cent of the territory of Ukraine) it is comparable to such European countries as Belgium and Albania. There are 27 administrative rayons (districts), 381 rural councils, 17 towns, 60 urban settlements, 1,718 rural settlements in the Oblast. The capital is the Kharkiv.
After a proclamation of independence of Ukraine the economical and geographical position of the Oblast has changed – it has become an adjacent-to-a-border territory. The Kharkiv Oblast retains a convenient transport and geographical position at the crossing of international ways "North-South" and "West-East".