Ternopil Oblast

Ternopil Oblast (Ukrainian: Тернопільська область, romanized: Ternópilʹsʹka óblastʹ), also referred to as Ternopilshchyna (Ukrainian: Тернопільщина, romanized: Ternópilʹščyna) or Ternopillia (Ukrainian: Тернопілля, romanized: Ternopíllja), is an oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Ternopil, through which flows the Seret, a tributary of the Dniester. Population: 1,021,713 (2022 estimate).

One of the natural wonders of the region are its cave complexes. Although Ternopil Oblast is among the smallest regions in Ukraine, over 100 caves have been discovered there. Scientists believe these are only 20% of all possible caves in the region. The biggest cave is Optymistychna Cave. Measuring 267 km (166 mi) in total length, it is the longest cave in Eurasia and the fifth-longest in the world. Twenty percent of the land in the region is chernozem soil.

Among its attractions, Ternopil Oblast has 34 castles. By at least one account, the most prominent is the Zbarazh Castle with fortifications that expand over 16 ha (40 acres) and was the center of a 17th-century standoff between troops of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and the army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Dniester Canyon passes through the oblast; it is considered one of the wonders of Ukraine, stretching for 250 km (160 mi).

The oblast is located in western Ukraine and has an area of 13,800 km² (5,300 sq mi). It is situated at the western part of the Podilian Upland, which is known for its rocky terrain. Among noticeable mountains there are the Kremenets Mountains. The oblast is also famous for its caves.

One of the major rivers in the country, the Dniester, forms the southern and southwestern borders of Ternopil Oblast with the adjacent Chernivtsi Oblast and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. Its tributaries that flow through the oblast include Zbruch, Seret, and Strypa. The Seret River is a left tributary of the Dniester flowing through the city of Ternopil.

Ternopil Oblast is surrounded by five other oblasts of Ukraine: Chernivtsi Oblast – to the south, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast – to the southwest, Lviv Oblast – to the northwest, Rivne Oblast – to the north, and Khmelnytskyi Oblast – to the east.

Historic administrative affiliation of the area:

From the 12th century the area belonged to Galicia–Volhynia until Galicia–Volhynia was incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th century.