Voblast

Voblast

Voblast (вобласць in modern Belarusian or vobłaść in Lacinka, a Latin script used by Belarusian emigrants) is the major administrative subdivision in Belarus. It used to be translated as "province" or "region" in English. The latter may lead to some confusion, because the minor administrative division of Belarus is called rayon (the word is translated as "district" in the administrative division sense and "region" in other senses).

Belarus is subdivided into 6 voblasts, named after their centers.

Brest voblast (Brest)
Homyel voblast (Homyel')
Hrodna voblast (Hrodna)
Mahilyow voblast (Mahilyow)
Minsk voblast (Minsk)
Vitsebsk voblast (Vitsebsk)

Voblasts are further subdivided into rayons (districts).

History

The current subdivision into voblasts is inherited from the subdivision of Belarus when it was part of the USSR, and the name is the Belarusian word for the Russian oblast.