Zakarpattia

Zakarpattia Oblast, commonly referred to as Transcarpathia, is a province in western Ukraine. It borders Slovakia to the west, Hungary to the southwest, Romania to the south, Poland to the northwest, and the Ukrainian regions of Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv to the north and east. The administrative center is Uzhhorod. The oblast lies largely in the Carpathian Mountains, with river valleys formed by the Uzh and Tysa. Its varied terrain includes forests, mineral springs and areas suitable for viticulture and fruit growing. The population is ethnically diverse, including Ukrainians, Hungarians, Romanians, Rusyns, and Roma, among others, and multiple languages are spoken.

Historically, the region was part of the Kingdom of Hungary and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After World War I it became Subcarpathian Rus within Czechoslovakia. In 1939 it briefly proclaimed independence as Carpatho-Ukraine before being annexed by Hungary. In 1945–46 the Soviet Union occupied the territory, and in 1946 it became the Zakarpatska Oblast of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Since Ukraine's independence in 1991 it has remained an oblast of Ukraine.

Economy in Zakarpattia is diverse, with agriculture—especially fruit and wine production—forestry, and light industry. The region benefits from cross-border trade with neighboring EU countries and tourism tied to the Carpathians, including hiking, winter sports and spa towns. Notable cultural and historical sites include Uzhhorod Castle and Mukachevo Castle, as well as wooden churches and Rusyn cultural heritage. The Solotvyno salt mine is a notable industrial site near the southern border.