Zakarpatskaya region

Zakarpatskaya region is situated on the south-west slopes and foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, known as the Eastern Gates of Ukraine. It borders on Rumania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland. The mountains take more than 80% of the region territory. There are more than 10 000 small and large rivers. The largest of them is the Tisa River. The main natural resources of the region are forests which take at around 50% of the territory. Thus, the main specialisation of the region is woodworking industry and related light industry (textile fabrics and textile clothes). At different times the region was a part of the various states of the Great Moravia, Kievan Rus, the Kingdom of Hungary, Transylvania. After the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918 the region was within Czechoslovakia and was called "Podkarpatnaya Rus". Zakarpatskaya region has been within Ukraine since 1945. Zakarpatskaya region has well developed rural tourism, green tourism, mountain tourism, ecotourism, and ethnic tourism. The abundance of mineral springs (more than 300), the fresh mountain and forest air, the beauty of untouched places are favourable conditions for health tourism development. There is a network of health resorts with focus on table waters, as for example "Polyana Kvasova", "Ploskovskaya", "Svalyava" and others. Zakarpatskaya region is the center of winter sports and ski tourism in Ukraine.