Kherson

Kherson region is situated in the south of Ukraine and it is washed by the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. The Dnieper River (the main river of Ukraine) flows on the territory of the region. It has the steppe climate which is dry, with little snow in winter. After the invasion of Tartars in 1240 the territory was low populated and referred to “Wild Field”. Zaporozhskie Cossacks fished sturgeon in the Dnieper estuary. The wandering tribes didn’t learn a trade and pastured their cattle in the steppe. With the times the control over the territory had been intensified either by Zaporozhskie Cossacks or the Crimean khanate before the territory was conquered by Russia in the course of the Russian-Turkish wars of the 18th century. In the time of the USSR the territory passed under control of the Ukrainian SSR, and has been within Ukraine since 1991. Kherson is a well-developed industrial centre in the region. A major sea port and a major river port are located here. Business tourism and rural tourism are highly developed in the region. The key developed areas in agriculture are the production of vegetables and grapes. It is hard to believe but Kherson region is the largest desert in Europe. The region is well known for its nature reserves, as for example Askania Nova and the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve, the island of Dzharylgach and then some 70 territories, other nature reserves and facilities of great cultural and historical value as well as recreation centers on the coasts of the Azov and Black seas in the city of Skadovsk, Zhelezny Port, in the village of Lazurnoe, Arabatskaya Strelka. There are many places in Kherson region closely connected to the life and activity of Zaporozhye Cossacks: the island of Palanka, Oleshkovskaya Sech, and many preserved places of worship of various religions. International tourism, business tourism, recreation tourism, educational tourism, rural tourism, water tourism and ecotourism are well developed in the region.