Mykolaiv

 
Mykolaiv region is situated in the south of Ukraine and has access to the Black Sea. Solid steppe area is in the south. The northern areas are the steppe and forests. Summers are hot and dry, and winters are mild with little snow. Originally the region was low populated, mostly with semi-savage nomadic tribes who did not learn a trade, so called "Wild Field". With the origin of Zaporozhskaya Sech the territory of "Wild Field" was controlled by Zaporozhye Cossacks on the basis of the "first loan" rights. They controlled the area from the Dnieper River to the Southern Bug River and had their trades, winter-abodes, and watchtowers. After the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774 and the elimination of Zaporozhskaya Sech by the order of Russian Empress Catherine II in 1775, all territories of Ukraine, including Mykolaiv region, were under control of Russia, then belonged to the USSR, and finally have been within Ukraine since 1991.The region has well developed agriculture with focus on crop sector. Well developed industries include the shipyard in the city of Mykolaiv, aluminous factory, and nuclear power station in the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk. The region also has developed business tourism. There are more than 150 museums and up to 10 nature reserves and landscape parks in the region. Museums and ecotourism are also very popular there. The South Bug River is a navigable river; it is popular for boating, rafting and fishing. But the main trend in tourism development is connected with numerous camps and health resort on the coast of the Black Sea coastal lakes, rivers and reservoirs (health tourism).