German word

Oblast

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈɔblast/

Meaning

  • feminine nounadministrative region

Example

In Russland gibt es viele Oblasten.

There are many administrative regions in Russia.

Illustration for Oblast (administrative region)

More examples

Viele Unternehmen haben sich in der Oblast niedergelassen.

Many companies have settled in the oblast.

Core concept

A named regional tier between the national government and smaller local units in parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Common phrases

  • in der Oblast

    in the oblast

  • die Hauptstadt der Oblast

    the capital of the oblast

Similar words

Gebiet: A bounded area used for geographic or administrative purposes.
Region: A broad geographic area with a shared character or practical role.
Krai: A Russian territorial unit reflecting historical or geographic circumstances.
Republik: A constituent federal unit with autonomy based on ethnicity or regional identity.

Definition in German

ein Verwaltungsbezirk, besonders in Ländern der ehemaligen Sowjetunion, der territorial und administrativ als Einheit besteht

Word origin

The noun is a borrowing from Russian область, oblast, whose basic meaning is a region and whose institutional use denotes an administrative subdivision.

Usage tips

  • German uses Oblast mainly for subdivisions in countries of the former Soviet Union rather than as a general everyday equivalent of region.

Other meanings

  • provincenoun
  • regionnoun

Related words

  • Oblastverwaltungoblast administrationnoun

Word lists with this word