Governor: Yevgeny Stepanovich Savchenko (appointed December 1993; elected December 1995; re-elected May 1999 and May 2003) Population: 1,550,124 (2010 census)
Area: 27,100 square km (10,461 sq. miles)
Capital: Belgorod (population 362,832), 695 km from Moscow
Other major cities: Stary Oskol (216,000)
Federal district: Central
Economic region: Central Black Earth
Time zone: Moscow, GMT +3, EST +8
Geography: Located in the western part of European Russia, Belgorod borders Ukraine and the Kursk and Voronezh regions.
Urban population: 65%, Rural population: 35%
Ethnic make-up:
Economy: Belgorod is the jewel of the Black Earth Region, full of mineral reserves and rich farmland. The region is one of Russia's largest agricultural districts, producing sunflowers, sugar, grain, meat and milk. Mining and metallurgy are also important industries, focused around the Kursk magnetic anomaly.
