Administrative structure

State administration in Ukraine is based on a hierarchical territorial structure. At the highest level the country is divided into 27 entities accountable directly to the central authorities: 24 regions (oblasts), two cities of special significance – Kyiv and Sevastopol, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

All but two of the 24 regions are named after their principal cities – for example, the Cherkasy Region takes its name from the city of Cherkasy. The exceptions are the Volyn’ (Volhynia) and Zakarpattia (Transcarpathian) Regions, whose principal cities are Lutsk and Uzhhorod, respectively. Each region is divided into districts (raions). A district usually includes one or more towns or urban-type settlements (selyshche mis'koho typu) and the surrounding villages. The largest cities are themselves divided into districts.

The cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol are administered separately from the rest of the Kyiv Region and the Crimean republic, respectively, because of their special status. Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine. ('Kyiv' is the official transliteration of the name of the city widely known as Kiev. 'Kyiv' corresponds to the Ukrainian spelling and pronunciation of the city’s name, whereas 'Kiev' derives from the Russian.) Sevastopol is a major naval base in the Crimea used by the Ukrainian Navy and, under a temporary leasing agreement, by the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

The Crimea (Krym in Ukrainian) has the status of an Autonomous Republic within the Ukrainian state. It has its own constitution, parliament and council of ministers. The republic’s autonomy covers specific areas including, for example, agriculture, city construction, housing management, roads, public transport, water supply, medical services and tourism. The Crimean constitution and laws are required to be harmonised with those of Ukraine. The administrative structure of the Crimean republic is similar to that of the regions.