Donetsk Oblast (Ukrainian: Донецька область, Donets'ka oblast'; also referred to as Donechchyna — Ukrainian: Донеччина) is an oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. Its administrative center is Donetsk. Historically, the province is an important part of the Donbas region.
Important cities within the oblast include: Slovyansk, Horlivka, Kramatorsk, Makiivka, Mariupol, Yenakiieve.

Geography
The oblast is subdivided into 18 raions (administrative districts). It consists of 28 municipalities, 52 cities, 131 towns, and more than 1,124 villages.
The following data incorporates the number of each type of administrative divisions of Donetsk Oblast:
The local administration of the oblast' is controlled by the Donetsk Oblast Rada. The governer of the oblast' is the Donetsk Oblast Rada speaker, appointed by the President of Ukraine.

Administrative Center - 1 (Donetsk)
Raions — 18;
City raions — 28;
Settlements — 1,283, including:

• Villages — 1,124;
  Cities/Towns — 159, including:
  
  
  
  • Urban-type settlement — 131;
    Cities — 52, including:
    
    
    
    • Cities of oblast' subordinance — 28;
      Cities of raion subordinance — 24;
      Selsovets — N/A. Administrative divisions
      
      Amvrosiivskyi
      Artemivskyi
      Dobropilskyi
      Kostyantynivskyi
      Krasnoarmiiskyi
      Krasnolymanskyi
      Marynskyi
      Novoazovskyi
      Oleksandrivskyi
      Pershotravnevyi
      Shakhtarskyi
      Slovyanskyi
      Starobeshivskyi
      Telmanivskyi
      Velikonosilkivskyi
      Volnovaskyi
      Volodarskyi
      Yasynuvatskyi Raions
      The population of Donetsk Oblast is 4.7 million (as of 2004), which constitutes 10% of the overall Ukrainian population, making it the most populous and most densely populated region of the country. Its large population is due to the presence of several big industrial cities and numerous villages agglomerated around them (see urbanization).
      During the 2004 presidential election, political supporters of Viktor Yanukovych threatened to demand autonomy for Donetsk and neighboring oblasts if the election of their candidate was not recognized. However, no official moves were ever made.
      As of the Ukrainian National Census, 2001, the ethnic groups within the Donetsk Oblast are: Ukrainians — 2,744,100 (56.9%), Russians — 1,844,400 (38.2%), Greeks - 77,500 (1.61%), Belarusians — 44,500 (0.92%), Crimean Tatars — 19,200 (0.4%), Armenians — 15,700 (0.33%), and Jews - 8,800 (0.18%).
      
      Economy
      The Donetsk Oblast covers more than one half coal, finished steel, coke, cast iron and steel production in Ukraine. Ferrous metallurgy, fuel industry and power industry are in demand in the structure of industry production. There are about 882 industry enterprises that are on independent balance, and 2,095 small industry enterprises in the oblast.
      
      Industry
      In 1999, the gross grain yield in the oblast was about 999,1 thousand tons, sugar beets – 27,1 thousand tons, sunflower seeds – 309,4 thousand tons, and potatoes – 380,2 thousand tons.
      
      Ecology
      
      Subdivisions of Ukraine
      Donets Basin