Donetsk oblast was formed in July 2, 1932. Its area is 2 635 thousands of square kilometers (4.4 % of the area of Ukraine). The population is 5 007.9 thousand people (10% of Ukraine population), the urban population is 4 516 thousand people (90.2%), the rural population is 491.9 thousand people (9.8%). Population density is 189 persons per square kilometer.

The oblast is located in the south-eastern part of Ukraine. On the south it is washed with Azov Sea. On the west it borders the Zaporozhskaya and Dniepropetrovskaya oblasts, on the north - Kharkovskaya, and on the east - Luganskaya and Rostovskaya oblasts of Russia.

Donetsk oblast is administratively divided into 18 regions, 51 towns, including the ones of oblast subordination, 134 urban villages, and 1 122 rural settlements.

It is located on the flat area with Donetsk chain of hills on the north and Azov highland within the steppe close to the Black sea area. The oblast is one of the richest in deposits. Within its limits, there are concentrated the main deposits of coking and black coal of Donbass, substantial deposits of salts, high quality mineral-construction materials (carbonates, refractory materials). Ion Volnovakhsky region there are great natural deposits of mercury and rare-earth elements.

The climate is mild continental with relatively cold winter with little snow and hot, arid summer.

The river network is quite developed but the majority of rivers are shallow, except for Severskiy Donets river.

In ancient times and in Middle Ages the territory of Donetsk area was the area of intensive commerce, production and cultural contacts with many tribes and peoples, which was favored by good geographical position of the area in the "steppe corridor" at the joint of different geographical areas. The main inflow of population here was connected with Turki-language nomads who came here in IX-XIII centuries and gradually settled here.

Southern metallurgy started to prosper in the late XIX century. During that time, 17 metal works have been founded, 12 of those located in Donbass.

Donbass saw especially intensive rise of economy in the years of the first 5-year plans, when it became one of the most essential and highly developed industrial areas, the first "smith" and "stokehold" of the Soviet Union. In October 1941, evacuation of industrial enterprises and establishments started. They were transferred to Magnitogorsk, Orsk, Kopeisk, Kuznetsky and Karagandinsky coal basins, Kazakhstan and Middle Asia. Nevertheless, by the end of 1944, there were 8 blast furnaces and 24 open furnaces, 15 rolling mills, 54 coke lines operating in the oblast. The oblast industry was completely restored by 1950.

The oblast population has decreased in the last decades due to the natural diminution. Until 2001 the population growth was dominant due to migration inflow, but beginning with 1991 the migration inflow of population started to lessen and, finally, turned into the negative value, i.e. migration outflow of the population. The age profile of the oblast is characterized by the high number of people in their working age compared with other Ukraine areas and by the increased number of people older than working age, which is the consequence of migration inflow of the population in 90-s and youth outflow at the moment.

As for national content of the oblast population, there is only a little predominance of Ukrainians over Russians, which is a characteristic feature of this area. However, in regard to absolute number of Ukrainians, it is the second top in Ukraine after Dniepropetroskaya oblast. As per the territory, the share of Ukrainians is higher in the northern and north-western regions of the oblast. But as for Russians, they mostly dominate in the central areas adjoining to Donets River and are mostly urbanized.

Among other nationalities Greeks are noted because the Donetsk oblast is one of their main natural habitat, as well as for Armenians, Byelorussians and Germans.

The oblast has religious organizations, over 96% of which are Christian believers of different denominations. In the oblast there officially were registered 4 monasteries: 2 belonging to Ukrainian Orthodox Church and 2 to Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, but only 2 UOC monasteries are acting.

The share of the urban population is 90.2 %, which characterizes this oblast as the most urbanized in Ukraine.

Having population density of 189 persons per sq. km, the oblast is the top on the list not only in comparison with the other areas of Ukraine, but with those of the former USSR.

The population is unequally settled, so it's possible to distinguish two types of regions. The fist type is the territory with the highest population density in Donetsk-Gorlovka and Shakhtersk agglomeration due to mining and metal industries. The second type in the areas, including Konstantinovka, Kramatorsk, Druzhkovka and Slaviansk agglomerations (or so-called Severo-Donetsk agglomeration), connected with machine building and chemical and metal industries. The least population density is noted in the outlying districts of the oblast.

The characteristic feature of the economic complex of the oblast is the combination of powerful industry with diversified agriculture and developed transportation. The oblast is the main supplier of metal, fuel, machine building and chemical products. The oblast industry is represented mostly by two industries of coal mining and metallurgy. The Donetsk oblast is the biggest area of coal industry. The main coal mining enterprises are the amalgamations "Donetskugol" and "Makeevugol", as well as mines of Zasiadko and Krasnolimanskaya. Ferrous metallurgy is the other leading industry represented by complete cycle complexes in Mariupol ("Azovstal" and "Lenin" and also by complexes in Yenkievo , Donetsk, Konstantinovka, Kramatorsk and Makeevka, mills for steel pipe production (Donetsk metal rolling mill, Kharzysk pipe plant) and wire (Kharzysk steel wire and rope mill). Non-ferrous metallurgy is represented by zinc melting ("Ukrzinc" in Konstantinovka), mercury (Nikitovsky mercury plant) and non-ferrous alloys (Donetsk chemical-metal works).

Machine building is targeted mainly at heavy industry; it specializes in production of equipment for mining and metal industries, heavy lathes, energy equipment, machines for chemical industry and agriculture.

Agriculture is noted for cereal growing like wheat, barley, corn and sunflowers. A cattle breeding is generally for production of meat and milk.

The main sightseeing is the state historical and architectural reserve in Sviatogosk town based on the Sviatogorsk Uspensky monastery.