The Irkutsk Oblast, Russia is located in south-eastern Siberia in the basins of Angara, Lena and Nizhnyaya Tunguska rivers, and occupies an area of 767,900 km&sup2 (4.6% of Russia's territory). The Irkutsk Oblast borders with the Buryat and Tuva Republics in the south and south-west, the Krasnoyarsk Krai in the west, the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic in the northeast, and the Chita Oblast in the east. A unique and world-famous lake, Lake Baikal, is located in the southeast of the region. It contains the autonomous district of Ust-Orda Buryatia.

The climate is continental. Almost half the year the temperature is below 0°C. Winter is frosty, and the temperature is generally from -17°C to -33°C. Summer is hot, short, and dry in the first half, and humid in the second. The temperature is generally between +17°C and +33°C.

The population of the region is 2.77 million, from which 79.6% are urban, and 20.4% are rural. The density of the population is 3.5 people per square kilometer, whereas the average density for Russia is 8.7. Irkutsk is the administrative center, with a population of 594,500. Other large cities are Angarsk (267,000 people), Bratsk (253,600 people), Usolye-Sibirskoye (104,300 people), and Ust-Ilimsk (107,200 people).

Administrative Division

Districts

Irkutsk Oblast consists of the following districts (Russian: районы):

• Angarsky (Ангарский)
• Balagansky (Балаганский)
• Bodaybinsky (Бодайбинский)
• Bratsky (Братский)
• Cheremkhovsky (Черемховский)
• Chunsky (Чунский)
• Irkutsky (Иркутский)
• Kachugsky (Качугский)
• Katangsky (Катангский)
• Kazachinsko-Lensky (Казачинско-Ленский)
• Kirensky (Киренский)
• Kuytunsky (Куйтунский)
• Mamsko-Chuysky (Мамско-Чуйский)
• Nizhneilimsky (Нижнеилимский)
• Nizhneudinsky (Нижнеудинский)
• Olkhonsky (Ольхонский)
• Shelekhovsky (Шелеховский)
• Slyudyansky (Слюдянский)
• Tayshetsky (Тайшетский)
• Tulunsky (Тулунский)
• Usolsky (Усольский)
• Ust-Ilimsky (Усть-Илимский)
• Ust-Kutsky (Усть-Кутский)
• Ust-Udinsky (Усть-Удинский)
• Zalarinsky (Заларинский)
• Zhigalovsky (Жигаловский)
• Ziminsky (Зиминский)

See also: Subdivisions of Russia