Kurgan Oblast (Russian: Курга́нская о́бласть, Kurganskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Kurgan. In June 2014, the population was estimated to be 874,100, down from 910,807 recorded in the 2010 Census.

History

The oblast was formed on February 6, 1943.

Recipient of the Order of Lenin (1959).

Geography

Kurgan Oblast is located in Southern Russia and is part of the Urals Federal District. It shares borders with Chelyabinsk Oblast to the west, Sverdlovsk Oblast to the north-west, Tyumen Oblast to the north-east, and Kazakhstan to the south.

Climate

The oblast has a severe continental climate with long cold winters and warm summers with regular droughts. The average January temperature is −18 °C (0 °F), and the average temperature in the warmest month (July) is +19 °C (66 °F). Annual precipitation is about 400 millimeters (16 in).

Politics

During the Soviet period, the high authority in the oblast was shared between three persons: The first secretary of the Kurgan CPSU Committee (who in reality had the biggest authority), the chairman of the oblast Soviet (legislative power), and the Chairman of the oblast Executive Committee (executive power). Since 1991, CPSU lost all the power, and the head of the Oblast administration, and eventually the governor was appointed/elected alongside elected regional parliament.