Vitebsk Region, Administrative region in northern Belarus.
Vitebsk sits in northeastern Belarus and covers an area with expansive coniferous forests that make up one third of the territory. The landscape is marked by more than 2,800 lakes and 500 rivers that wind through flat and rolling terrain.
The administrative territory received its current form in January 1938 under Soviet control. The area was previously part of old trade routes that connected Baltic and Slavic settlements.
The region maintains 27 museums, two theaters, and a philharmonic society, with the annual Slavianski Bazaar festival drawing performers from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.
International motorways cross the territory and connect three countries. The railway network stretches over 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) with main hubs in Vitebsk, Orsha, and Polotsk.
Researchers calculated in 2000 that Lake Sho in this territory marks the geographic center of Europe. This finding sparked scientific debate about different methods for determining such points.
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