Donets Basin also known in the abbreviated name as Donbass or Donbas (Russian: Донбасс from Donetskiy bassein) is a historical, economical and cultural region of Ukraine. It combines two oblasts (provinces) in the east of the country: Donets'ka oblast' and Luhans'ka oblast', with the centers in Donetsk and Luhans'k correspondingly. The city of Donetsk may be considered the unofficial capital of Donbass.

The name of the region origins from its economic status of the coal-field discovered in late (19th century). That field (basin) itself was named after a Donets river flowing across the region.

In 1676 first town of the Donbass emerges: Sol'anoje (now Slavyansk ) which was built for high-profit business of extracting newly-discovered rock-salt reserves. In 1721 vast and rich coal fields were found, which started the "industrial boom" which led to the flourish of the region in 18th–first half of 20th century.

Donbass may sometimes be referred to a larger supranational region also consisting a part of neighbouring Rostovskaya oblast' in Russia. This is explained by the fact that Donets' coal basin geographically extends to that area (also specializing in coal-mining), which sometimes called a "Russian Donbass". But lesser economical and, most of all, sociopolitical significance of that Russian area (compared with the Ukrainian part) leads to gradual abandonment of such generic usage of the Donbass term.

External links

History of Donbass, (in Russian)