RUSSIA TVER Oblast

Tver Oblast (Russian: Тверска́я о́бласть, Tverskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Tver. From 1935 to 1990 it was named Kalinin Oblast after Mikhail Kalinin. Area: 84,586 km². Population is estimated at 1,440,002 in 2004, down from about 1,670,000 in 1989. The 2002 Census counted 1,471,459.Tver Oblast is an area of lakes, such as Seliger and Brosno. Much of its area is occupied by the Valdai Hills, where the Volga, the Western Dvina, and the Dnieper have their source.There are also many historic towns: Torzhok, Toropets, Zubtsov, Kashin, Vyshny Volochyok, and Kalyazin. The oldest of these is Rzhev, primarily known for the Battles of Rzhev of the World War II. Staritsa was a seat of the last appanage principality in Russia. Ostashkov is a major tourist center.