Map of Donets'k
Donets'k is a first-level division of Ukraine. Its largest mapped city is Donetsk, with about 988,000 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Donets'k, and the tables list its 5 mapped cities along with the ports nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 5
- Largest City
- Donetsk
- Country
- Ukraine
Interactive Map of Donets'k
About Donets'k
Donetsk (UK: , US: dən-; Ukrainian: Донецьк [doˈnɛtsʲk] ; Russian: Донецк [dɐˈnʲetsk] ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin, and Stalino, is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine located on the Kalmius River in Donetsk Oblast, which is currently occupied by Russia as the capital of the Donetsk People's Republic. The population was estimated at 901,645 (2022 estimate) in the city core, with over 2 million in the metropolitan area (2011). According to the 2001 census, Donetsk was the fifth-largest city in Ukraine.
Administratively, Donetsk has been the centre of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the larger economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbas) region. Donetsk is adjacent to another major city, Makiivka, and along with other surrounding cities forms a major urban sprawl and conurbation in the region. Donetsk has been a major economic, industrial and scientific centre of Ukraine with a high concentration of heavy industries and a skilled workforce. The density of heavy industries (predominantly steel production, chemical industry, and coal mining) determined the city's challenging ecological situation. In 2012, a UN report ranked Donetsk among the world's fastest depopulating cities.
The original settlement was first mentioned as Aleksandrovka in 1779. In 1869, the Welsh businessman John Hughes founded a steel plant and several coal mines in the region, and the town was named Hughesovka or Yuzovka (Юзовка) in recognition of his role ("Yuz" being a Russian-language approximation of Hughes). During Soviet times, the city's steel industry expanded. In 1924, Yuzovka was renamed Stalin. In 1929, Stalin was renamed Stalino, and in 1932, the city became the centre of the Donetsk region. Renamed Donetsk in 1961, the city today remains a centre for coal mining and for the steel industry.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Donetsk (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Donets'k in Depth
History
One of the early mining settlements in the territory of Donetsk was Alexandrovka (Oleksandrivka). The existence of Aleksandrovskaya (Oleksandrivska) Cossack sloboda in its place is attested by 1779, with the Aleksandrovsky (Oleksandrivska) coal mine eventually being opened there.
The city of Donetsk was founded in 1869 by Welsh businessman John Hughes, who operated a steel plant and several coal mines at Aleksandrovka. The workers’ settlement at the plant merged with Aleksandrovka and the place was named Yuzovo/Yuzove, later Yuzovka/Yuzivka (Russian: Юзово, Юзовка, Ukrainian: Юзове, Юзівка), after Hughes. In its early period, it received immigrants from Wales, especially from the town of Merthyr Tydfil.
Geography
Donetsk lies in the steppe landscape, surrounded by scattered woodland, hills, spoil tips, rivers and lakes. The northern outskirts are mainly used for agriculture. The Kalmius River links the city with the Sea of Azov, which is 95 km (59 mi) to the south, and a popular recreational area for those living in Donetsk. A wide belt of farmlands surrounds the city.
The city stretches 28 km (17 mi) from north to south and 55 km (34 mi) from east to west. There are 2 nearby reservoirs: Nyzhnekalmius (60 ha), and the Donetsk Sea (206 ha). 5 rivers flow through the city, including the Kalmius, Asmolivka (13 km), Cherepashkyna (23 km), Skomoroshka and Bakhmutka. The city also contains a total of 125 spoil tips.
Donetsk's climate is moderate hot summer continental (Köppen: Dfa).
Economy
Donetsk and the surrounding territories are heavily urbanised and agglomerated into conurbation. The workforce is heavily involved with heavy industry, especially coal mining. The city is an important center of heavy industry and coal mines in the Donets Basin (Donbas). Directly under the city lie coal mines, which have recently seen an increase in mining accidents, the most recent accident being at the Zasyadko mine, which killed over 100 workers.
Donetsk's economy consists of about 200 industrial organizations that have a total production output of more than 120 billion rubles per year and more than 20,000 medium-small sized organizations.
Demographics
Donetsk had a population of over 985,000 inhabitants in 2009 and over 1,566,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2004. It was the fifth-largest city in Ukraine.
In a 1991 poll one-third of the population identified as Russian, one-third as Ukrainian while the majority of the rest declared themselves Slavs. Smaller minorities include in particular ethnic groups from the South Caucasus and northeast Anatolia region, including Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, and Pontic Greeks (including those defined as Caucasus Greeks).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Donetsk (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Donets'k: Key Facts
| Population | 901,645 (2022) |
|---|---|
| Area | 358 km² |
| Head of government | Alexey Kulemzin |
| Established | 1869 |
Facts from Wikidata Q43070 (CC0).
History of Donets'k: Empires and States
The atlas records 14 polities whose mapped territory included part of Donets'k, from Scythia in 650 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Scythia | 650–224 BCE |
| Huns | 373–425 CE |
| Hunnic Empire | 426–468 CE |
| Avar Khaganate | 561–632 CE |
| Old Great Bulgaria | 633–673 CE |
| Khazaria | 674–969 CE |
| Halych-Volhynia occupation | 1056–1240 CE |
| The Mongol Empire | 1241–1293 CE |
| Golden Horde | 1294–1501 CE |
| Blue Horde | 1363–1401 CE |
| Zaporozhian Cossacks | 1662–1774 CE |
| The Russian Empire | 1775–1916 CE |
| Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | 1922–1991 CE |
| Ukraine | 1992–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Donets'k
Donets'k on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Donets'k
5 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Donetsk | 988,000 | Donets'k | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Mariupol | 481,626 | Donets'k | Populated place |
| 3 | Horlivka | 396,885 | Donets'k | Populated place |
| 4 | Makiyivka | 376,610 | Donets'k | Populated place |
| 5 | Kramatorsk | 184,105 | Donets'k | Populated place |
Ports in Donets'k
2 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
Donets'k: Quick Answers
- Where is Donets'k?
- Donets'k is a first-level division of Ukraine, in Europe. Its mapped cities centre on 48.0294° N, 37.7896° E.
- What is the largest city in Donets'k?
- Donetsk is the largest city mapped in Donets'k, with a metropolitan population of about 988,000.
- How many cities are in Donets'k?
- YearMaps maps 5 cities and towns in Donets'k, with a combined metropolitan population of about 2.43 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.