Population: 899,000 (1.1.2000) and population density 36.4 persons per km2. The largest towns are Orel (pop. 343,100), Livny (pop. 57,300), and Mtsensk (pop. 51,100).

Economy: The region's share of the gross domestic product of the Russian Federation was in 1997 0.4%, of the industrial production 0.4%, and of the retail turnover 0.5%. The main industrial sectors are production of electricity, machine building and food production. Agriculture is concentrated on raising dairy and meat cattle, pigs, poultry and horses.

Administrative division: Orlovskaya region is divided into 23 districts, 3 towns of the regional submission, 4 towns of district submission, 14 town settlements, 221 villages.

Brief History:

• Administrative centre Orel was built in 1566 as a fortress for defence the southern boundaries of Russia.
• Since the middle of the 17th century Orel was the centre of bread trade.
• In 1708 Orel was a part of Kievskaya province, since 1719 it was a centre of Orlovskaya province.
• In 1928 Orel was a constituent of Central-Chernozyomny region.
• Since 1937 it is the centre of Orlovskaya region.
• Orel region was founded in 1937.