Population: The Region's population is over 1,075,000, including 710,200 people (66 percent) living in urban areas and 364,800 people (33.9 percent) living in rural areas. The Region's center is the city of Tomsk, with a population of 500,000 (nearly half of the Region's total). Tomsk is an old Siberian City with nearly four hundred years of history. The second largest city is Seversk with a population of 124,000.

Economy: Tomsk is rich in natural resources, particularly, oil, gas, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, peat, and underground waters. Forests are also among the most significant assets of the oblast: about 20% of the West Siberian forest resources are located in Tomsk Oblast. Industry makes up about half of the regional GDP, while agriculture contributes 19% and construction 13%. Chemical and oil industries are the most developed in the region, followed by machine construction. The oblast?s major export items are: oil (62.1%), methanol (30.2%), and machines and equipment (4.8%). Oil extraction and lumbering are the major business of the region's joint ventures.

Administrative division: The region is divided into 16 districts, 4 towns of the regional submission, 14 town settlements, 199 villages.

Brief History:

• Tomsk, administrative centre of the region, was built as a fortress on the river the Tom in 1604.
• In 1629 it became the centre of the region and then trade centre of Siberia.
• In 1804 Tomsk was the centre of Tomskaya province.
• By the end of the 19th century Tomsk became a big economic and cultural centre of Siberia.
• Established as oblast' in 1944.

Current situation: Now Tomsk is an educational centre of the Western Siberia.