Kherson region is justly called «a country of four seas» - the Black Sea, the Azov Sea, the Kakhovka Sea and the wheat sea. The region has an advantageous geographical location, unique natural and climatic characteristics, rich history, ample economic and recreational potential. Here ocean vessels are built, quality sorts of wheat are grown, grain combines are assembled, beautiful cotton clothes are produced, vinification is practiced... A unique in the whole Europe primeval unploughed steppe is full of invitation for tourists, fishermen are attracted by picturesque flood-plain of the Dnipro river, hunters — by the islands named Biryuchyi and Dzharylhach, archeologists — by Scythian grave-mounds and cites of ancient settlements. Home and foreign investors have a wide field of action in this region.

Kherson region is a small point marked on a globe, map of the world, it seems to be so small when you look at it from the space. But everything becomes clear in comparison. This territory is 1/5000 part of the planet Earth's land, it constitutes 1/2000 part of Eurasia, it is 4.7 percents of the territory of Ukraine! The area of the region is almost the same as the territories of a number of the world countries, such as Albania. Armenia, Belgium. Macedonia, Rwanda... Endless vastitudes stretch at the both banks of the Dnipro. When wheat is ripening the southern steppes have the most wonderful sight. When Tavria. located at the Left Bank of the Dnipro. rings by its ears the Right Bank echoes! From horizon to horizon there are vineyards, melon and watermelon plantations, fields of corn. 

The Kherson Territory is the only region in Ukraine, which has issue to two warm seas - the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. That's why in the ports and roads the flags of tens of the world's countries are flapping in the wind at any season. Vessels are not only-received in the region, they are also built here - precisely 220 years ago the first vessel was set afloat in Kherson. And if you go along the Dnipro closer to the liman - you will see a kingdom of the largest in Europe reed-covered flats with calm waters, replete noise from bird wings in the sky. The sunny land invites you as a guest as well as for cooperation! 

Kherson region is located in the south of Ukraine, in the basin of the Dnipro lower reaches, within the Prychornomorska Lowland. It borders on Zaporizhya region in the east, on the Autonomous Republic of Crimea - in the south, on Mykolayiv region - in the north-west, on Dnipro region - in the north. In the south the Kherson Territory is washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and also by Syvash Lake. The Dnipro river divides the region into two parts - the right-bank part and the left-bank part, the latter is also called Tavria. The region's territory constitutes 28.5 thousand square kilometers, the extent from the north to the south - 180 km. from the west to the east - 258 km. The most important characteristic of its economic and basins of the Black and Azov Seas. The largest rivers are the Dnipro and its affluent - the Inhulets. Seacoasts extend along the edge of the region for about 200 km. 

The relief is an undulating flatland. having a small pitch from the north to the south. The Right Bank Territory is characterized by cavins and ravines, the Left Bank Territory - by shallow closed hollows. Sand isles, peninsulas and tongues of sand are scattered along the seaside. Lands are represented by black soils, replaced by dark- chestnut soils. The seaside zone has chestnut solonets-like soils, alternating with alkali soils. Forests, where mainly pines and robinia grow, occupy geographical location is a wide issue to the Black and Azov Seas basin and the Dnipro thoroughfare. It gives a lot of opportunities to develop carriage by river and sea, as well as recreation industry. The region is located in the steppe zone and belongs to the the area of more than 200 thousand hectares. The steppes and forests harbour much game, especially for hunters - deer, wild boars, roedeer, bustards, gray partridges, pheasants and quails, the rivers and lakes - fish (sturgeon, bream, sheat-fish and other).

The climate is moderate continental. The average temperature in January constitutes - 5°C, - 3°C, in July + 21.5 °C. Summers are dry and hot; winters are almost snowless. The climate of the region is advantageous for growing grain, oil, melon and water-melon crops, grapes. The region's subsoil is rich in non-metallic minerals - sand, brick-clay and tile-clay, peat, limestone, marl, kaolins. There are considerable deposits of quartz and construction sand. Gas resources as well as geothermal waters are located at the Arabatska Strilka. Oil prospecting is being performed. Deposits of phosphorites and bauxites were detected as well. Several salt lakes, leach and mud of which are used in medical practice, are located in the region. 

Two international transport corridors - Eurasian and ЧЕС (BSEC - the Black Sea Economic Commonwealth) pass through the region's territory, which belongs to the transit area. The sea transport, represented by the Kherson port and ferry service Skadovsk - Zonguldak (Turkey) in the first place has a significant importance. According to the results of the all-Ukraine census of population of 2001, number of the region's population constituted more than 1 million 200 thousand persons. There are 9 towns and a city (Kherson, Nova Kakhovka, Kakhovka, Henichesk, Skadovsk, Oleshky (former Tsyurupynsk), Hola Prystan, Beryslav, Tavriysk), 30 urban villages, 654 villages in the region. Ukrainians constitute the largest part of the population (82%). Russians, Byelorussians, Tartars, Armenians, Moldavians, Crimean Tartars and other nationalities also live here. The regional center is the city of Kherson - a significant administrative, economic and cultural center in the south of Ukraine. 

The earliest human traces in the region's territory refer to 10 000 — 5 000 B.C. In 3 000 B.C. - at the beginning of 2 000 B.C. the largest part of the Steppe was occupied by cattle-breeding tribes. At the end of 4 000 B.C. — at the beginning of 1 000 B.C. the density of the population started to became thicker. In the VI-III century B.C. the Cimmerians were forced out of the region and its territory was partially conquered by new vagrant Scythian tribes, where they founded a new state - Scythia. Later in the IX century due to the Kievan Rus' foundation the Dnipro became a part of the trade route «from the Varangians to the Greeks». An issue to the Black Sea was opened. After Zaporizka Sich had been founded the Lower Dnipro territories were peopled with Cossaks, who defended the territory from Turkish and Tartar conquerors. After the Russia-Turkey wars (the XVIII century) countrymen from Kyiv, Poltava, Nyzhniy Novhorod and other provinces started to move to the liberated territories, which favored development of farming and animal breeding in arid steppes. In 1769 a newly created Novorosiyska province annexed the whole region's territory. At the beginning of the XIX century its right-bank part was included into Mykolayiv province, and the left-bank part - into Tavria province. In 1803 it was renamed into Kherson province and povit, the center of which was Kherson. Kherson was destined to become a center of shipbuilding for the Black Sea Fleet. The most important trade of that time were melting down of fat and wool trading. Raw materials were delivered from the steppes, located near the Dnipro and in Tavria, where numerous sheep flocks were grazing. Bulk of the wool export through the Kherson port numbered 300 thousand poods a year. A German colonist F. Falz-Fein became a «king of sheep-breeding»; the estate of prince Trubetskoy was celebrated for its vineyards. At the end of the XIX century plants for agricultural machinery and equipment were built in Kakhovka, and soon in Kherson as well. Among the large enterprises a lumber mill, a footwear factory, a tobacco processing plant and the Vodon's dockyards could be mentioned. Food processing, sewing and wool processing became main sectors of Kherson province; workmanship and handicraft developed. Construction of a railway road began. Trade was an important factor. Many poods of grain a year were exported through the ports of Kherson, Henichesk, Khorly, Skadovsk. Other cargoes were sent through these ports, too. In 1919 the Kherson province was divided in two: Kherson province and Odessa province. And in the next year it was renamed Mykolayivska province. After a quarter of a century, on March 30, 1944 Kherson region was created. It included the following districts: Bilozerka, Beryslav, Velyka Oleksandrivka, Hola Prystan, Hornostayivka, Kalanchak, Kalinindorf (renamed Kalinin, liquidated in 1962), Kakhovka, Novovorontsovka, Skadovsk, Kherson (Kherson region included Khersonsilskyi district, liquidated in 1962), Chaplynka and Tsyurupynsk district of Mykolayiv region, as well as Velyka Lepetykha, Henichesk, Ivanivka, Nyzhni Sirohozy, Novotroyitsk and Syvash (liquidated in 1962) districts of Zaporizhya region. In 1962 Verkhniy Rohachyk district was founded.

Kyiv Private Guides, August 2020

Tourism and recreation. 

Nature endowed the steppe Kherson region with its riches bounteously. It has issue to two seas - the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. Its seacoast with wonderful sand beaches extends for more than 200 km. Taking into consideration that the climate of the region is moderate continental and it has as many sunny days as the Crimea does, that the sea is warm and the air is full not only with bromine and iodine ions but also with sweet-scented odor of the steppe grass, over 300 different sanative establishments - sanatoriums, holiday hotels, tourist camps, recreation centers and children's health-improving camps are located in the resort zone at the azure seacoast. Mykolayiv and Odessa regions together do not have such number of establishments for rest at the seaside. 
The resort zone of the Tavria territory seacoast especially attracts children, who come here to gain strength and health not only from all regions of Ukraine but also from Russia. Byelorussia, Kazakhstan and other countries. About 100 children's sanative establishments in the town of Skadovsk, as well as in the villages of Lazurne, Zaiiznyi Port, Khorly at the Black Sea coast and at the Arabatska Strilka (the Azov Sea), which stretches for 115 km and has the width from 270-800 m to 8 km, are at their disposal. During a warm summer time the seacoast becomes a real children's republic. 
And it is not an accidental coincidence that it is Skadovsk, which was chosen as the summer capita] of the children's holiday - festival «Chornomorski lhry» («Black Sea Plays»). 
The world-known picturesque protection territories of the region, in particular two of four biosphere reserves in Ukraine - «Askania-Nova» and Chornomorskyi (the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve), add special singularity to Kherson region. 
Over 100 years ago Friedrich Eduardovych Falz-Fein, a well-known landowner at that time, created a real wonder - «Askania-Nova»- a green oasis in the dry Tavria steppe, in the former Dniprovskyi uyezd (the present Chaplynka district). He was the first to extract over 10.000 hectares from the economic land tenure and to organize a steppe refuge in Askania-Nova, which became a great-nuclear of the present largest in Europe area of the protection Festuca Stipa Steppe. 
478 higher plants (both perennial and annual), 13 species of which were entered to the Red Data Book of Ukraine, were preserved in their primary natural form. In particular, xerofilous Stipa Ukrainica, Stipa Lessingiana and Stipa capillata as well as steppe almond (or otherwise bean tree). Schrenk tulip. Taliyev corn-flower. Scythian caragana.
But the famous Askania nature lover didn't confine himself to preservation a unique natural complex - a wild steppe - in his family estate. He formed as well a beautiful zoo in Askania-Nova, having replenished the world of the Tavria steppe with many rare animals and birds from all world continents, during 1874 - 1916. He was again the first to bring the wild Przevalsky's horse from Mongolia in 1899. Their drove, which is the most numerous in the world, grazes in the protection steppe under semifree conditions. Droves of black bisons, celebrated by the American writer Fenimore Cooper, bulls, Grevy's zebras, blue antelopes, Turkmenian koulans graze together with them peacefully. And what birds nest at the steppe vastitudes! The world of animals and birds increases every year in this peculiar open-air museum, which numbers over 5 thousand mammals and birds of III species. 
In 2001 the animal collection of the Askania zoo was acknow-ledged as a National Patrimony of Ukraine. 
A dendrologic garden of the reserve as well amazes numerous tourists coming to Askania, whose quantity increases every year (in 2002 over 62 thousand per-sons visited it). This garden was founded (primarily at the area of 28 hectares) in the former unwatered steppe. From many parts of the world more than 220 foliaceous and coniferous species were brought and planted in the period Irom 1885 to 1902. A project of the dendrologic garden was awarded a Golden Medal at the World Exhibition in Paris (1889). It is a monument of landscape architecture of the XIX century. Nowadays the garden zone of the bio-sphere reserve, which bears the name of its founder F. E. Falz- Fein since 1994, was enlarged bv more than 100 hectares. 
The Chornomorskyi reserve, located in the territory of Hola Prystan district and partially in Ochakiv district of the neighboring Mykolayiv region, is also included in the system of biosphere reserves. Its total area exceeds 89 thousand hectares, 14148 hectares of which are the land and the rest - the water area of the Tendrivska and Yahorlytska bays. 
The reserve flora is rather various - it numbers about 700 plant species. 37 of them are rare and they are entered to the Red Data Book of Ukraine. The animal world is rich and various, especially avifauna. 300 kinds of birds, 140 of which nest, are registered here. The biggest in the world colony of Mediterranean gulls, 90% of population of which hatch out their birdlings only at the islands of the Chornomorskyi reserve, can be found in the bird kingdom of the protection zone. As well as colonies of slender-billed gulls and mallards. 
The biosphere reserves «Askania-Nova» and Chornomorskyi are international nature-protection research institutions, which are included in the world system of biosphere refuges and cooperate closely with UNESCO. 
And there are plenty of blessed by the God protection places in the Tavria territory, which are a focus of attention of tourists, fishers, hunters from the different regions and even from abroad. Among them there are Biryuchyi and Dzharylhach islands with primary vegetation and wild animals, as well as the largest in Europe reedy areas at the low- lands of the Slavuta (the Dni-pro) with its numerous channels and lakes, full of various fish. That's why it was to Krynky at the Dnipro tributary Konka, that the great Ukrainian humorist Ostap Vyshnya liked to come. «Some people go to the Crimea, but I go to Krynky» - he wrote in one of his hunting humorous stories. Today a well-known in Ukraine tourist camp, owned by the Joint-Stock Society «Khersontourist», is named for Ostap Vyshnya. 
Though you can go fishing or hunting wild animals in other picturesque places of Kherson region as well. In particular, at the hunting and fishing stations «Krasnyukove», «Prorizhka» or Kozachi Laheri (Cossacks' Camps) Station, and also in the state hunting managements such as the Kherson management (the chief station is located in the village of Rybalche, Hola Prystan District) or the Havrylivka management in Novovorontsovka district. 
The fertile Tavria territory has a considerable potential for development of so-called green tourism, when travelers choose an ordinary country house in the steppe or near a forest or at the seaside for having rest so as to satisfy their hunger for communication with virgin nature, as well as to enjoy country borsch and wholefood. It is more important because the Regional Department for Encouragement of the Country Green Tourism Development in Ukraine functions in Kherson. The inhabitants of the village Velyka Kardashynka (Hola Prystan district) and the town of Oleshky (Tsyurupynsk) were the first to pave green routs in the region. 
Organization of tours of beauty together with the sanatorium «Hopry», located in Hola Prystan, is in plans of the Regional Department of the Union for Encouragement of the Country Green Tourism Development. Charmlike muds of the local salt-pan are on level with the well-known muds from the Dead Sea as to their healing properties. They straighten bow-backed people, heal wounds. That's why people come here from many regions. 
For those, who would like to become more familiar with the rich historical past of the Tavria territory and its Cossacks period in particular, the region's touring companies propose a route, which in- cludes sightseeing of historic spots. For example, Kinburn sand bar, where the village of Prohnoyi (the present Heroyske) was the center of Prohnoyivska palanka (palanka - is a subdivision of Zaporizhya Army) of the glorious Downstream Zaporizhya Army in 1735 - 1769. Or the Cossacks' Oleshky (Tsyurupynsk), where the Oleshkivska Sich was located in 1711 - 1728. Or the rout from Tyahynka village to Respublikanka village of Beryslav district, where the Kamyanska Sich - almost the single Sich of all Zaporizhya Siches, which place has been preserved to our days comparatively good, - was located in 1730 - 1734. 
The sunny Kherson region is always glad to welcome its guests and ready to share all its bounteous recreation resources with them.