This chapter provides all basic political, economic, and demographic data on every territorial unit of the Russian Federation, its local government structure, regional politics and electoral history through the spring 2000 elections and the summer 2000 reorganization of the Orenburg Oblast. Orenburg Oblast is located on the divide between Europe and Asia to the west of the Ural Mountains. It borders the republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, Chelyabinsk and Samara oblasts, and Kazakhstan. The oblast is located at the crossroads of numerous railroads and highways making it an important transportation hub. Oblast administration departments and committee heads of local administrations were given a week to reduce their expenditures by no less than 8 percent. Zyuganov was the region’s choice in the 1996 presidential elections, and in March 1998 Communists increased their representation in the Orenburg Oblast legislature.