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 Rostov Oblast. Rostov Oblast lies on the southern part of the East European plain, bounded by the Caucasus Mountains to the south and the Azov Sea to the west. It borders Voronezh and Volgograd oblasts, the Republic of Kalmykia, Stavropol and Krasnodar krais, and Ukraine. Governor Chub has a good working relationship with the chairman of the oblast’s Legislative Assembly, Aleksandr Popov. Representatives of Baltika, accompanied by the first deputy governor of Leningrad Oblast, attended the meeting. Rostov Oblast is a member of the Association of Cooperation of the Republics, Krais, and Oblasts of the Northern Caucasus. The Rostov Oblast leadership has close ties to counterparts in neighboring Donetsk Oblast.