The Brest region is situated in the south-west of the Republic of Belarus.
The area of Brest region is 32,787 km2 (12,660 miles2). Population is about 1,38 million people.
This region was formed on December 4, 1939. Initially, the region was divided into 3 uyezds (districts): Brest uyezd, Kobrin uyezd and Pruzhany uyezd.
In 1940, instead of uyezds (povets), the following districts were created: Antopol district, Beryoza district, Brest district, Vysokoe district, Gainovka district, Divin district, Domachevo district, Zhabinka district, Kamenets district, Klescheli district, Kobrin district, Kossovo district, Malorita district, Porozovo district, Pruzhany district, Ruzhany district, Semyatichi district and Shereshyovo district.
In 1944 the Gainovo, Klescheli and Semiatichi districts were ceded to Poland, the Porozovo district was ceded to the Grodno region.
In 1947, the Kossovsky district was renamed to Ivatsevichi district.
In 1954, the districts of the abolished regions were ceded to the Brest region: from the Baranovichy region - Byten district, Gorodishche district, Lyakhovichi district and Novaya Mysh district; from the Pinsk region - Gantsevichi district, David-Gorodok district, Drogichin district, Zhabchitsy district, Ivanovo district, Lenin district, Logishin district, Luninets district, Pinsk district, Stolin district and Telekhany district.
In 1956, Domachevo and Shereshevo districts were abolished.
In 1957, the Byten and Zhabchitsy districts were abolished. Novaya Mysh district renamed to Baranovichi district.
In 1959, the Antopol, Divin, Zhabinka and Telekhany districts were abolished.
In 1960, the Lenin district was abolished.
In 1961, the David-Gorodok district was abolished.
In 1962, the Vysokoe, Gantsevichi, Gorodishche, Ivanovo, Ivatsevichi, Logishin, Malorita and Ruzhany districts were abolished.
In 1965, the Ivanovo, Ivatsevichi and Malorita districts were formed again.
In 1966, the Gantsevichi and Zhabinka districts were formed.
The modern boundaries of the Brest region were established after the January 1954.
Brest region consists of 16 districts at present time:
The greater part of the territory is taken up by lowlands: Brest Polesie in the Southwest and Pripyat Polesie in the East of the region. The Zagorie Plain is located between them. The Pribugsky Plain is in the West, Baranovichi Plain and a part of Novogrudok Hills are in the North of the region. The Pripyat is the main river of the region, with these tributaries: Pina, Yaselda, Bobrik, Tsna, Lan, Sluch on the left, and Styr, Goryn, Stviga on the right. The Shchara, a tributary of the Neman River is in the North. The Bug River with Mukhavets and Lesnaya tributaries are in the West. One of the oldest national parks Belovezhskaya Pushcha is situated in the Northwest of Brest region.