Shostka Raion
Shostka Raion is a raion of Sumy Oblast in central Ukraine. The administrative center of the raion is the town of Shostka. Population:
On 18 July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, the number of the raions in the Sumy Oblast was reduced to five, and the area of the Shostka Raion was significantly expanded. The January 2020 estimate of the raion population was
Geographic characteristics
The area of the raion is 5066.09 km2. Shostka Raion is located on the slopes of the Central Russian Plain. The relief of the raion is mostly lowland. Shostka Raion has reserves of silt, sapropel, peat.The climate is moderately continental. Winter is cool, summer is not hot. The average temperature in July is +19 °C, in January -7.5 °C. The maximum precipitation falls in the summer in the form of rain. The average annual amount is from 650 to 700 mm, changing from west to east.
The left tributaries of the Desna River flow through the Shostka Raion. The river in the floodplain has many oxbow lakes and artificial lakes.
The territory of the raion is covered with coniferous and broad-leaved forests. The most common forests are pine, oak-linden, and oak. The forests of Shostka Raion are rich in mushrooms and berries. Among the mushrooms, chanterelles, tricholoma equestre, suillus luteus, armillaria mellea, russula and porcini mushrooms predominate. The most common berries are blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Desna–Stara Huta National Nature Park is located in Shostka Raion in the Desna Valley. The area includes wide meadows with tall grasses, alder bogs and forest stands of ash, oak and aspen. Typical large mammals are elk, roe deer, wild boar, squirrels, beavers, hares and wolves. The park is home to 134 species of birds. The rivers are home to the sterlet and the endangered Eurasian otter.