It is interesting that the longest latitude (in a straight line) from the North to the South is about 135 km, and the longest longitude (in a straight line) from the West to the East is about 205 km. The geometrical geographical centre of Transcarpathia (48° 30´ of the north latitude, 23° 23´ of the east longitude) is in a beautiful area near Mount Kuk in Svalyava district.
The region has a total area of 12.800 square km. Transcarpathia has 13 districts, 10 towns, 28 small towns, 561 village. The regional capitals are Uzhhorod, Berehovo, Mukachevo, Khust, and the district capitals are Svalyava, Irshava, Tyachiv, Vynohradiv, Rakhiv, and Chop.
In natural and geographical respect the region is divided into two geographical districts - mountainous (the Carpathian Mountains), and flat country (the Transcarpathian lowland). The major part of the territory is covered with mountains. The highest point of Transcarpathia is the peak of Hoverla, in the mountain-mass of Chornohora, which is 2.061 metres high. The lowest point (101 metres above sea level) is on the opposite side of the region in the area of village Rus'ki Heyevtsi of Uzhhorod district.
The river Tysa plays an important role in the formation of the relief (it starts with the confluence of the Bila (White) and Chorna (Black) Tysa; its total length is 223 km, within Transcarpathia; the Tysa flows into the river Danube near Belgrade, the capital of Serbia). All the rivers of the region belong to the basin of the river Tysa. The hydro system of Transcarpathia is separated from the by-Carpathian rivers by Vodorozdilnyy (Water separated) mountain ridge. The total number of rivers, streams, tiny brooks of Transcarpathia is quite considerable- 9429. The number of tiny brooks is 9277 -10 km in length (Rika, Tereblya, Shopurka, Teresva, Irshavka, Synyavka, Tyachivets', Serednya Rika, Kosivska, Bohdan, Lazeshchyna, Turbat, Ozeryanka, Bertyanka, Brusturyanka, Repynka, Luzhanka, Mokryanka, Apshytsya, Velyka Uholka, Vaskova, Turya, Zhdenivka, Vyznytsa, Stara, Serne, Charonda, Tsyhan, Vylya, Turychka, Lomovanya, Pynya, Vycha, Svynka, Koropets', Suhar, Ulychka, Yarok, Boronyava, Vilshanka, Yablunytsya, Vilhivchyk, Verbovets', Kvasnyy, Chehovets, Babychka, Hnylyy, Volovets', Moshka, etc.) and 4 rivers of a length over 100 km (Uzh, Latorytsya, Borzhava, Tysa).
By contrast with the number of fast mountainous rivers, the total of still-water lakes of Transcarpathia is small - 137. Only 32 of them are constant lakes. The biggest lake of Transcarpathia is Synevyr. It was created 10 thousand years ago at a height of 989 metres. Its area is 7 ha with the deepest point of 27 metres and the temperature +12 to +18 degrees. Here one can find rainbow, stream and lake trout.
Transcarpathian lakes are divided into several types: glacial lakes Apshynets', Maricheyka, Nesamovyte, Brebeneskul, Breskul, Vorozheska, Herashaske, Drahobratske lake, Nyzhnye, Verhnye, Mala Hropa; dam lakes: Solene, Tereblyanski lakes, Synevyr; man-made lakes: Chorni lakes, Solotvyno lakes; volcanic lakes: Lypchanske, Vorochivske, Synye.
Transcarpathian swamps are associated with terrible legends: Chorni Bahna (Black Swamps), Chornyy Mochar (Black Marsh), Soleni (Salt) Mlaky, Zaroslyak, Trofanets'. The draining of the swamp Chorna Mochar (Black Marsh) covering an area of 14 thousand ha began as far back as in 1878. Nowadays, it is almost completely dried up. Today in its place there is a cascade of reservoirs and ponds, where carp and crucian are bred. The mountainous waterfalls have become favourite tourist places: Voyvodynskyy (the biggest), Trofanets' (the highest), Shypot, Horodylivskyy, Skakalo, Lypovetskyy, Lumshorskyy, Mokryanskyy, Chortiv Mlyn. In addition, there are a lot of artificial canals on the lowland: Uzhhorodskyy, the river-canals of Berehovo, Vynohradiv, Uzhhorod, Mukachevo districts. There are also about 50 ponds and reservoirs with a total area of 173 m?: Vilshanske, Zaluzhanske, Horbkivske.
The Carpathian Mountains with towns at their foot are one of the best-known European geographic zones. There are several versions of the origin of the name Carpathians (Karate): 1) In the first half of I millennium BC, the territory was settled by the Geto-Dacia tribe karpy (karpiany); 2) from the Sanskrit language, where the word 'Karpaty' had several meanings- 'rough', 'uncultivated', 'cover', 'refuge'; 3) from the Old Greek, where the word 'Karpat' means 'hump'; 4) from the Thracian language the word 'karpo' means 'rock'; 5) there is a folk legend about a kind giant Karp; 6) a folk legend about a devil who distorted (pokorpav) the ground.
The Carpathian Mountains cover 80% of the area of Transcarpathia. They cross the region from the North-East to the South-East. Their length is 240 km and the width is 110 km. The Carpathian Mountains are 1.2 billion years old. They grow annually by 1-2 cms. and slip slowly to the East. The mountainous forests make up 45% of all the forests of Transcarpathia. The mountainous valleys (polonyny) cover the territory of 40.000 ha. The highest mountains of our region are: Hoverla (2.061 m), Brebenescul- 2.035 m, Pip-Ivan- 2.022 m, Petros- 2.020 m, Hutyn-Tomnatyk- 2.017 m, Rebra- 2.007 m, Turkul- 1.932 m, Brescul- 1.910 m, Blyznytsya- 1.881 m, Dzembronya- 1.877 m, Strymcheska- 1.872 m, Drahobrat- 1.786 m.
The Mountain ridges soar to the sky: Makovytsya, Krasna, Velykyy Dil, Svydovets', Borzhava, Chornohora, Rivna, Antalovska Polyana, Synyak, Vyhorlat, Polonyna-Runa. The important transport passes, which have been used by our people for centuries, lead to us via Vodorozdilnyy (Water separated) mountain ridge. They are as follows: Uzhotskyy (899 m), Seredniy Veretskyy (Voritskyy- 839 m), Volovetskyy (Skotarskyy- 1.014 m), Vyshkivskyy (Torunskyy- 931 m), Lehioniv (1.110 m), Yablunetskyy (Tatarskyy- 931 m).
The caves of our region still keep great natural reserves: salt (Solotvyno mines), karst (Kamyani vorota, Diravyy kamin', Vedmezhe iklo, Prozoryh stin, Bilyh stin, Romaniya, Viv, Chur', Knyahynya, Druzhba, Hrebin', Perlyna, Synatoriy, Chertizh, Molochnyy Kamin', Termoksa mala), marble (Dilove, Hrabovo, Knyahynya).
On the South-East the territory up to the border is called Transcarpathian lowland. It adjoins Serednyodunay (Middle-Danube) lowland (Panonia) and covers 20% of the territory of the region (about 2.000 km?). The arable lands occupy 50% of the lowland; the lowland forests occupy 15%. Agricultural land of the lowland makes up 39.600 ha, arable land- 188.000 ha, pastures- 102.400 ha, hayfields - 73.400 ha. There are hollows between the mountains: Perechynska, Yasinska, Uzhanska, Kushnytska, Bohdanska, Mizhhirska, Svalyavska, Ust'-Chornyanska, Kolochavska, Khustska, Vorotnyo-Volovetska.
The climate of Transcarpathia is defined by its position in the very heart of Europe. The high mountains protect our region from cold north winds. The damp temperate and continental climate favours warm summer and mild winter. Those visitors who come to our region from the North find warm south here, whereas people from the South- cool North. Tourists from Eastern countries look for the West, whereas Western tourists look for the typical eastern features.
The maximum temperature (in summer) is +40°, minimum (in winter) -32°. Rainfall comprises minimum- 642 mm (Berehovo town), maximum- 1.411 mm (Ust'-Chorna settlement, Tyachiv district). The longest Transcarpathian day is on 22 June, the shortest one - 22 December. The average day duration is 8.5 hours (in winter), and 15.5 hours (in summer). The maximum wind speed in our locality is 40 m/s.
The total length of the borders of Transcarpathia is quite substantial. It measures 460 km and borders on Poland- 33,4 km in the North East (Velykyy Bereznyy district); Slovakia- 98,5 km in the West (Uzhhorod, Perechyn districts); Hungary- 130 km in the South (Uzhhorod, Berehovo, Vynohradiv districts), Romania- 205,4 km in the South East (Rakhiv, Volovets', Mizhhirya districts). The administrative boundary with Lviv (85 km) and Ivano-Frankivsk regions (180 km) is in the North and North- East (Velykyy Bereznyy, Volovets', Mizhhirya, Tyachiv and Rakhiv districts).
The frontier infrastructure is also set in our region. There are 18 crossing points (7 railway- Hungary: Chop-Zahon', Salovka-Epereshke; Slovakia: Chop-Cherna-nad-Tisov, Uzhhorod-Mativtsi; Romania: Dyakovo-Halmeu, Teresva-Kumpolunh, Rakhiv-Suhot; 7 international motorcar, 1 international air and 3 simplified crossing points).