Geographical position

Vitebsk region is one of the most picturesque areas in Europe. Awesome in its scenery, vegetation, wildlife, and rich natural parks, the Region holds its place among most unique geographical areas. Century-old coniferous forests comprise up to 60% of all woodlands of the Region, most rich in forests are areas around the towns of Rossony, Polotsk, Lepel', Dokshytsy, and Gorodok.

The Region occupies the north-eastern part of the Republic of Belarus along the mid-stream of the Dvina River and the Upper Dnepr River. In the east it borders on Smolensk region and in the north - on Pskov region of the Russian Federation; in the north-west it borders on Latvia, in the west it borders on Lithuania and Grodno region, and in the south - on Minsk and Mogilev regions.

 From east to west the borderline of the Region stretches for more than 300 km, and for 175 km from north to south. The territory of the Region is larger than the territory of such countries as Albania, Salvador, Moldova, and Armenia.