Donets Basin

views updated May 23 2018

Donets Basin Industrial region in e Ukraine and s Russia; the capital is Donetsk. It is a major coal and steel producer, close to the mineral deposits in e Ukraine. Development of one of the world's most concentrated industrial areas began in c.1870. By 1989, it produced more than 200 million tonnes of coal a year. In the 1990s, there was a slump in production due to exhausted seams and antiquated technology. Area: c.25,900sq km (10,000sq mi).