Autonomous oblasts of Russia

An autonomous oblast (Russian: автономная область, romanized: avtonómnaya óblastʹ) is a type of federal subject of the Russian Federation. At least theoretically, an autonomous oblast has greater autonomy than other oblasts, but not as much as a republic.

From 1961 to 1991 the Soviet Union had five autonomous oblasts: Adygea, Gorno-Altai, Karachay-Cherkessia, Khakassia and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. The first four were elevated to republics on 3 July 1991, during the dissolution of the Soviet Union, leaving only the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in independent Russia.