; ▁ ▁C ities ▁of ▁ra ion ▁sub ordin ance — 1 0 ; ▁ ▁Sel so v ets — 5 2 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁local ▁administration ▁of ▁the ▁ob last ▁is ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁Ch erk asy ▁O blast ▁R ada . ▁The ▁governor ▁of ▁the ▁ob last ▁is ▁the ▁Ch erk asy ▁O blast ▁R ada ▁speaker , ▁appointed ▁by ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁Ukraine . ▁▁ ▁Note : ▁A ster is ks ▁(* ) ▁Though ▁the ▁administrative ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁ray on ▁is ▁hous ed ▁in ▁the ▁city / town ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁named ▁after , ▁cities ▁do ▁not ▁answer ▁to ▁the ▁ray on ▁authorities ▁only ▁towns ▁do ; ▁instead ▁they ▁are ▁directly ▁sub ordin ated ▁to ▁the ▁ob last ▁government ▁and ▁therefore ▁are ▁not ▁counted ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁ray on ▁statistics . ▁ ▁C ities ▁The ▁region ▁has ▁ 1 6 ▁populated ▁places ▁that ▁are ▁cities . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁The ▁current ▁estimated ▁population ▁is ▁ 1 , 3 3 5 , 0 6 4 ▁( as ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 6 ). ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁Ukrain ian ▁census , ▁the ▁ob last ' s ▁population ▁is ▁almost ▁equally ▁divided ▁between ▁the ▁urban ▁and ▁rural ▁areas ▁( 5 3 . 7 % ▁and ▁ 4 6 . 3 %, ▁respectively ). ▁The ▁dem ographic ▁situation ▁in ▁this ▁largely ▁agricult ural ▁territory ▁is ▁somewhat ▁complicated ▁by ▁population ▁age ing . ▁ ▁By ▁eth nic ▁composition , ▁Uk ra ini ans ▁represent