 Permskaya Oblast is situated at the foot of Northern and Middle Ural. In the south Permskaya Oblast borders upon the Republic of Bashkortostan, in the southwest and the west - upon the Republic of Udmurtia, in the west - upon Komi-Permyatsky Autonomous Okrug, in the northwest and the north - upon the Republic of Komi, in the east and southeast - upon Sverdlovskaya Oblast.
The main river is Kama with its tributaries Chusovaya, Kosva and Vishera. The climate is moderately continental. The average temperature of January varies from 15 to 18 degrees below zero; the average temperature of July varies from +16 to +18 degrees centigrade. Precipitations make 450-800 mm a year. Forests occupy 1/2 part of the oblast.
Permskaya Oblast was formed on October 3, 1938. Its area is 160,6 thousand sq. km. (without the territory of Komi-Permyatsky Autonomous Okrug).
For the first time the word "perm" occurs in the prominent memorial of Ancient Russia of the beginning of XII century "The Story of times'. It was the name of the population of Vychegodsky basin, ancestors of the Komi-Zyryans. Gradually this territory in the Russian annals was called Old Perm or Vychegodsky Perm.
The administrative centre is the city of Perm. Permskaya Oblast is famous for its cultural traditions, theatres and museums. There are 10 professional theatrical collectives, 18 museums, the circus, the philharmonic society and the unique in Ural planetarium. In the regional centre there are the Perm Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named  after Chaykovsky, the Theatre of Young Spectator, the Theatre "Eugeny Panfilov's Ballet", the Municipal Theatre "At the bridge", the Academic Drama Theatre, the Puppet Theatre, the Contract Theatre "Big wash", the Theatre "Ironic company". There are drama theatres also in Lysva, Berezniki, Chaykovsky, Kudymkar.
Near Perm on the high bank of Kama the famous architectural and ethnographic museum "Khokhlovka" occupies 42 hectares. Unique wooden constructions of 17-19th centuries were transported from the north of the region. Each summer open-air folklore festivals take place here. Collectives from many regions of Russia assemble on this occasion.
In Solikamsk one can see the unique museum of salt. Its expositions show us the salt processing chain known since XV century.
In the city of Chusovoy there is the unique museum complex of Ermak, the famous explorer of Siberia. The most interesting exhibits tell about the lifestyle of those days in Siberia. There are chapels, a church, a smithy, a fire-tower, a rural shop, writer's house, peasant homestead, field man's house and a tavern.
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