PODOLIA

western Ukrainian region, south of Volhynia and extending between the rivers Dniester and southern Bug. The name Podolia appeared in the 14th century when the Poles began to colonize the area. Except for a period in the late 17th century when it was held by the Ottoman Turks, it was under Polish rule until 1772. Then the part west of the Zbruch River became Austrian; the rest became the Podolian guberniya (province) in Russia in 1793. After World War I the region continued to be divided at the Zbruch, between Poland and the Soviet Union. After World War II it was entirely incorporated into the Soviet Union, forming part of the western Ukrainian S.S.R. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990/91, the region became part of Ukraine. Its population always had a Ukrainian majority.