The Vitebsk region is located to the North East of the Vitebsk oblast and occupies 2,800 square kilometers. The region stretches along the two banks of the river Zapadnaya Dvina.

From south to north it is about 100 km long, from west to east – 50 km. In the east it borders on the Liozny region and Smolensk oblast of the Russian Federation, in the north east it borders on Pskov oblast of the Russian Federation, in the north – on the Gorodok region, in the south west – on the Shumilin and Beshenkovichi regions, in the south – on the Senno region.

The Zapadnaya Dvina is the biggest river in the Vitebsk region. It has four right-hand and two left-hand inflows. There are 68 lakes, 200 kilometers of rivers, three cranberry reserves, namely, Moshka, Chistic, Zapolsky, one ornithological reserve Dymovshchina and six botanic reserves, including, Vitebsky and Tulovo. Woods occupy about 45.6% of the region’s territory with the major forests located in the north east of the region. Some 2.1% of the region’s territory is underwater, 3.4% - under marshes.

In the region there are more than 20 rare species of plants and about five species of birds listed in the Red Book of Belarus.

The region was founded on July 17, 1924. The present-day borders were established in 1960.