The Zakarpattia Oblast (Ukrainian: Закарпатська область, translit. Zakarpats’ka oblast’; see other languages) is an administrative oblast (province) located in southwestern Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Uzhhorod. Other major cities within the oblast include Mukachevo, Khust, Berehove and Chop which is home to railroad transport infrastructure.

Zakarpattia Oblast was formally established on 22 January 1946 after the annexation of Transcarpathian Hungary to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic to fulfill the petition filed by Carpatho-Ukraine before World War II. Some scholars say that during the Ukrainian independence referendum held in 1991, Zakarpattia Oblast voters were given a separate option on whether or not they favored autonomy for the region. Although a large majority favored autonomy, it was not granted. However, this referendum was about self government status, not about autonomy (like in Crimea).

Situated in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine, Zakarpattia Oblast is the only Ukrainian administrative division which borders upon four countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. The Carpathian Mountains play a major part in the oblast's economy, making the region an important tourist and travel destination housing many ski and spa resorts.

Pamela M. Nicholson is a U.S. businesswoman. She is President and Chief Operating Officer of Enterprise Holdings. In 2007 she was also inducted in the Fortune (magazine) Top 50 Most Powerful Women list as number 44. In 2009, Forbes included her among their 100 Most Powerful Women as number 89.

Nicholson began her career at Enterprise Rent A Car in 1981 as a Management Trainee in St. Louis . In 9 months she was promoted to an Assistant Manager Position. Inside of one year she moved to the rapidly growing Southern California group. Once there she promoted herself through the company to the top tier position of Regional Vice President of the Southern California Group in 12 years. During her work there the group grew 26,000 cars and continues to be one of the company's largest groups^{[citation needed]}.

In 1994 Nicholson was promoted to Corporate Vice President in St. Louis and was given 10 groups to oversee. While there, she was considered instrumental^{[citation needed]} in establishing the National Preferred Provider Rental Agreements between Enterprise Rent A Car and many of the auto manufacturers. In 1997 she moved back into rental as the General Manager of the New York group. She spent two years there increasing fleet growth and doubling profitability^{[citation needed]}. Pam then was promoted to Senior Vice President of North American Operations in 1999. In 2003 she became Chief Operating Officer and President in 2008.

Vasyl Karlovych Rats (Ukrainian: Василь Рац; Hungarian: Rácz László) (born 25 March 1961 in Fanchikove, Zakarpattia Oblast) is a former Ukrainian football midfielder of Hungarian ethnicity. He participated in two World Cups with the USSR national team.

Rats played several seasons with FC Dynamo Kyiv, where he won the Soviet Top League three times.

Rats earned 47 caps and scored 4 goals for the USSR, from 1986 to 1990. He played in two World Cups, in 1986 and 1990. In the 1986 World Cup he scored a goal with a c. 40 meters shot against France in a 1–1 draw in the first round: a headed clearance by France was picked up by Belanov and laid off to Rats, who on the first touch, belted the ball from several yards outside the area past French goalkeeper Joël Bats and into the top left hand corner of the net. During Euro 1988 his goal secured USSR a 1–0 victory in the group stage over eventual champions The Netherlands. USSR reached the final, but was unable to repeat their achievement in the group stage and lost 2–0.