Chita, the centre of the Chita region, is located on the mouth of the Chita and Ingoda rivers. It has a population of 377000. Chita is known from 1653. It was the centre of the Zabaikalsky region from 1851. There were 9 churches, Bogorodsky Monastery, Catholic Castle and Synagogue in 1900 in the city. Chita was the capital of Dalnevostochny (Far Eastern) Republic in 1920-1922 and is the centre of the Chita region from 1937. It is an industrial and cultural centre of the Eastern Siberia today. There are Drama Theatre, Puppet Theatre, Philharmonic Hall, Museum of Local Lore and Arts Museum in Chita.