Chita is a city (from 1851) in the south-eastern part of Russia, the administrative centre of the Zabaykalsky Territory.

Its population is 309 thousand people (as of January, 1st 2010; 316 643 people in 2002) and its area is 534 km ².

The city has been the administrative centre of the Chita District since 1937. It is a large road junction located at the distance of 6198 km (by railroad) from Moscow. It stands at the confluence of Chita River (often called Chitinka by local residents) into Ingoda (the basin of Amur). The city gave its name to the cargo steam-ship Chita (1973) and submarine B-260 as part of the Pacific Navy (2006).

Among the popular places of interest in the city there is Art Museum, Museum of Local Lore, Puppet Theatre, Drama Theatre, Militia Museum, the Museum of Decembrists, the Museum of the Transbaikalian Railway, and the Geological Museum. In the historical city centre there stands A. P.Lopatina –Gantimurova’s Mansion constructed in 1910. There is a Botanical Garden and the Zoo in Chita.

Chita has recently acquired a large-scale datsan (Buddhist university temple): Datsan Damba Braibunling (translated from the Tibetan language as ‘a place where the rice of Buddha’s teaching is gathered’) was constructed in 2010.