Тhe оblast was created out of the former territories of the North Caucasian Peoples, following their conquests by Russia throughout the 19th century.

The administrative center of the oblast was Vladikavkaz, the current capital of North Ossetia–Alania within Russia.

The districts (okrugs), Cossack districts (otdels), and pristavstvo [ru] of the Terek oblast in 1917 were as follows:[1] According to the Russian Empire Census, the Terek oblast had a population of 933,936 on 28 January [O.S.

The plurality of the population indicated Russian to be their mother tongue, with significant Chechen, Ossetian, Kabardian, and Ingush speaking minorities.

1 January] 1916, including 722,685 men and 655,238 women, 1,113,608 of whom were the permanent population, and 264,315 were temporary residents:[1]