 A
unique website for the Ukrainian-American community
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Basic Facts About UkraineHistory Ukrainians are deeply affected by the country's long history that predates the independent state by some 1,500 years. The march of successive civilizations from prehistoric times, the Scythians, Greeks, Varaungian, Slavic, and Turkic peoples have all left their mark. The birthplace of the Slavic state was Kyivan-Rus which flourished a thousand years ago. There is an old legend which tells of three brothers who found Kyiv at the end of the fifth century. The brothers Kiy, Khoriv, and Shchek, along with their sister, Lybid, decided to name this newly founded land "Kyiv," after their elder brother. Kyiv bloomed during the end of the ninth century as a political center inhabited by Eastern Slavs. Kyiv had an advantageous trade route in the center of Europe which allowed it to maintain political and economic ties with the West. In 988, Kyiv's Prince Volodymyr the Great introduced Christianity to Kyiv making it the official religion of Kyivan-Rus. This move played an important role in Kyiv's political development and cultural relations with the European and Near Eastern countries. In 1240, Kyiv was invaded by the Tatar-Mongols led by the grandson of Genghis Khan. The city was captured and its glory fell into decline during the period of almost century-long rule by the Tatar-Mongols. For many centuries thereafter Ukraine was attacked and ruled by Poland and Lithuanian in the Rzecz Pospolita Commonwealth, Russia, Germany and others. During this time Ukrainian Kozak armies were formed which were led by a Hetman (military leader). One of the most famous Hetman is Bohdan Khmelnytsky who inspired one of the greatest Kozak uprisings that led to the liberation of Kyiv in 1648. He was considered by some a traitor after he signed the Treaty of Pereyaslav which authorized protection by the Russian Czar. This treaty joined Ukraine and Russia into one and led to a long period of domination by the Russian Empire and ultimately the Soviet Union. After the revolution of 1917 Vladimir Illyich Lenin and his Bolshevik Party seized power and expanded their sphere of control into Ukraine. Ukraine experienced a brief period of independence when on January 22, 1918, the Ukrainian Central Rada (Council) formally issued a proclamation for Ukraine's independence. But shortly thereafter in 1919, the Ukrainian National Republic was defeated in a war against Polish expansionists and was overrun once again. Eventually, Bolshevik and Communist forces retook Ukrainian lands, and as a means to control the population, leader Josef Stalin caused the Great Famine of 1932-33 by forcibly collecting grain and deliberately starving to death nearly ten million people. Nazi Germany then began World War II and entered Kyiv in September 1941 razing the city. In November 1943, Soviet forces retook the city in fierce fighting and began their final domination of Ukraine for almost the next fifty years. Attention from the West turned to Ukraine after the nuclear meltdown at the Chornobyl power plant in April 1986. Since then Ukrainians felt the decreased political power wielded by the Soviet Union's Communist leaders. After the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic proclaimed Ukraine's sovereignty in July 1990, Ukrainians fulfilled their dream of independence during the failed Soviet coup of August 1991. In a referendum held on December 1, 1991 the people of Ukraine endorsed independence and voted Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk as Ukraine's first ever democratically elected President. The United States recognized Ukraine's independence on December 25, 1991; and the first American Ambassador, Roman Popadiuk, arrived in Kyiv on June 8, 1992. Geography Geographical Location: Ukraine is located in southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea. Ukraine is situated between 44"20' and 52"20' north latitude, and 22"5' and 41"15' east longitude. Area: Ukraine is the largest country in Europe among those with entire boundaries within the European continent. The total area of Ukraine is about 603,700 sq. km. It extends 1316 km from west to east, and 893 km north to south. Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas Neighboring Countries: Bordered by (clockwise) Romania (169 km), Moldova (939 km), Romania (362 km) and Hungary (103 km) on the southwest, Slovak Republic (90 km) on the west, Poland (428 km) on the northwest, Belarus (891 km) on the north, and Russia (1,576 km) on the north and on the east. Total Land Boundaries: 4,558 km. Coastline: 2,782 km. Climate: The climate of Ukraine is mostly temperate continental. A subtropical Mediterranean climate is prevalent on the southern portions of the Crimean Peninsula. The average monthly temperature in winter ranges from -8° to 2° C (17.6° to 35.6° F), while summer temperatures average 17° to 25° C (62.6° to 77° F). The Black Sea coast is subject to freezing. Precipitation generally decreases from north to south; it is greatest in the Carpathians, where it exceeds more than 1500 mm (58.5 in) per year, and least in the coastal lowlands of the Black Sea, where it averages less than 300 mm (11.7 in) per year. Terrain: Almost the entire country of Ukraine is a flat plain, with elevations generally below 350 m. The Carpathian Mountains intrude at the extreme west, and on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula the Crimean Mountains are located. The highest point in Ukraine is Mt. Hoverla in the Carpathians, with an elevation of 2061 m. Land use: Ukraine has extremely fertile black-earth soils in the central and southern portions, totaling more than a half of the territory. According to the estimates, arable land is 56%, permanent crops: 2%, meadows and pastures: 12%, forest and woodland: 10%, other: 20%. In 1990 irrigated land was 26,000 sq. km. Inland Waterways: Most major rivers flow south to the Black Sea; they include the Dnipro River in central Ukraine, the Southern Bug and Dnestr rivers in the west, the Donets River in the east, and the Danube in the far south. The Western Bug flows northward through the western part of the country and joins the Vistula, which empties into the Baltic Sea. Natural resources: According to the experts, Ukraine contains approximately 5 per cent of the world’s total mineral resources. Ukraine has deposits of more than 80 types of minerals. The Donetsk Basin contains huge reserves of high-quality coal and the nearby iron-ore deposits of Kryvy Rih are equally rich. Other Ukraine’s mineral resources include manganese, mercury, titanium, chromium, nickel, bauxite, uranium, phosphate, sulfur and peat. Development of the above mentioned mineral resources under concession agreements along with transportation and refining of oil and gas are among the most promising areas for foreign investments. Natural hazards: n/a Environment (current issues): inadequate supplies of potable water air and water pollution deforestation radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Environment
(international agreements): Geography note: strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe. PeoplePopulation: 48,055,439 (July 2003 est.) Age structure: Population growth rate: -0.69% (2003 est.) Birth rate: 9.89 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) Death rate: 16.39 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) Net migration rate: -0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) Sex ratio: Infant mortality rate: 20.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) Life expectancy at birth: Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (2003 est.) Nationality: Ethnic groups: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001) Religion: predominantly Christian: Ukrainian Orthodox (Kiev Patriarchate), Ukrainian Catholic (Uniate), Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Protestant, Ukrainian Orthodox (Moscow Patriarchate). Other religions like Islam, Judaism etc. are also professed by some part of the population. State language: Ukrainian. Other languages: Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian. Literacy: literacy of
total population is 98% Conventional long form:
none. Local long form: none. Former: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Data code: UA. GovernmentGovernment type: Ukraine is a Republic. Independence: December 1, 1991 (from Soviet Union). National holiday: Independence Day - August 24, 1991. Constitution: adopted on June 28, 1996. Head of State: President Head of Government: Prime Minister. Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) with 450 seats Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal. Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts. Administrative divisions: Capital of Ukraine: Kyiv Flag: Two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grain fields under a blue sky 
EconomyAfter Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied equipment and raw materials to industrial and mining sites in other regions of the former USSR. Ukraine depends on imports of energy, especially natural gas. Shortly after the implosion of the USSR in December 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output in 1992-98 fell to less than half the 1991 level. Loose monetary policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. The economy of modern Ukraine is formed by both agriculture and industry. Industry: Industry contributes more than 40 per cent of GDP and accounts for more than one-fourth of total employment. Ukraine is a major center for heavy machinery and industrial equipment production, machine tools, large electrical transformers, ships, locomotives, rail cars, passenger and cargo aircraft, agricultural machinery as well as textiles. It also has a well-developed chemical industry that produces various plastics, tires and fertilizers. The Ukrainian aerospace and defense industry, which includes more than 500 military enterprises and research institutes, is known for its state-of-the-art technology and production of reliable equipment. Agriculture: Agriculture accounts for about 25 per cent of Ukraine’s total GDP and approximately the same percentage of total employment. Mainly due to extremely fertile soil, Ukraine is a major producer and exporter of a wide variety of agricultural products, including sugar, sunflower oil, flax, different crops and dairy products. This sector offers diverse opportunities for foreign investments, especially in the field of food-processing and storage. GDP: 79.1 billion
hryvnyas in 1996 (approximately US$ 45 billion) (Based on the
data of the Ministry of Statistics of Ukraine). Population below poverty line: 29% (2001 est.) Household income or
consumption by percentage share: Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (yearend 1998 est.) Labor force: 22.8 million
(yearend 1997); Unemployment rate: 3.7% officially registered large number of unregistered or underemployed workers (December 1998) Budget: Industries: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food-processing (especially sugar) Industrial production growth rate: -1.5% (1998 est.) Electricity: Agriculture: Exports: $11.3 billion
(1998 est.) Imports: US$ 13.1 billion (1998 est.) Foreign debt: $10.9 billion (October 1998) Economic aid - recipient: $637.7 million (1995) IMF Extended Funds Facility $2.2 billion (1998) Fiscal year: Calendar year Currency: 1 hryvna=100 kopiykas
TransportationRailroads: total: 23,350 km (broad gauge - 1.524 m); 8,600 electrified Highways: total: 273,700 km (paved and graveled: 236,400 km) Inland waterways: 1,672 km perennially navigable (Prypyat and Dnipro Rivers) Pipelines: crude oil 2,010 km, petroleum products 1,920 km, natural gas 7,800 km (1992) Seaports: Berdiansk, Illichivsk, Izmayil, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Pivdenne, Sevastopol. Inland port: Kyiv.
Quick Facts
  Ukraine
occupies an area of 603,700 square kilometers, and is among the
largest European countries. Territorially it is larger than France
(544,000 sq. km.), Spain (505,000 sq. km.), Sweden (450,000 sq. km.),
and Poland (312,7000 sq. km.).
In terms of population (50.5 million as of January 1, 1998), Ukraine
ranks fifth in Europe after Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and
Sweden. The population density per one square kilometer amounts to an
average of 85.6 people, the European average being 67.In
its ethnic composition, Ukraine is a multi-ethnic Republic, inhabited
by more than 110 ethnic groups, of which Ukrainian (72.7%) are the
largest, followed by Russians, Jews, Belarussians, Moldovans,
Bulgarians, Poles and Hungarians.The
easternmost point is in the township of Milove, Luhansk Region. The
westernmost point is the city of Chop in Transcarpathia, the distance
between them being 1,270 kilometers. In its widest central part, the
distance between the northernmost village of Muravyi in the Chernihiv
Region and the southernmost Sarych Promontory in Crimea equals 900
kilometers.The
largest mountain system is the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains, which
are part of the Eastern Carpathians. The mountains stretch to the west
within the territories of the Transcarpathian, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk
and Chernivtsi regions.The
highest mountain peak, Hoverla, is in the Ukrainian Carpathians within
the territories of Transcarpathian and Ivano-Frankivsk.The
Black Sea borders Ukraine to the south. The Dnieper is the country’s
largest river. The deepest river is the Danube. Yalpug is Ukraine’s
largest lake in the Danube delta of the Odesa Region.The
deepest lake is Svitiaz in the basin of the Southern Buh. It is one of
the Shatsk Lakes in Volyn.The
highest mountain lake is Brebeneskul, between the Carpathian range of
Chornohora and the Hutyn-Tamnatyk Mountain.The
considerable remoteness from oceans and continental Siberia tells
favorably on the climate of Ukraine. Almost al of its territory is
located in the temperate zone. On the whole, the climate is
temperately continental, and only on the southern shore of Crimea is
it subtropical.
As of January 1, 1990, Ukraine numbered 436 cities inhabited by more
than 68% of the country’s population. Over 75% of basic production
assets and about 95% of scientific research institutions are
concentrated in these metropolitan areas.
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