Ukraine

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Ukraine's Information


Capital	Kiev
Languages	Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes small Crimean Tatar-, Moldavian-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities) 2.9% (2001 est.)
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 est.)
Religion	Orthodox (includes Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox (UAOC), Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)), Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish
Government	Semi-presidential republic
Independance	24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: ca. 982 (VOLODYMYR I consolidates Kyivan Rus), 1648 (establishment of the Cossack Hetmanate)
Area	603,550.00 km²
Water Area	24,220.00 km²
Land Area	579,330.00 km²
Population	44,209,733.00 Densest settlement in the eastern (Donbas) and western regions; noteable concentrations in and around major urban areas of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donets'k, Dnipropetrovs'k, and Odesa
Location	Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
No. Bordering Countries	7
Bordering Countries	Belarus 1,111 km, Hungary 128 km, Moldova 1,202 km, Poland 535 km, Romania 601 km, Russia 1,944 km, Slovakia 97 km
GDP(PPP)	$353,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$8,200.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Russia, Turkey, and China.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, and chemicals.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Russia, Germany, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include energy, machinery, and chemicals.
Climate	Desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain	Mostly fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, with mountains found only in the west (the Carpathians) or in the extreme south of the Crimean Peninsula

Where is Ukraine?

Located in Eastern Europe, Ukraine has a 5,618.00 km border with Belarus (1,111 km), Hungary (128 km), Moldova (1,202 km), Poland (535 km), Romania (601 km), Russia (1,944 km) and Slovakia (97 km). It has a 2,782.00 km coastline. Ukraine's 1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Belarus remains unratified due to unresolved financial claims.

Ukrainian capital city, Kiev, is an old city dating back to the fifth century. Throughout the years, the city has been a center of commerce and civilization and is the site of many battles fought on or near it. With many water bodies and a diverse landscape, the city has slightly less than 3 million people most of whom are of Ukrainian and Russian origins. Currently, Kiev is full of tourist attraction sites like navigable rivers and lakes as well as historical structures. Kiev experiences a humid continental climate, there is no real dry month but also, no threat of a destructive weather phenomenon.

Geography

Ukraine has a mean elevation of 175 m above sea level.

It has a desert climate that is cooler in the eastern mountains. Its terrain is mostly made up of fertile plains and plateaus, with some mountains.

Population

Ukraine has a population of 44,209,733 making it the 31st largest in the world. The majority of settlements are found in the eastern and western regions of the country.

Ukrainian is the official language, while Russian is also widely spoken. The most common ethnic group is Ukrainian, followed by Russian. The majority of the population is Orthodox Christian.

Ukrainian is the official and majority language in Ukraine followed by Russian and other former Soviet Union languages. The language has an alphabet of 33 letters (twenty consonants, ten vowels, two semi-vowels, and one symbol) and 38 phenoms. Together, the approximately 40 minority languages only make up 2.9% of the population. Some common Ukrainian phrases include “mama ridna” used when one experiences shock and “vishaty lapshu na vuha” used when telling a too good to be true lie.

Government

Ukraine is an independent country. It gained independence with the dissolution of the United Kingdom in 1991. Its constitution was last ratified in 1996.

Though a multi-party democracy, the Ukrainian political system still has some socialist indicators. The country has a ceremonial president and a powerful cabinet headed by a prime minister. The cabinet uses the Ukrainian Government Building for most operations while the legislature uses the Verkhovna Rada building. Modern Ukraine has had five presidents so far with the current one being Petro Poroshenko who lives in the Mariyinsky Palace. To vote in Ukraine, one has to be eighteen years and above and voting takes place every five years.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Ukraine's GDP is $353,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $8,200.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 49th largest economy and its citizens the 145th richest in the world. The currency of Ukraine is the Hryvnia (UAH).

Its major export partners are Russia, Turkey, and China. Its main exports are ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, and chemicals. Its major import partners are Russia, Germany, and China. Its major imports include energy, machinery, and chemicals.

Flag

The Ukrainian flag has two colors: blue and yellow. These colours represent the wheat fields and physical features of the country. Unofficially called the yellow and blue, the flag was first adopted in 1918 during a short-lived independence followed by a second adoption in 1992. The flag has undergone historical evolution from earlier kingdoms that used it during wars to the adoption by Christians. Soviet Ukraine flag underwent several changes to represent their association with the Soviet Union until the USSR’s collapse. Ukraine celebrates Flag Day annually on August 23.