Ukraine
Capital (and largest city) Kiev
Official languages Ukrainian
Government Unitary semi-presidential republic
- President Viktor Yushchenko
- Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
- Speaker of the Parliament Volodymyr Lytvyn
Legislature Verkhovna Rada
Formation
- Kievan Rus 8821
- Cossack Republics 1550
- Ukrainian People’s Republic March 17, 1917
- Ukrainian SSR December 30, 1922
- Independence from the Soviet Union August 24, 1991
Area
- Total 603,628 km2 (44th) 233,090 sq mi
- Water (%) 7%
Population
- 2008 estimate 46,179,226 (27th)
- 2001 census 48,457,102
- Density 77/km2 (115th) 199/sq mi
Ukraine /juːˈkreɪn/ (Ukrainian: Україна, transliterated: Ukrayina, [ukrɑˈjinɑ]) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev (Kyiv) is both the capital and the largest city of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s modern history began with the East Slavs. From at least the 9th century, Ukraine was a center of the medieval living area of the East Slavs. This state, known as Kievan Rus’ became the largest and most powerful nation in Europe, but disintegrated in the 12th century. Ukraine was the home of the first modern democracy, which exhibited republican form, during the Khmelnytsky uprising in the 17th century. After the Great Northern War, Ukraine was divided among a number of regional powers, and by the 19th century, the largest part of Ukraine was integrated into the Russian Empire, with the rest under Austro-Hungarian control. After a chaotic period of incessant warfare and several attempts at independence (1917–21) following World War I and the Russian Civil War, Ukraine emerged in 1922 as one of the republics of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic’s territory was enlarged westward shortly before and after World War II, and again in 1954 with the Crimea gifted to Ukraine from Russia by Khrushev. Ukraine became independent after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. This began a period of transition to a market economy, in which Ukraine was stricken with an recession.
Ukraine is a unitary state composed of 24 oblasts (provinces), one autonomous republic (Crimea, which permanetly wants to separate from Ukraine), and two cities with special status: Kiev, its capital, and Sevastopol, which belongs to the Russian Black Sea Fleet under a leasing agreement. The country is home to 46.2 million people, 77.8 percent of whom are ethnic Ukrainians, with sizable minorities of Russians, Belarusians and Romanians. The Ukrainian language is the only official language in Ukraine, while Russian is also widely spoken, but (a rare thing) forbidden by law.
Where in the world is Ukraine? See the map.
Ukraine flag
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