Center of International Programs, CIP: About Ukraine

Overview UKRAINE

One of the largest and most varied countries in Europe, Ukraine takes in the spectacular Carpathian Mountains in the west, the history-rich central plains and the stunning Black Seacoast in the south. Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, is the origin of the Kyiv Rus state, founded in the eighth and ninth centuries, and the origin of the Russian state. Striking examples of baroque and Renaissance architecture can be found in Lviv, one of Europe's oldest cities, while Odessa is probably best known for the Potemkin Stairway, but is also home to one of the world's largest opera houses.

Historically part of the Russian Empire since the 1650s, and later incorporated into the Soviet Union, Ukraine gained its independence in 1991 following the failed Moscow coup of August that year. The country came to international attention in late 2004 when 10 days of mass protests over electoral fraud led to a re-run of the presidential election and the eventual declaration of Viktor Yushchenko as president. The people's Orange Revolution undoubtedly raised Ukraine's profile abroad and put the country in the world map.

Geography

Ukraine is bordered by the Russian Federation to the north and east; Belarus to the north; Poland, the Slovak Republic and Hungary to the west, and Romania and Moldova to the southwest. It is a varied country with mountains in the west, plains in the centre and the Black Sea views to the south. The north of the state is dominated by forests. Its other two main features are wooded steppe with beech and oak forests and the treeless steppe. The River Dnieper divides Ukraine roughly in half, and flows into the Black Sea.

Recent History

Since being swept to power by the Orange Revolution in 2005, Viktor Yushchenko's presidency has been far from smooth thanks to economic woes and a fractious coalition, which has lead to frequent bouts of parliamentary and government paralysis. The linguistic split of Ukraine (Ukrainian is primarily spoken in the west, Russian in the east) has also complicated matters, with Yushchenko being forced to back his arch rival Viktor Yanukovych, popular in the eastern and southern parts of the country, for prime minister in 2006. However in 2007 Yulia Tymoshenko, a Yushchenko ally, became Ukraine's prime minister and is popularly tipped as a future president, favouring NATO membership over traditional ties to neighbouring Russia.

Key facts Ukraine	Location Central Eastern Europe
Capital: Kiev	Language: Ukrainian though Russian is widely spoken in Kiev, Central and Eastern Ukraine and Crimea
Time GMT+2
Area 603,700 sq km
Population 46.4 million	Religion: There are about 35 million Ukrainian Orthodox faithful, although the church is divided into a traditional pro-Moscow and a breakaway pro-Kyiv faction. Five million Eastern-rite (Uniate) Catholics, subservient to Rome, are concentrated in western Ukraine. There are also Protestant and Muslim minorities.
Density79.2 per sq km.
Capital Kiev
Population of Kiev 2.7 Million
Government: Republic, Seperated from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Economy

In Soviet times, the economy of Ukraine was the second largest in the Soviet Union, being an important industrial and agricultural component of the country's planned economy. With the collapse of the Soviet system, the country moved from a planned economy to a market economy.

Ukraine produces nearly all types of transportation vehicles and spacecraft. Antonov airplanes and KRAZ trucks are exported to many countries. The majority of Ukrainian exports are marketed to the European Union and CIS. Since independence, Ukraine has maintained its own space agency, the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU). Ukraine became an active participant in scientific space exploration and remote sensing missions. Between 1991 and 2007, Ukraine has launched six self made satellites and launch vehicles, and continues to design spacecraft. So to this day, Ukraine is recognised as a world leader in producing missiles and missile related technology.

The country imports most energy supplies, especially oil and natural gas, and to a large extent depends on Russia as its energy supplier. While 25 percent of the natural gas in Ukraine comes from internal sources, about 35 percent comes from Russia and the remaining 40 percent from Central Asia through transit routes that Russia controls. At the same time, 85 percent of the Russian gas is delivered to Western Europe through Ukraine.