Ukraine: Facts :: essays research papers

Ukraine: Facts Ukraine is a state in Eastern Europe, bounded on the north by Belarus, on the north and east by the Russian Federation, on the west by Poland, Slovakia, on the southwest by Hungary, Rumania, and Moldova, and on the south by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Ukraine includes the Crimean Autonomous Republic, which was elevated from an oblast to a constituent republic in 1991. Kyiv is the capital and largest city. Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe after Russia. The total area of Ukraine is 603,700 sq. km (compare the area of France - 551,000 sq. km; Germany - 356,000; Great Britain - 244,000; Italy - 301,000; Spain - 505,000). The area spanned in a west-east direction is 1300 km; from north to south - 900 km. The population of Ukraine is 52 million (Germany - 78 million; France - 56 million; Great Britain - 58 million; Italy - 59 million; Spain - 40 million). Ukraine's state border extends for a total of 7698 km: with Russia - 2484 km; Belarus - 952 km; Rumania - 608 km; Poland - 542 km; Slovakia - 98 km; Hungary - 135 km; Moldova - 1194 km. The total length of Ukraine's sea coast is 1758 km (Black Sea - 1533 km; Sea of Azov - 225 km). The climate of Ukraine is moderate-continental; in the southernmost region of the Crimea the climate is sub-tropical. The largest river of Ukraine is the Dnipro, which is 2201 km in length, of which 981 km flow through Ukraine. The largest mountain system in Ukraine is the Carpathian Mountains that extend for more than 270 km and are 100-110 km wide. The highest peak is the Hoverla (2061 m). Government Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ukraine local long form: none local short form: Ukrayina former: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Digraph: UP Type: republic Capital: Kiev (Kyyiv) Administrative divisions: 24 oblasti (singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtomnaya respublika), and 2 municipalites (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkas'ka (Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv), Chernivets'ka (Chernivtsi), Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k), Donets'ka (Donets'k), Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k), Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv), Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka (Khmel'nyts'kyy), Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyyiv**, Kyyivs'ka (Kiev), Luhans'ka (Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka (Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**, Sums'ka (Sevastopol'), Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya), Volyns'ka (Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka (Zaporizhzhya), Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr) note: names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from oblast' name Independence: 1 December 1991 (from Soviet Union) National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991) Constitution: using 1978 pre-independence constitution; new constitution currently being drafted Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal