Geographical position
Ukraine is situated in the central part of Eastern Europe, on the crossroads of major transportation routes from Europe to Asia and from the Scandinavian states to the Mediterranean region. It has common borders with seven countries: Russia in the West, Belarus in the North, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic in the East, Moldova and Romania in South East. South Ukraine is bathed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
Did you know..?
… that in Ukrainian city Rakhiv among the Carpathian Mountains there is the geographical centre of Europe
Administrative division
The territory of Ukraine is divided into 24 districts, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and two cities of central subordination – Kyiv and Sevastopol. There are 456 cities in Ukraine. The country is divided into five regions Western, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Central Ukraine.
Population
The population of Ukraine is 45 561 989 people (2012). The indigenous population is Ukrainians (nearly 80%). Ukraine is considered a native land for Russians, Belarussians, Armenians, Crimean Tatars, Moldavians, Romanians, Poles, Jews, Hungarians and others.
Did you know..?
… that Ukraine takes the fifth place in Europe and twenty-first place in the world for the population.
Language
The official language in the country is Ukrainian, which is spoken by 70% of the population. It is followed by Russian, which was recognized as the regional languages in the nine regions and languages of ethnic minorities.
Did you know..?
… that Ukrainian was recognized as the second-melodious language in the world after Italian.
Religion
The main religion in Ukraine is Christianity. Meanwhile, most Ukrainians (76%) are Orthodox believers, and nearly 14% professes Catholicism. There are followers of Lutheranism, Judaism, Islam, Baptist doctrines and Buddhism among believers.
Did you know..?
… that Ukraine takes the fifth place in Europe for religiousness
Political system
Ukraine is a constitutional democratic republic with the President as ahead. Ukrainian power is divided into three main branches: executive, legislative and judicial. The executive branch belongs to the Cabinet of Ministers. The legislative one belongs to Supreme Council. At the centre of judicial power is a Supreme Court. Ukraine is an independent country since 1991. In 1996 Ukrainian Constitution was adopted.
Did you know..?
… that the World’s first constitution was adopted by Ukrainian politician in 1710 comparing with the Constitution of the USA (1787) and France (1791).
State symbols
The Coat of Arms of Ukraine is a blue shield with a golden sign of Volodymyr’s princedom – trident. National Flag as golden wheat under the blue arch of the sky is a cloth consisting of two horizontal stripes of blue and yellow colours. National Anthem is “Shchenevmerla Ukrainy…”
Did you know..?
… that the Ukrainian national anthem consists of only six lines – four in verse and two in a chorus.
Economy
Ukraine is an industrial and agrarian country. The most developed branches of the industry are metallurgy, energy, chemical, and mineral resource industry are focused in Eastern Ukraine. Western Ukraine is an agrarian and tourist region. The country is a large grain producer belonging to the top three of the largest barley producer. In 2008 Ukraine became a member of the World Trade Organization.
Did you know..?
… that 25% of the world’s black soil (chernozem) is focused on the territory of Ukraine.
Currency
Ukrainian currency is the hryvnia which was put into circulation in 1996. Notes come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 hryvnia. The international mark of the Ukrainian currency is UAH.
Did you know..?
… that the heaviest silver coin in the world is a Ukrainian anniversary coin “10 years of hryvnia revival”. Its weight is 1000 grams. It was issued in Ukraine in 2006.
Educational system
The educational system of Ukraine is presented by many educational establishments, which prepare the leading specialists in the different spheres. Ukrainian universities are well-known abroad. That is why young people from all over the world are the students of the Ukrainian educational establishments.
Did you know..?
… that Ukraine is considered a country with a high level of education and takes fourth place in the world due to the number of well-educated people.
Architecture
The bells sound Ukrainian architecture. Ukraine is well-known for its golden-domed temples, wooden churches and ancient cathedrals. Different eras and styles, Ukrainian identity and European charm have been woven into the common thread in Ukrainian architecture.
Did you know..?
… that four Ukrainian architectural landmarks were included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage: Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Kyiv- Pechersk Lavra, the Ensemble of the Historic Centre of Lviv and Bukovinian Metropolitan’s Residence in Chernivtsi.
Tourism
Annually Ukraine is visited by more than 20 million tourists from Russia, Eastern and Western Europe, United States of America. The tourist regions of Ukraine are Crimea (beaches and resorts of Yalta and Feodosia), Transcarpatia (ski resorts Bukovel and Yaremche), Bukovyna (health resorts of Truskavets and Morshyn), the Carpathians (active and extreme rest in the mountains).
Did you know ..?
… that World Tourism Organization included Ukraine to the list of the countries where tourism can be the most profitable branches of the economy.
