About Ukraine A country whose state song declares that 'Ukraine has not yet died' might not seem the most uplifting destination, but don't let that mislead you. You will meet hospitable people, gently rolling steppe, and try a very special national dish - "vareniki"!

Ukraine is located in southeastern Europe, bordering on Belarus, Russia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Poland, and Slovakia. In the south,Ukraine is washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Ukraine's neighbors across the Black Sea are Turkey, Bulgaria, and Georgia. The total length of the frontiers is 6,500 km, including 1,050 km of sea frontiers.

Population: 49.5 million (2001) 46% male and 54% female; 35.1 million urban and 16.6 million rural; density: 87 persons per sq. km. Ukraine is inhabited by representatives of 128 nations, nationalities, and ethnic groups.

Official language: Ukrainian. Ukrainian is considered mother tongue by 66.3%, and Russian by 31.3%. English is the most popular foreign language.

Currency: hryvna

Ukraine is a Republic. As stated in the Constitution: "Ukraine is a sovereign and independent, democratic, social, legal State."

Capital of Ukraine: Kyiv

Regions of Ukraine - Administrative divisions: 24 oblasts, 1 autonomous republic (The Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Krym), 2 municipalities (Kyiv and Sevastopol).

The country has diverse landscape, with mountains in the West and South, forest and steppe zones stretching from North to East, and even a semi-desert. The Crimean Mountains in the Crimean peninsula and the Carpathians in the west are not very high, but famous tourist attraction and climate building factor. Mixed forests of pine and fir-trees, beeches, limes, oaks and elms cover the mountains, but the thickest woods can still be found in the northern part of the republic, in Volyn. Kiev and Cherkassy lie in the midst of Ukrainian southernmost pine forest. The main Ukrainian river is the Dnepr. It is one of the longest European rivers and one of the republic's main source of hydroelectric power. The Dnepr and its tributary the Ross had been the cradle of the Ukrainian and Russian people in time immemorial.

The climate of the country is moderate. Winter is rather mild, with no severe frosts but with regular snowfalls everywhere except the south. The rivers and lakes freeze in winter. The average winter temperature varies -20 C in the north to -3-5 in the south. Summer is quite hot and dry, with occasional showers and thunderstorms. The fertile black soil is well watered in spring and autumn and gets plenty of sunshine in summer.

Due to favorable climatic conditions, Ukraine is traditionally an agricultural area. It grows wheat, maize, buckwheat and other corn, red and green vegetables, and all kinds of fruit, melons and berries. Ukraine is one of the world's main centers of sugar production. It produces sugar both for her its needs and for export.

The country is rich in natural resources, such as iron ore, coal, color metal, oil, gas, mineral salts, clay and potential water power.

It has developed a varied industry, concentrated mostly in and around big cities, such as Kiev, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk, Dnyeprodzerzhinsk, Odessa, Kharkov, Lviv, Nickolayev and other. It produces planes and ships, lorries and buses, motorcars and locomotives, computer and electronic equipment, precision instruments and agricultural machines, TV and radioset, chemicals and textiles and various consumer goods. Odessa, Sebastopol, Nickolayev, Kherson and Kerch are main Ukrainian ports.