Post on 20-May-2015
description
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km2 (233,062 sq mi), making it the largest country entirely within Europe.
Location
Location of Ukraine (green) in Europe (green & dark grey);disputed territory (light green)
Ukraine borders Russia to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland,Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania andMoldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively.
Location
In the Middle Ages, the area became a key center of East Slavic culture, as epitomized by the powerful state of Kievan Rus'.
History
East-Slavic tribes and peoples, 8th-9th century.
History
Following its fragmentation in the 13th century, the territory of the present day Ukraine was contested, ruled and divided by a variety of powers, including Lithuania, Poland, Austro-Hungary, and Russia.
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History
A Cossack republic emerged and prospered during the 17th and 18th centuries, but Ukraine remained otherwise divided until its consolidation into a Soviet republic in the 20th century, becoming an independent state only in 1991.
A global breadbasket
Ukraine has long been a global breadbasket because of its extensive, fertile farmlands. In 2011, it was the world's third-largest grain exporter with that year's harvest being much larger than average.
Manufacturing sector
The country also has a well-developed manufacturing sector, particularly in aerospace and industrial equipment.
Capital
The capital of Ukraine is Kiev.
Population
The country is home to 45.4 million people 77.8% of whom are Ukrainians by ethnicity, and with a sizable minority of Russians (17%), as well as Romanians/Moldovans, Belarusians, Crimean Tatars, and Hungarians.
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Official language and dominant religion
Ukrainian is the official language of Ukraine; its alphabet is Cyrillic.
The dominant religion in the country is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which has strongly influenced Ukrainian architecture, literature and music.