Land Boundaries:
Total: 5,618 km, Border Countries (7): Belarus 1,111 km, Hungary 128 km, Moldova 1,202 km, Poland 535 km, Romania 601 km, Russia 1,944 km, Slovakia 97 km
Geography of Ukraine
Ukraine is a country located majorly in Europe and some parts of
southern and western regions fall within Alpine System. This is second
largest country in terms of area in Europe after Russia. Ukraine Geography
varies in different regions of the country. Majority of the Ukraine
lies in Eastern European plain. Ukraine has highlands and lowlands.
Places which fall in these regions have geographical diversity along
with climatic differences. Ukraine is on the northern shores of black
sea and the Sea of Azov. Ukraine shares borders with many European
countries which include Poland, Hungary and Slovakia in the west,
Moldova and Romania in the south-west, Belarus in north and Russia in
the east. Kyiv is the capital city of Ukraine.
Ukraine Nature is different in different regions of
the country. However majority part of Ukraine is fertile plains and
plateaus. Mountains are found only in the western side and in extreme
southern side. Carpathians is the major mountain range in Ukraine. Ukraine nature is beautiful and one can enjoy it on a Ukraine tour.
Climate and Weather in Ukraine
Ukraine Climate is mostly temperate continental with
warm summer, cold and snowy winters. However in southern coast of Crimea
has subtropical climate. Moderately warm, humid air which comes from
the Atlantic Ocean contributes to the climate of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s average annual temperatures range from 5–7 °C in the northern
region, to 11–13 °C in the southern region. Precipitation is also
received disproportionately in different parts. It is highest in the
west and north side while lowest in the east and southeast side of the
country.
Ukraine Weather is generally good. Summer in the
country is generally warm which is across the greater part of Ukraine.
Only in south summer is hot. Winter season varies. It is cool along the
Black Sea and coldest in northeast. For visitors looking to go for a
Ukraine trip, summer which happens between June and September is the best time to be in Ukraine.
History of Ukraine
Ukraine History is long and interesting. The modern
Ukraine that we know today has been inhabited and ruled by several
people and empires throughout history. Cimmerians, Scythians,
Sarmatians, and Goths were first among other nomadic peoples who
populated the land of Ukraine. Kyiv which is currently the capital city
of Ukraine was located at lucrative trade routes and so it prospered
quickly and became powerful state of Kievan Rus during 11th century.
After that Ukraine was invaded by Mongols in 13h century. Over next two
centuries Ukraine was annexed by Poland and Lithuania. In 1667 Ukraine
was divided between Poland and Russia. And in 1793 when Poland was
partitioned major portion of Ukraine was integrated into Russian empire.
In recent history of Ukraine, Ukrainian kept trying
for its independence. They got it for a while after World War I. But
soon Ukraine was incorporated into Soviet Union. During World War II
Ukrainian Army fought against Germany and Soviet Union. The Ukrainian
SSR became one of the founding members of the United Nations in 1945.
After that Ukraine was under Soviet Union for long and when Stalin died
in 1953, Khrushchev as head of the Communist Party of Soviet Union tried
to revive Ukraine. But as in other parts of USSR political repressions
against poets, historians and other intellectuals continued in Ukraine
as well. Ukraine received independence again when the Soviet Union
dissolved in 1991.
Culture and Traditions in Ukraine
Ukraine Culture is very much a result of shared
culture and history with its neighbouring nations. Ukraine shares
history with its neighbours right from 9th century. This you can see in
cultural and customs similarities in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
Influence of Eastern Orthodox Church and Slavic Mythological traditions
can also be seen on Ukrainian culture, customs and
traditions. Soviet Union in its time of rule played a huge role in
unifying culture of different nations with a common language. Currently
there are 3 major religions followed in Ukraine. They are Christianity,
Eastern Catholicism and Roman Catholic. Main language of Ukraine is
Ukrainian. Social gathering is very common part of Ukraine culture and
has been there for centuries. Music and dance also have deep rooted
place in Ukraine which can be observed in Ukrainian weddings.
Uzbekistan Tradition is also rich in terms of its art
and craft. The Ukrainian applied art is an integral part of the country
with deep roots in the past. For instance, in Ukraine woodcarving is
one of the oldest types of folk applied arts and crafts which include
wood sculpture carving. Along with this carpet making, embroidery,
pottery and ceramics are also fine examples of brilliance of Ukrainian
craft.
Food and Cuisine in Ukraine
Food has a special place in Ukrainian culture. Special Ukraine foods
are prepared on different occasions like Easter and Christmas. Kutia is
a special food item which is prepared during Christmas. This is made of
cooked wheat groats, poppy seeds, honey and special sweet breads. Fish,
cheese and different types of sausage are part of normal Ukrainian food diet.
Bread is generally a part of every meal cooked in Ukraine. Without
bread the meal is considered incomplete here. Head cheese and Kolbasa
which is a type of sausage is also quite popular in the country. During
special occasions like Christmas it is a tradition to have twelve course
meatless dishes which shows the love for food of Ukrainians.
Social gathering and chit chat is quite common over a meal in Ukraine.
And after the meal they like to have tea, coffee or wine with a simple
dessert. Some of special food items of Ukraine are Salo, Chicken Kiev, Pilaf and Pierogi.
Ukrainian Cuisine is rich and has variety of
different ancient food items for both locals and visitors. However in
recent times it has very much modern cuisine as well in their
restaurants and cafes. In restaurants of Ukraine cuisine includes menu which are generally Eastern European.
Languages of Ukraine
Ukrainian, as language, acts as a pillar to strengthen the
relationship between eastern and western Ukraine, though the southern
and eastern Ukrainian cities use Russian as a regional language.
Interesting Facts About Ukraine:
1. Ukraine is the largest state situated entirely in Europe.
2. The world's worst nuclear power plant accident,
the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster, took place in the now
abandoned Ukrainian town of Pripyat.
3. The name Ukraine is believed to originally mean
"borderland" or "region". In English 'The Ukraine' used to be the form
used now it is just called 'Ukraine'.
4. Arsenalnaya Metro Station located in Kiev is the deepest in the world (105 meters).
5. As of 2011 Ukraine was the world's 3rd largest grain exporter.
6. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Ukraine
inherited the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world. They
voluntarily gave it up, becoming entirely free of nuclear weapons by
1996. Ukraine had over a thousand nuclear warheads and the third largest
nuclear potential after Russia and America. The warheads and missiles
were given to Russia, silos were destroyed.
7. Ukraine has been in a demographic crisis since the
1980s because of its high death rate and a low birth rate. The
population is shrinking by over 150,000 a year.
8. Ukraine is a 4th educated nation in the world: 99.4% of Ukrainians aged 15 and over can read and write.
9. The world’s heaviest aircraft is An-225 Mriya is
created by the Kyiv-based Antonov design bureau. The plane was designed
to airlift space shuttles and rocket boosters, however is now carrying
oversized payloads.
10. Ukraine is tech-savvy. They’ve got the 4th largest number of IT professionals in the world, behind the US, India, and Russia.
