General information about Ukraine
Location
Ukraine (pronounced in the Ukrainian language UKRAYINA) is situated in the Eastern Europe bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia and borders with Belorus (on the North), Russia (on the North and the East), Moldova and Rumania (on the South), Hungary, Slovakia and Poland (on the West). The Black and the Azov Seas (in the East- South and in the South) separate the country from Russia and Turkey. Geographic coordinates: 49 00 N, 32 00 E. Area total: 603,700 sq. km.
Climate
Ukraine is allocated mainly in moderate thermal zone. As a whole its climate is moderate continental. Only at the Southern Beach of Crimea the climate is sub-tropical of Mediterranean type. In Zakarpattya climate is also mild with warm winter with little snow in winter and rainy summer. An average winter temperature is from -80C to -120C (from +17.60F to +30F). In Southern oblasts winter temperature is about 00C (+320F). An average summer temperature: from +180C to +250C (from +64.40F to +770F) but during daytime it can reach +350C (+950F).
Nationality
noun: Ukrainian(s), adjective: Ukrainian. Ethnic groups: Ethnic Ukrainians make up 73% of the total population, than comes Russians (22%), Belorussians, Moldavians, Poles, Tartars, Bulgarians, Greeks, Jews and others. The urban population makes up 66%. The highest population density are found in the industrialized central and Eastern regions of Ukraine. Ukrainian language (belongs to the Slavic group) is the official language of the country, though Russian is widely spread in the Crimea, in the Eastern and the Southern areas.
Religions
Traditionally the people of Ukraine belong to the Orthodox Church and the Greek-Orthodox Church (Catholic with Orthodox Rite), but Latin Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, Islam and numerous other religious denominations are spread in this country.
Language
Ukrainian (official language), Russian (native language of almost half of population), there are some groups speaking Crimean-Tatar, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian and other languages.
Currency
Ukrainian Hryvna (of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 denomination), each contains 100 kopecks.
Administrative divisions
24 regions (oblasti), 1 autonomous republic of Crimea, and 2 municipalities (mista, singular-misto) with oblast status — Kiev and Sevastopol. Oblasti have the administrative centres named in parentheses. Ukrainian culture has very rich and diverse traditions. Literature and music, painting and architecture, drama, opera, ballet, folk arts and trades — all these the tourists can enjoy during their stay in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian people are indigenous to Ukraine and have lived on its territory for thousands of years. Ukrainians account for approximately 73% of the total population of Ukraine and form the majority in most regions of the country.
