[Country Listing] [Factbook Home Page] Ukraine Ukraine Geography [Top of Page] Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia Geographic coordinates: 49 00 N, 32 00 E Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States Area: total: 603,700 sq km land: 603,700 sq km water: 0 sq km Area-comparative: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: total: 4,558 km border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland 428 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 90 km Coastline: 2,782 km Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south Terrain: most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber Land use: arable land: 58% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 18% other: 9% (1993 est.) Irrigated land: 26,050 sq km (1993 est.) Natural hazards: NA Environment-current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant Environment-international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea Geography-note: strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe People [Top of Page] Population: 49,811,174 (July 1999 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 4,690,318; female 4,498,239) 15-64 years: 68% (male 16,136,296; female 17,572,011) 65 years and over: 14% (male 2,251,664; female 4,662,646) (1999 est.) Population growth rate: -0.62% (1999 est.) Birth rate: 9.54 births/1,000 population (1999 est.) Death rate: 16.38 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.) Net migration rate: 0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (1999 est.) Infant mortality rate: 21.73 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.91 years male: 60.23 years female: 71.87 years (1999 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.34 children born/woman (1999 est.) Nationality: noun: Ukrainian(s) adjective: Ukrainian Ethnic groups: Ukrainian 73%, Russian 22%, Jewish 1%, other 4% Religions: Ukrainian Orthodox-Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox-Kiev Patriarchate, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 100% female: 97% (1989 est.) Government [Top of Page] Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ukraine local long form: none local short form: Ukrayina former: Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Data code: UP Government type: republic Capital: Kiev (Kyyiv) Administrative divisions: 24 oblasti (singular-oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtomnaya respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular-misto) with oblast status**; Cherkas'ka (Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv), Chernivets'ka (Chernivtsi), Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k), Donets'ka (Donets'k), Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k), Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv), Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka (Khmel'nyts'kyy), Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyyiv**, Kyyivs'ka (Kiev), Luhans'ka (Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka (Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**, Sums'ka (Sumy), Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya), Volyns'ka (Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka (Zaporizhzhya), Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr) note: oblasts have the administrative center name following in parentheses Independence: 1 December 1991 (from Soviet Union) National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991) Constitution: adopted 28 June 1996 Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: President Leonid D. KUCHMA (since 19 July 1994) head of government: Prime Minister Valeriy PUSTOVOYTENKO (since 16 July 1997), First Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr KURATCHENKO (since 14 January 1999), and three deputy prime ministers cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president and approved by the Supreme Council note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council, but significantly revamped and strengthened under President KUCHMA; the NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a Presidential Administration that helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president; and a Council of Regions that serves as an advisory body created by President KUCHMA in September 1994 that includes chairmen of the Kyyiv (Kiev) and Sevastopol' municipalities and chairmen of the Oblasti elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 26 June and 10 July 1994 (next to be held NA October 1999); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and approved by the People's Council election results: Leonid D. ............