UkraineBy: Steven Baez

History The Ukraine was part of the former Soviet Union. Its

ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire during most of the 18th century.

Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, the Ukraine was able to achieve a short-lived period of independence from 1917 to 1920.

It was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921- 1922 and 1932- 1933) in which over 8 million died.

In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths.

It gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, after dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Location Ukraine is located in Eastern

Europe. It is bordered by the

Russian Federation to the east and northeast.

Belarus is to the northwest. Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary are to the west. Romania and Moldova are to the southwest. The Black Sea and Sea of Azov are to the south and southeast.

Ukraine has an area of 233,090 square miles.

The capital of Ukraine is Kiev.

Government The Ukrainian government is a republic. The Ukrainian president is Viktor Yanukovych. The Prime Minister is Mykola Azarov. The Ukrainian legal system is based on civil

law and the judicial review of legislative acts. The Ukrainian constitution was adopted in

June 28, 1996. The only body that may interpret the

constitution and determine whether legislation conforms to it is the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.

Economy The economy of Ukraine is

a market economy. The GDP is $294.3 billion

(2009 EST.). The GDP per capita is

$6,400(2009 EST.). The main exports of

Ukraine are fuel and petroleum products, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, and food products.

The main imports are energy, machinery and equipment, and chemicals.

Language The languages of Ukraine are

Ukrainian (which is their official) and Russian.

Some parts of Ukraine also speak Romanian, Polish, and Hungarian.

Religions The religions of Ukraine are

Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Patriarch of Moscow) which is 50 %.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchate) which is 14.9 %.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic which is 8 %. The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church which is 2.8 %.

They also are Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jewish, and other types of religions.

Population The population of

Ukraine is 45, 700, 395 people.

This was estimated around July 2010.

Ukraine has two main ethnic groups, Ukrainians who make up more than 70 % of the population, and Russians who make up most of the rest of the population.