Ukraine
the
largest country of Europe
General
information
Ukraine
is situated in the south-eastern part of Central Europe and takes the strategic
position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia (Geographic coordinates: 49
00 N, 32 00 E). Total length of land
boundaries is 4,558 km. Ukraine has borders with Russia
(1,576 km), Moldova (939 km), Byelorussia (891km), Romania (531 km), Poland (428
km), Hungary (103 km) and Slovakia (90 km) on land and Russia, Georgia,
Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey on sea.
Ukraine
is the
largest country of Europe (land
area: 603,700 sq km, population:
50.000.000).
The
territory of Ukraine is mostly a level, treeless plain, calls
"steppe". There are the Crimean Mountains in the Crimean peninsula and
the Carpathians in the west, but they are not very high
(the highest point of Carpathian Mountains: Hora Hoverla 2,061m).
Mixed forests of pine and fir-trees, beeches, limes, oaks and elms cover the
mountains, but the thickest woods can still be found in the northern part of the
republic, in Volyn. Kiev and Cherkassy lie in the midst of Ukrainian
southernmost pine forest. The main Ukrainian river is the Dnieper. It is one of
the longest European rivers and one of the republic's main source of
hydroelectric power. The Dnieper and its tributary the Ross had been the cradle
of the Ukrainian and Russian people in time immemorial.
The
climate of the country is moderate. Winter is rather mild, with no severe frosts
but with regular snowfalls everywhere except the south. The rivers and lakes
freeze in winter. The average winter temperature varies -20 Centigrade in the
north to -3-5 in the south. Summer is quite hot and dry, with occasional showers
and thunderstorms. The fertile black soil is well watered in spring and autumn
and gets plenty of sunshine in summer.
Due
to favorable climatic conditions, Ukraine is traditionally an agricultural area.
It grows wheat, maize, buckwheat and other corn, red and green vegetables, all
kinds of fruit, melons and berries.
Ukraine
is one of the world's main centers of sugar production. It produces sugar both
for her own needs and for export.
The
country is rich in natural resources, such as iron ore, coal, color metal, oil,
natural 
gas,
mineral salts, clay and potential water power. It has developed a varied
industry, concentrated mostly in and around big cities, such as Kyiv, Zaporozhye,
Dnipropetrovsk, Dnyeprodzerzhinsk, Odessa, Kharkiv, Lviv, Myckolayiv and other.
It produces planes and ships, lorries and buses, motorcars and locomotives,
computer and electronic equipment, precision instruments and agricultural
machines, TV and radio-set, chemicals and textiles and various consumer goods.
Odesa, Sebastopol, Mickolayiv, Kherson and Kerch are main Ukrainian ports.