Ukraine
republicIndependence 24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Ukraine as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 138 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries.
A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died.
In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime minister in August of 2006. An early legislative election, brought on by a political crisis in the spring of 2007, saw Yuliya TYMOSHENKO, as head of an "Orange" coalition, installed as a new prime minister in December 2007.
Geography
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
20 fieldsLand useshare of 603,550 sq km
Location
Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
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
Natural resources
iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 37.53 cu km/yr (12%/35%/52%)
- per capita:
- 807 cu m/yr (2000)
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-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Geography - note
strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2001 census)
Religions(2006 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.92 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.5 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.86 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Languages
Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, other 9% (includes small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities)
Government
Republic; President Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (since 23 January 2005); Prime Minister Yuliya TYMOSHENKO (since 18 December 2007)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada, elected 30 September 2007percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Ukraine
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- Ukrayina
- former:
- Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Capital
- name:
- Kyiv (Kiev)
- geographic coordinates:
- 50 26 N, 30 31 E
- time difference:
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
- daylight saving time:
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions
- 24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**;
- Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimea or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Dnipropetrovs'k, Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmel'nyts'kyy, Kirovohrad, Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil', Vinnytsya, Volyn' (Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
National holiday
Independence Day, 24 August (1991); note - 22 January 1918, the day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia) and the day the short-lived Western and Central Ukrainian republics united (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day
Legal system
- based on civil law system;
- judicial review of legislative acts;
- has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (since 23 January 2005)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Yuliya TYMOSHENKO (since 18 December 2007);
- First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr TURCHYNOV (since 18 December 2007);
- Deputy Prime Ministers Hryhoriy NEMYRYA and Ivan VASYUNYK (since 18 December 2007)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet of Ministers selected by the prime minister; the only exceptions are the foreign and defense ministers, who are chosen by the president
note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council; the NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president;
a Presidential Secretariat helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
- note - a special repeat runoff presidential election between Viktor YUSHCHENKO and Viktor YANUKOVYCH took place on 26 December 2004 after the earlier 21 November 2004 contest - won by YANUKOVYCH - was invalidated by the Ukrainian Supreme Court because of widespread and significant violations;
- under constitutional reforms that went into effect 1 January 2006, the majority in parliament takes the lead in naming the prime minister
- election results:
- Viktor YUSHCHENKO elected president; percent of vote - Viktor YUSHCHENKO 52%, Viktor YANUKOVYCH 44.2%
Legislative branch
unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; members allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or more of the national electoral vote; serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 30 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party/bloc - Party of Regions 34.4%, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 30.7%, Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense 14.2%, CPU 5.4%, Lytvyn bloc 4%, other parties 11.3%;
- seats by party/bloc - Party of Regions 175, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 156, Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense 72, CPU 27, Lytvyn bloc 20
Political parties and leaders
- Christian Democratic Union [Volodymyr STRETOVYCH];
- Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO];
- European Party of Ukraine [Mykola KATERYNCHUK];
- Fatherland Party (Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO];
- Forward Ukraine! [Viktor MUSIYAKA];
- Labor Party of Ukraine [Mykola SYROTA];
- Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO];
- Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy KINAKH];
- Party of the Defenders of the Fatherland [Yuriy Karmazin];
- People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK];
- People's Party [Volodymyr LYTVYN];
- Peoples' Self-Defense [Yuriy LUTSENKO];
- PORA! (It's Time!) party [Vladyslav KASKIV];
- Progressive Socialist Party [Natalya VITRENKO];
- Reforms and Order Party [Viktor PYNZENYK];
- Party of Regions [Viktor YANUKOVYCH];
- Sobor [Anatoliy MATVIYENKO];
- Social Democratic Party [Yevhen KORNICHUK];
- Social Democratic Party (United) or SDPU(o) [Yuriy ZAHORODNIY];
- Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ];
- Ukrainian People's Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO];
- United Center [Ihor Krill];
- Viche [Inna BOHOSLOVSKA]
International organization participation
Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Oleh V. SHAMSHUR
- chancery:
- 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 333-0606
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 333-0817
- consulate(s) general:
- Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador William B. TAYLOR Jr.
- embassy:
- 10 Yurii Kotsiubynsky Street, 01901 Kyiv
- mailing address:
- 5850 Kiev Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850
- telephone:
- [380] (44) 490-4000
- FAX:
- [380] (44) 490-4085
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grain fields under a blue sky
Economy
After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic.
51 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics.
Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Shortly after independence was ratified in December 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking.
Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Ukraine depends on imports to meet about three-fourths of its annual oil and natural gas requirements.
Ukraine concluded a deal with Russia in January 2006 that almost doubled the price Ukraine pays for Russian gas. Disputes with Russia over pricing have led to periodic gas cut-offs. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms.
Ukrainian Government officials eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget law, bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy, but more improvements are needed, including fighting corruption, developing capital markets, and improving the legislative framework.
Ukraine's economy was buoyant despite political turmoil between the prime minister and president until mid-2008. Real GDP growth exceeded 7% in 2006-07, fueled by high global prices for steel - Ukraine's top export - and by strong domestic consumption, spurred by rising pensions and wages.
The drop in steel prices and Ukraine's exposure to the global financial crisis due to aggressive foreign borrowing has lowered growth in 2008 and the economy probably will contract in 2009. Ukraine reached an agreement with the IMF for a $16.5 billion standby arrangement in November 2008 to deal with the economic crisis. However, political turmoil in Ukraine as well as deteriorating external conditions are likely to hamper efforts for economic recovery.
Unemployment rate
3% (2008 est.) · 2.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 34 note: officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers
Distribution of family income - Gini index
31 (2006) · 29 (1999) country comparison to the world: 107
Central bank discount rate
12% (31 December 2008) · 8% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 53
Commercial bank prime lending rate
17.49% (31 December 2008) · 11.33% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 71
Stock of money
$29.24 billion (31 December 2008) · $35.97 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 28
Stock of quasi money
$37.32 billion (31 December 2008) · $41.51 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 31
Stock of domestic credit
$101.1 billion (31 December 2008) · $87.13 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 38
Industries
coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)
Natural gas - proved reserves
1.104 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Current account balance
-$12.76 billion (2008 est.) · -$5.918 billion (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 171
Exports - commodities
ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$31.54 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $32.48 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Debt - external
$101.7 billion (31 December 2008) · $79.96 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 37
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$41.77 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $31.08 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$1.905 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $895 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Exchange rates
hryvnia (UAH) per US dollar - 4.9523 (2008 est.), 5.05 (2007), 5.05 (2006), 5.1247 (2005), 5.3192 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- Ukraine's telecommunication development plan emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile-cellular system
- domestic:
- at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair;
- more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied;
- telephone density is rising and the domestic trunk system is being improved;
- about one-third of Ukraine's networks are digital and a majority of regional centers now have digital switching stations;
- improvements in local networks and local exchanges continue to lag;
- the mobile-cellular telephone system's expansion has slowed, largely due to saturation of the market which had reached 120 mobile phones per 100 people by 2008
- international:
- country code - 380;
- 2 new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and 3 Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries;
- additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by an unknown number of earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 189 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly, VPS) (2009)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly, VPS) (2009)
Military service age and obligation
18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 11,457,562
- females age 16-49:
- 11,767,357 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- 1997 boundary delimitation treaty with Belarus remains un-ratified due to unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing border security;
- delimitation of land boundary with Russia is complete with preparations for demarcation underway;
- the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite a December 2003 framework agreement and ongoing expert-level discussions;
- Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria Region, which remains under OSCE supervision;
- the ICJ gave Ukraine until December 2006 to reply, and Romania until June 2007 to rejoin, in their dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary;
- Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
Illicit drugs
- limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption;
- some synthetic drug production for export to the West;
- limited government eradication program;
- used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia;
- Ukraine has improved anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in February 2004;
- Ukraine's anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Ukraine.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/ukraine/2009.