Ukraine:

Country Guide

Ukraine - General country guide

Contents

Map

Source: CIA World Factbook

Summary Data

summary data  
Total Area (km2) 603,700
Land (km2) 603,700
Water (km2) 0
Population 45,994,287
Population Density (/km2) 76
Capital Kyiv (Kiev)
Religion (%) Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 50.4%
Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 26.1%
Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8%
Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 7.2%
Roman Catholic 2.2%
Protestant 2.2%
Jewish 0.6%
Other 3.2%
Time GMT+2
Climate Ukraine has a temperate continental climate.
A Mediterranean climate only exists on the southern
Crimean coast. Winters vary from cool along the
Black Sea to cold further inland, while summers are
warm across the greater part of the country and hot
in the south.

Source: CIA World Factbook

Geography

Ukraine is situated in Eastern Europe bordering Belarus, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Romania, Hungary and Moldova. It is Europe's second largest country after Russia. The Ukrainian landscape varies significantly with flat plains in the centre of the country to the mountainous region of the Carpathian and Crimea mountains along the western coast. The Dnieper River is the main river in the country and also one of the largest European Rivers, running through the country to meet the Black Sea. Europe's second longest river, the Danube, flows through Ukraine forming part of the border with Romania.

Government

Ukraine has a Republic government that became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. The head of state is currently President Viktor Yushchenko and the head of government is Viktor Yanukovych.Much of the country's politics has been based on these two figures fighting for power of the country. The legal system in Ukraine is based on judicial and civil laws of the legislative acts. Ukraine relies on a constitution which was introduced in 1996 and renewed on December 2004.

Language

Ukrainian is the official language  spoken throughout the country. Russian is also widely spoken by many in Kiev.

Ukrainian 67%, Russian 24%, Other 9%

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Plugs are of the European two pin style.

Passports/Visa

Passports which are valid for at least a month after the return date from Ukraine are required by all nationals. Ukrainian visas do not permit travel into the Russian federation and Russian federation visas do not permit travel into Ukraine.

Visas

Visas are not required by British, Canadian citizens or nationals from the USA to enter Ukraine for a maximum stay of 90 days. Bulgarians and Romanians are the only European nationals who do require a visa to travel to Ukraine. The cost of visas varies considerably depending on the length of stay in the country and the reason for visit. A visa can take as little as three days to obtain if done in person.

Passport/Visa Information

Ukraine Embassy
60 Holland Park
London W11 3SJ

Tel:(020) 7727 6312
Fax:(020) 7792 1708

 

Ukrainian Embassy Consular Section

78 Kensington Park Road

London

W11 2PL

Tel:(020) 7243 8923
Fax:(020) 7727 3567

Opening Times: Mon-Fri 9.30am-12.30pm

Airports and Airlines

Boryspil International Airport (KBP)

  • Location: Situated 34km east of Kiev
  • Time: GMT + 2 
  • Contacts: Boryspil SIA, 08300 Boryspil 7, Kyiv Region, UKRAINE
  • Tel: (+38044) 490 4777
  • Terminals: 3 (A,B and C. Terminal B deals with international flights)
  • Transfer to the city: Buses run between the city and the airport. A particular company offering this service is Autolux. Ataas and Polit bus services also run between the airport and train station. Taxis are available but passengers are warned to be wary as few have meters and they are invariably more expensive than other forms of transport.
  • Facilities: Cafés, pubs, a restaurant, shops, duty free, banks, ATMs, left luggage service, baby changing facilities and disabled access
  • Car rental: Hertz car rental have desks in Terminal B
  • Parking: A car park is situated near to Terminal B

Standard of Living

Steady economic decline and an unstable political climate in the late 1990s caused the standard of living in Ukraine to fall dramatically and poverty was a severe issue for the country. However, after a series of reforms and measures to tackle economic stability the country is recovering well, although there is still a large amount of government control and regulation and corruption is prevalent. Workforces are enthusiastic and well educated and personal incomes are rising which can only help the standard of living.

Principal commercial centres and towns

Kiev is the capital of Ukraine and is the country's biggest city.

population by city/town 2007  
Kiev 2,700,000
Dnipropetrovsk 1,040,000
Zaporizhia 790,000
Luhansk 445,900
Vinnytsia 332,400
Poltava 308,509
Chernihiv 300,500
Source: Wikipedia Top

Ukraine Country Guide

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