About Ukraine

Capital: Kiev

Territory. At 603,700 kilometres² (233,074 sq mi) and with a coastline of 2,782 kilometres (1,729 mi), Ukraine is the world's 44th-largest country (after the Central African Republic before Madagascar). It is the second largest country in Europe (after the European part of Russia, before metropolitan France).

The Ukrainian landscape consists mostly of fertile plains (or steppes) and plateaus, crossed by rivers such as the Dnieper (Dnipro), Seversky Donets, Dniester and the Southern Buh as they flow south into the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. To the southwest, the delta of the Danube forms the border with Romania. The country's only mountains are the Carpathia Mountains in the west, of which the highest is the Hora Hoverla at 2,061 m (6,762 ft), and those on the Crimean peninsula, in the extreme south along the coast



Climate. Ukraine has a mostly temperate continental climate, although a more Mediterranean climate is found on the southern Crimean coast. Precipitation is disproportionately distributed; it is highest in the west and north and lesser in the east and southeast. Western Ukraine, receives around 1,200 mm (47 in) of precipitation, annually. While Crimea, receives around 400 mm (15.4 in) of precipitation. Winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland. Average annual temperatures range from 5.5–7 °C (42–45 °F) in the north, to 11–13 °C (52–55.4 °F) in the south.

Population is about 50 million people, the most crowded – Donetsk (4,8 mill.), Dnepropetrovsk (3,5 mill.) and Kharkov (2,9 mill.), in Crimea live 2 mill.

Time lose from Moscow for 1 hour.

Currency: hryvna. Official exchange of national currency is in average 5,5 hrn/dollar.

Transport: Operated by the state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia (except for industrial railways and metros in cities).

Network length: (1994)

23,350 km broad gauge (1520 mm), 9,000 km electrified (3 kV DC and 25 kV AC)
201 km standard gauge (1435 mm), electrified
4,400 km navigable waterways on 7 rivers, most of them are on Danube, Dnieper and Pripyat rivers. All Ukraine's rivers freeze over in winter (usually December through March), interrupting navigation.

Dnieper within Ukraine is a regulated system of reservoirs separated by dams with shiplocks. The river is navigable through all its Ukrainian length.
Major airports are: Boryspil Airport, Dnipropetrovsk Airport, Donetsk Airport, Odessa Airport, and Simferopol Airport.