Portal:Ukraine
The Ukraine Portal - Портал України
Ukraine Україна (Ukrainian) | |
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ISO 3166 code | UA |
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. It also borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slovakia to the west; Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Odesa. Ukraine's official language is Ukrainian.
During the Middle Ages, Ukraine was the site of early Slavic expansion and the area later became a key centre of East Slavic culture under the state of Kievan Rus', which emerged in the 9th century. The state eventually disintegrated into rival regional powers and was destroyed by the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. The area was then contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of external powers for the next 600 years, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia. The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in central Ukraine in the 17th century, but was partitioned between Russia and Poland, and absorbed by the Russian Empire. Ukrainian nationalism developed and, following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic was formed. The Bolsheviks consolidated control over much of the former empire and established the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union when it was formed in 1922. In the early 1930s, millions of Ukrainians died in the Holodomor, a human-made famine. The German occupation during World War II in Ukraine was devastating, with 7 million Ukrainian civilians killed, including most Ukrainian Jews.
Ukraine gained independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union dissolved, and declared itself neutral. A new constitution was adopted in 1996. A series of mass demonstrations, known as the Euromaidan, led to the establishment of a new government in 2014 after a revolution. Russia then unilaterally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, and pro-Russian unrest culminated in a war in the Donbas between Russian-backed separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since the outbreak of war with Russia, Ukraine has continued to seek closer ties with the United States, European Union, and NATO.
Ukraine is a unitary state and its system of government is a semi-presidential republic. A developing country, it is the poorest country in Europe by nominal GDP per capita and corruption remains a significant issue. However, due to its extensive fertile land, pre-war Ukraine was one of the largest grain exporters in the world. Ukraine is considered a middle power in global affairs, and the Ukrainian Armed Force is the fifth largest armed force in the world in terms of both active personnel as well as total number of personnel with the eighth largest defence budget in the world. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also operates one of the largest and most diverse drone fleets in the world. It is a founding member of the United Nations, as well as a member of the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, and the OSCE. It is in the process of joining the European Union and has applied to join NATO. (Full article...)
In the news
- 8 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kharkiv strikes, Kyiv strikes, Odesa strikes
- One person is killed and at least 38 others are injured in Russian overnight airstrikes in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Odesa, Ukraine. (AP)
- 8 November 2024 – Ukraine–United States relations
- The United States lifts its ban on deploying military contractors to Ukraine, thereby enabling American companies to directly assist with the maintenance and repair of U.S.-made weapons, such as F-16 fighter aircraft and Patriot air defense systems. The U.S. says that its contractors will be positioned far from the front lines and will not engage in combat with Russian forces. (CNN)
- 7 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Zaporizhzhia strikes
- Four people are killed and 33 others are injured when Russian guided bombs hit residences, an apartment building, and a medical center in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. (Reuters)
- 7 November 2024 – Russia–United Kingdom relations
- International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 6 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- U.S. President Joe Biden announces the expedited granting of more than US$6 billion in military aid to Ukraine prior to president-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in January. (Reuters)
- 5 November 2024 – Russo-Ukrainian War
- Zaporizhzhian strikes
- Six people are killed and at least 20 others are injured in a Russian missile strike on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. (Reuters)
Featured pictures
Did you know (auto-generated)
- ... that the Ukrainian Holodomor Memorial Day, commemorating the victims of the 1932–33 famine, is also observed in Canada?
- ... that in the history of opera in Ukraine, Mykola Lysenko's historical Taras Bulba was the first grand opera, but not performed during his lifetime because he refused a performance in Russian?
- ... that in 2014 the European Theatre Convention started a programme known as Dialogue of Cultures to support exchanges with theatres in Ukraine and other Eastern European countries?
- ... that Hanna Dmyterko was among 34 Ukrainian women who fought in World War I?
- ... that the 2022 essay and short story collection Kilometer 101 was published shortly after the author fled Russia due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
- ... that one of Ukraine's largest power plants was mostly destroyed by Russians in March 2024?
More did you know -
- ... that journalist Savik Shuster who used to work for Russian TV channels now prefers to work for the Ukrainian TV because he felt the Russian Government was limiting his journalistic freedom?
- ... that Vasyl Avramenko is often referred as "The father of the Ukrainian dance"?
- ... that the neo-classical Verkhovna Rada building in Kyiv features a hundred-tonne glass dome over the chamber where the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine convenes to enact legislation?
- ... that among many historic landmarks at the Andrew's Descent in Kyiv, there is a medieval Gothic style castle that locals call the "Castle of Richard the Lion Heart" due to the legend the 12th century King of England had visited the building?
- ... that at its first years Kiev Zoo had to move its animals into the food storage of the main Kiev railway station for the winter?
- ... that Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych (pictured), known for the "Carol of the Bells", was nicknamed "Ukrainian Bach" in France?
Selected article -
Zaporizhzhia (Ukrainian: Запоріжжя, IPA: [zɐpoˈriʒʲːɐ] ; Russian: Запорожье, romanized: Zaporozhye, IPA: [zəpɐˈroʐje] ), formerly known as Oleksandrivsk until 1921, is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia has a population of 710,052 (2022 estimate).[1]
Zaporizhzhia is known for the historic island of Khortytsia, multiple power stations and for being an important industrial centre. Steel, aluminium, aircraft engines, automobiles, transformers for substations, and other heavy industrial goods are produced in the region. (Full article...)
In the news
- 8 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Kharkiv strikes, Kyiv strikes, Odesa strikes
- One person is killed and at least 38 others are injured in Russian overnight airstrikes in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Odesa, Ukraine. (AP)
- 8 November 2024 – Ukraine–United States relations
- The United States lifts its ban on deploying military contractors to Ukraine, thereby enabling American companies to directly assist with the maintenance and repair of U.S.-made weapons, such as F-16 fighter aircraft and Patriot air defense systems. The U.S. says that its contractors will be positioned far from the front lines and will not engage in combat with Russian forces. (CNN)
- 7 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Zaporizhzhia strikes
- Four people are killed and 33 others are injured when Russian guided bombs hit residences, an apartment building, and a medical center in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. (Reuters)
- 7 November 2024 – Russia–United Kingdom relations
- International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 6 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
- U.S. President Joe Biden announces the expedited granting of more than US$6 billion in military aid to Ukraine prior to president-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in January. (Reuters)
- 5 November 2024 – Russo-Ukrainian War
- Zaporizhzhian strikes
- Six people are killed and at least 20 others are injured in a Russian missile strike on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. (Reuters)
Selected anniversaries for November
- November 11—November 12, 1918 — Battle of Przemyśl was fought between Polish and Ukrainian forces.
- November 24, 2007 - the official day of remembrance for people who died as a result of Holodomor and political repression.
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Notes
- ^ Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2022 [Number of Present Population of Ukraine, as of January 1, 2022] (PDF) (in Ukrainian and English). Kyiv: State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2022.