lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m
Natural resources:
iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite,
titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 53.8%
permanent crops: 1.5%
other: 44.7% (2005)
Irrigated land:
22,080 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
139.5 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 37.53 cu km/yr (12%/35%/52%)
per capita: 807 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
NA
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 ::Ukraine
Population:
45,415,596 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 3,238,280/female 3,066,594)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 15,399,488/female 16,742,612)
65 years and over: 15.9% (male 2,422,311/female 4,831,110) (2010
est.)
Median age:
total: 39.7 years
male: 36.5 years
female: 42.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.619% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 226
Birth rate:
9.62 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Death rate:
15.7 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
Net migration rate:
-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.065 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.73 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 160
male: 10.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.46 years
country comparison to the world: 149
male: 62.56 years
female: 74.74 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.27 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.6% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
440,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
19,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
Nationality:
noun: Ukrainian(s)
adjective: Ukrainian
Ethnic groups:
Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%,
Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%,
Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 census)
Religions:
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% (2006 est.)
Languages:
Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, other 9% (includes small
Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.2% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5.3% of GDP (2007)
country comparison to the world: 54
Government ::Ukraine
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
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Kyiv (Kiev)
note: pronounced KAY-yiv
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)
Independence:
24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
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 Greater (Eastern) Ukrainian
republics united (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day
Constitution:
adopted 28 June 1996
Legal system:
based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Viktor YANUKOVYCH (since 25 February 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Mykola AZAROV (since 11 March
2010); First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy KLYUYEV (since 11 March
2010); Deputy Prime Ministers Borys KOLESNIKOV, Serhiy TIHIPKO,
Viktor TYKHONOV (all since 11 March 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the president and
approved by the Rada
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
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 Administration 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); election last held on 17 January 2010
with runoff on 7 February 2010 (next to be held in 2015)
election results: Viktor YANUKOVYCH elected president; percent of
vote - Viktor YANUKOVYCH 48.95%, Yuliya TYMOSHENKO 45.5%
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; members to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held on 30 September 2007 (next must be held in 2012
or sooner if a ruling coalition cannot be formed in the Rada)
election results: percent of vote by party/bloc - Party of Regions
34.4%, Block of Yuliya Tymoshenko 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, Block of Yuliya Tymoshenko
156, Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense 72, CPU 27, Lytvyn Bloc 20
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders:
Block of Yuliya Tymoshenko-Batkivshchyna (BYuT-Batkivshchyna)
[Yuliya TYMOSHENKO]; Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro
SYMONENKO]; European Party of Ukraine [Mykola KATERYNCHUK]; Forward
Ukraine! [Viktor MUSIYAKA]; Front of Change [Arseniy YATSENYUK];
Lytvyn Bloc (composed of People's Party and Labor Party of Ukraine)
[Volodymyr LYTVYN]; Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO]; Party of
Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy KINAKH]; Party of Regions
[Viktor YANUKOVYCH]; 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]; 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]; Strong Ukraine [SERHIY TIHIPKO]; Ukrainian People's Party
[Yuriy KOSTENKO]; United Center [Viktor BALOHA]; Viche [Inna
BOHOSLOVSKA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Aleksandr CHERNENKO]; OPORA [Olha
AIVAZOVSKA]
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CICA (observer),
CIS (participating member, has not signed the 1993 CIS charter
although it participates in meetings), EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD,
FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA
(observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF
(observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Oleksandr MOTSYK
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 John F. TEFFT
embassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynsky Street, 01901 Kyiv
mailing address: 5850 Kyiv 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
National anthem:
name: "Sche ne vmerla Ukraina" (Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished)
lyrics/music: Paul CHUBYNSKYI/Mikhail VERBYTSKYI
note: music adopted 1991, lyrics adopted 2003; the song was first
performed in 1864 at the Ukraine Theatre in Lviv; the lyrics,
originally written in 1862, were revised in 2003
Economy ::Ukraine
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 in August 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 and 100% of its nuclear fuel needs. After a
two-week dispute that saw gas supplies cutoff to Europe, Ukraine
agreed to ten-year gas supply and transit contracts with Russia in
January 2009 that brought gas prices to "world" levels. The strict
terms of the contracts have further hobbled Ukraine's cash-strapped
state gas company, Naftohaz. 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. Ukraine reached an agreement with the IMF for a
$16.4 billion Stand-By Arrangement in November 2008 to deal with the
economic crisis, but the Ukrainian Government's lack of progress in
implementing reforms has twice delayed the release of IMF assistance
funds. The drop in steel prices and Ukraine's exposure to the global
financial crisis due to aggressive foreign borrowing lowered growth
in 2008 and the economy contracted more than 15% in 2009, among the
worst economic performances in the world; growth resumed in 2010,
buoyed by exports. External conditions are likely to hamper efforts
for economic recovery in 2011.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$306.3 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
$293.7 billion (2009 est.)
$345.9 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$136.6 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
-15.1% (2009 est.)
2.1% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$6,700 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
$6,400 (2009 est.)
$7,500 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.8%
industry: 32.3%
services: 57.9% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
22.06 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 15.8%
industry: 18.5%
services: 65.7% (2008)
Unemployment rate:
8.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
8.8% (2009 est.)
note: officially registered; large number of unregistered or
underemployed workers
Population below poverty line:
35% (2009)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 25.7% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31 (2006)
country comparison to the world: 105
29 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
16.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Public debt:
38.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
30% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
15.9% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10.25% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 32
12% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
20.86% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
17.49% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$34.97 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 51
$30 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$73.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
$62.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$110.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
$103.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$16.79 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 56
$24.36 billion (31 December 2008)
$111.8 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk
Industries:
coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and
transport equipment, chemicals, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Electricity - production:
172.9 billion kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Electricity - consumption:
134.6 billion kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Electricity - exports:
4 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil - production:
99,930 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Oil - consumption:
348,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
Oil - exports:
154,400 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
Oil - imports:
147,600 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
Oil - proved reserves:
395 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
Natural gas - production:
21.2 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
Natural gas - consumption:
52 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
Natural gas - exports:
5 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Natural gas - imports:
26.83 billion cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.104 trillion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
Current account balance:
$603 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
-$1.732 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$49.71 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
$40.39 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products,
chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products
Exports - partners:
Russia 21.1%, Turkey 5.3%, China 3.8% (2009)
Imports:
$53.54 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
$45.05 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Russia 28%, Germany 8.6%, China 6.1%, Kazakhstan 4.9%, Poland 4.9%
(2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$32.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
$26.51 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$97.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
$94.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$52.31 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
$46.81 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$2.327 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
$2.067 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
hryvnia (UAH) per US dollar - 7.9111 (2010), 7.7912 (2009), 4.9523
(2008), 5.05 (2007), 5.05 (2006)
Communications ::Ukraine
Telephones - main lines in use:
13.026 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 20
Telephones - mobile cellular:
55.333 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 20
Telephone 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 has
reached 120 mobile phones per 100 people
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
Broadcast media:
TV coverage is provided by Ukraine's state-controlled nationwide
broadcast channel (UT1) and a number of privately-owned television
broadcast networks; Russian television broadcasts have a small
audience nationwide, but larger audiences in the eastern and
southern regions; multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are
available; Ukraine's radio broadcast market, a mix of independent
and state-owned networks, is comprised of some 300 stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.ua
Internet hosts:
1.098 million (2010)
country comparison to the world: 42
Internet users:
7.77 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 38
Transportation ::Ukraine
Airports:
425 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 19
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 189
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 51
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 97 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 236
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 214 (2010)
Heliports:
7 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 33,327 km; oil 4,514 km; refined products 4,211 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 21,658 km
country comparison to the world: 13
broad gauge: 21,658 km 1.524-m gauge (9,729 km electrified) (2009)
Roadways:
total: 169,495 km
country comparison to the world: 30
paved: 165,820 km (includes 15 km of expressways)
unpaved: 3,675 km (2009)
Waterways:
2,150 km (most on Dnieper River) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 42
Merchant marine:
total: 160
country comparison to the world: 41
by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 123, chemical tanker 1, passenger 5,
passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 11,
specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Iran 1)
registered in other countries: 197 (Belize 6, Cambodia 37, Comoros
10, Cyprus 2, Dominica 2, Georgia 15, Liberia 16, Malta 30, Marshall
Islands 1, Moldova 12, Mongolia 1, Panama 11, Russia 12, Saint Kitts
and Nevis 10, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12, Sierra Leone 5,
Slovakia 7, Tuvalu 1, Vanuatu 3, unknown 4) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Feodosiya (Theodosia), Illichivsk, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa,
Yuzhnyy
Military ::Ukraine
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces
(Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly, VPS) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army and Air Force, 18
months for Navy (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 11,149,646
females age 16-49: 11,437,891 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 6,970,035
females age 16-49: 9,015,224 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 256,196
female: 244,473 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
Transnational Issues ::Ukraine
Disputes - international: