One of the largest and most varied countries in Europe, Ukraine takes in the spectacular
Carpathian Mountains in the west, the history-rich
central plains and the stunning
Black Sea coast in the south. The Crimean Peninsula, ethnically more Russian than Ukrainian, remains a huge draw for holidaymakers from Russia every summer.
Ukraine’s capital,
Kyiv, is the origin of the Kyiv Rus state, founded in the eighth and ninth centuries, and the origin of the Russian state. Striking examples of
baroque and
Renaissance architecture can be found in
Lviv, one of Europe’s oldest cities, while
Odessa is probably best known for the
Potemkin Stairway, but is also home to one of the
world’s largest opera houses.
Historically part of the Russian Empire since the 1650s, and later incorporated into the Soviet Union, Ukraine gained its independence in 1991 following the failed Moscow coup of August that year. The country came to international attention in late 2004 when 10 days of mass protests over electoral fraud led to a re-run of the presidential election and the eventual declaration of Viktor Yushchenko as president. The people’s
Orange Revolution undoubtedly raised Ukraine’s profile abroad and the country is beginning to find its place on the tourist map.
GeographyUkraine is bordered by the Russian Federation to the north and east; Belarus to the north; Poland, the Slovak Republic and Hungary to the west; and Romania and Moldova to the southwest. It is a varied country with mountains in the west, plains in the center and the Black Sea views to the south. The north of the state is dominated by forests. Its other two main features are wooded steppe with beech and oak forests and the treeless steppe. The River Dnieper divides Ukraine roughly in half, and flows into the Black Sea.
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