Geography of Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It occupies
an area of 603.7 sq. Ukraine extends from west to east 1300 km,
and from borders of Belarus, Poland and Slovak Republic, in the
south-west - in Hungary, Romania and Moldova. The total length of
the state borders of Ukraine is 7698 km. The geographical point,
usually referred to as the "geographical centre of " (equidistant
from the west-it tip of Europe and the imaginary easternmost line
separating Europe from Asia) is situated in Ukraine, not far from
the town of Rakhiv, Zakarpatska Oblast. In the south Ukraine is
washed by the waters of the Black Sea and a Sea of Azov.
The capital of Ukraine is Kiev (Kyiv). Natural
scenery of Ukraine is picturesque. Recreational landscapes occupy
an area of 9.4 mln hectares (one hectare is about 2.5 acres). Forests
cover about 14% of Ukraine's territory. The longest mountain range
in Ukraine is the Carpathians stretching for 270 km; the highest
mountain is the Hoveria (2061 m). The Crimean Mountains are situated
in the southern part of Crimea, the southernmost extention of Ukraine
(the highest mountain is 1545 m). Over 70,000 rivers flow through
Ukraine. The major rivers are the Dnipro (third longest in Europe),
the Dniester, Sourhern Buch, Siverski Donets, Prut, the mouth of
the Danube is situated in Ukraine.
There are over 3000 natural lakes and about 22,000
artificial reservoirs in Ukraine, as well as many sources of mineral
water and mededicinal mud which are used to treat many diseases.
Ukraine has 5 National Parks, 15 National Preserves and a lot of
smaller areas (dendrological parks, ancient urban and rural parks)
protected by the state. Among the bohhest and most important parks
and preserves one could name Askania-Nova (Khersonska Oblast); Shatskiy
National Park (Volynska Oblast), Sofiyvka (Cherkaska Oblast);Trostianetsk
Hydropark (Chernihivska Oblast). Many places of natural beauty can
be found in the Carpathians, the Crimea and Polissia.
Ukraine's climate, is moderately continental; at
the southern coast of Crimea it can be described as subtropical
of the Mediterranean type. Summers are mostly warm dry and winters
are usually mild and west. The average temperature in January is
-7 Centigrade and in July +19 Centigrade. Ukraine population is
50,5 million, with about 80% of them being ethic Ukrainians. Among
ethic minorities are Russians, Belarussians, Jews, Poles, Moldavians,
Hungarians, Romanians, Bulgarians, Tartars, Germans and others.
Administratively Ukraine is divid-ed into 24 Oblasts and the Autonomous
Republic of Crimea. There are 447 town and 28,800 villages in Ukraine.
Kyiv, the biggest city in Ukraine, has a population of 2.6 mln;
Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Donetsk and Odesa all have
a population of over one million.
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