National name: Ukrayina

President: Viktor Yushchenko (2005)

Prime Minister: Viktor Yanukovich (2006)

Total area: 233,089 sq mi (603,700 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 46,710,816 (growth rate: –0.6%); birth rate: 8.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 9.9/1000; life expectancy: 70.0; density per sq mi: 200

Capital (2003 est.): Kyiv (Kiev), 3,296,100 (metro. area), 2,588,400 (city proper)

Other large cities: Kharkiv, 1,435,200; Odessa, 1,022,300; Donetske, 984,900; Lvov, 700,100

Monetary unit: Hryvna

Languages: Ukrainian 67%, Russian 24%, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian

Ethnicity/race: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belorussian 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)

Religions: Ukrainian Orthodox (Kiev Patriarchate 19%, Moscow Patriarchate 9%, no particular division 16%), Ukrainian Greek Catholic 6%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 2%, Protestant, Jewish, none 38% (2004)

Literacy rate: 100% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $319.4 billion; per capita $6,800. Real growth rate: 2.4%. Inflation: 10.3%. Unemployment: 2.9% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers; International Labor Organization est.: 9%–10%. Arable land: 54%. Agriculture: grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk. Labor force: 22.67 million; industry 32%, agriculture 24%, services 44% (1996). Industries: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar). Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land. Exports: $38.22 billion (2005 est.): ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products. Imports: $37.18 billion (2005 est.): energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals. Major trading partners: Russia, Germany, Turkey, Italy, U.S., Turkmenistan (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 9.45 million (April 1999); mobile cellular: 236,000 (1998). Radio broadcast stations: AM 134, FM 289, shortwave 4 (1998). Radios: 45.05 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: at least 33 (plus 21 repeater stations that relay broadcasts from Russia) (1997). Televisions: 18.05 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 260 (2001). Internet users: 750,000 (2001).

Transportation: Railways: total: 22,473 km (2002). Highways: total: 169,491 km; paved: 163,898 km; unpaved: 5,593 km (2000). Waterways: 4,499 km (1990). Ports and harbors: Berdyans'k, Feodosiya, Illichivs'k, Izmayil, Kerch, Kherson, Kiev (Kyyiv), Kiliya, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Reni, Sevastopol', Yalta, Yuzhnyy. Airports: 790 (2002).

International disputes: 1997 boundary treaty with Belarus remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and encouraging illegal cross-border activities; land delimitation of boundary with Russia is complete, but maritime regime of the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait remains unresolved; difficulties in the Transnistria region of Moldova complicate border crossing and customs, facilitating smuggling, arms transfers, and other illegal activities; has not resolved Romanian claims to Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary despite ongoing talks based on 1997 friendship treaty to find a solution in two years.

 

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