UKRAINE

Ukraine is located in the central Europe at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Ukraine borders on Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus and Russia. Having the total area of 603,700 sq.km, Ukraine is one of the biggest countries of Europe. The most part of the country is in low-lying lands, fertile plains (steppes) with two highland areas: in the South -Crimean Mountains (the highest point: mt. Ramantkosh, 1,545 meters) and in the West - Carpathian Mountains (the highest point: mt. Hoverla, 2,061 meters).
Southern coast of Ukraine is washed by the Black and Azov Sea, coast line is 2,782 km. The majority of Ukrainian rivers flow into the Black Sea, among the biggest are Dnipro, Dnister, Danube, Desna, Pivdenyj (Southern) Booh.

The country is subdivided into 24 regions (oblasts) and the Crimea - autonomous republic.

The capital is Kyiv (Kiev in Russian transliterations).

Mineral resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber and arable land.

According to the Ukrainian Census of 2001, ethnic Ukrainians make up 77.8% of the population. Other significant ethnic groups are Russians (17.3%), Belarusians (0.6%), Moldovans (0.5%), Crimean Tatars (0.5%), Bulgarians (0.4%), Hungarians (0.3%), Romanians (0.3%), Poles (0.3%), Jews (0.2%), Armenians (0.2%), Greeks (0.2%) and Tatars (0.2%). The industrial regions in the east and southeast are the most heavily populated, and about 67.2 percent of the population lives in urban areas. The average population is about 50,000 people.

Ukraine has a mostly temperate continental climate, although a more Mediterranean climate is found on the southern Crimean coast.

National currency - the Hryvnia. The hryvnia is subdivided into 100 kopiyok.

President of Ukraine
The President of Ukraine is the head of state of Ukraine, representing the country and government as a whole in foreign affairs. The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army and heads the National Security and Defense Council, advising the President on the national security policy of domestic and international affairs. According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the president is the guarantor of the state's sovereignty, territorial indivisibility, the protector of the constitution, human rights and freedoms.

Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman (speaker). It meets in the Verkhovna Rada building in Ukraine's capital Kiev (Kyiv).

The Cabint of Ministers
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine[1] and serves as the cabinet of government. There are 20 Ministeries and 25 seats in the Cabinet. The Cabinet is responsible to the President of Ukraine and is under the control of and accountable to the Verkhovna Rada (parliament). It consists of the Prime Minister, the First Vice-Prime Minister, several Vice-Prime Ministers, the Minister of the Cabinet and many other Ministers, who head their assigned Ministries (departments).

The Constitutional Court of Ukraine
The Constitutional Court of Ukrainу is the sole body of constitutional jurisdiction in Ukraine. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine interprets the Constitution of Ukraine and decides whether laws and other legal acts are constitutional.