Ukraine is a country located in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, and has a population of over 42 million people. Its capital and largest city is Kiev.

Ukraine has a long and complex history, with a mix of different cultures and traditions. It was once part of the powerful Kievan Rus state in the Middle Ages, and later came under the control of various empires, including the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire. In 1991, Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union, and has been a sovereign state ever since.

The Ukrainian economy is the 8th largest in Europe and is primarily based on industry, particularly in areas such as metallurgy, machinery, and chemicals. The country is also a major agricultural producer, with fertile land and a long tradition of farming. Ukraine is rich in natural resources, including coal, oil, and natural gas.

Ukrainian culture is rich and diverse, with influences from both Eastern and Western Europe. The country is known for its traditional folk music and dance, and has a strong literary tradition, with many famous writers such as Taras Shevchenko and Ivan Franko. Ukrainian cuisine is hearty and flavorful, featuring dishes such as borscht (a soup made with beets), varenyky (dumplings filled with potatoes, cheese, or meat), and salo (cured pork fat).

Ukraine is a parliamentary democracy with a president as its head of state. The country has had a tumultuous political history since independence, with a number of political crises and changes of government. In recent years, Ukraine has been working towards closer ties with the European Union and has been involved in a conflict with Russia over the Crimean peninsula and eastern Ukraine.

Telephone Code
380

Local Emergency Phone
Ambulance: 03, 118; Fire: 01; Police: 02

Vaccinations
See WHO recommendations. On 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Eastern Europe; Ukraine is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.

Climate
Temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

Currency (Code)
Hryvnia (UAH)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s)
230 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C, F

Major Languages
Ukrainian, Russian, other minority languages

Major Religions
Ukrainian Orthodox -Kyiv Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox -Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish

Potable Water
Opt for bottled water

International Driving Permit
Suggested

Road Driving Side
Right

Tourist Destinations
Kyiv (includes Saint Sophia Cathedral, Monastery of the Caves, Museum of Folk Architecture, Saint Michael’s Golden Domed Monastery, Mariinsky Palace, National Opera House, Chernobyl Museum, Saint Andrew’s Church); Mount Hoverla; Tunnel of Love; Old Town Lviv; Odessa; Chernivtsi; Tauric Chersonese & Its Chora

Major Sports
Soccer, basketball, boxing, ice hockey

Cultural Practices
When invited to a household for dinner, it is considered rude to refuse any of the dishes offered.

Tipping Guidelines
Tipping is not required in Ukraine. However, 10% of the total bill is appreciated for good service. Tip the bellhop/porter the equivalent of $1 (USD) per bag and tip housekeeping your change.

Souvenirs
Pysanka hand-decorated eggs, handmade embroidered traditional shirts, blouses, and table linens

Traditional Cuisine
Borshch — a soup made with beetroot, meat, or bone stock, and sautéed vegetables; Varenyky – dumplings stuffed with potato, cheese (sometimes both), sauerkraut, mushrooms, or fruit filling

Geography
Area
total: 603,550 sq km
land: 579,330 sq km
water: 24,220 sq km

Climate
temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

Natural resources
iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land

People and Society
Population
43,306,477 (2023 est.)

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 est.)

Languages
Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes small Crimean Tatar-, Moldovan/Romanian-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities) 2.9% (2001 est.); note - in February 2018, the Constitutional Court ruled that 2012 language legislation entitling a language spoken by at least 10% of an oblast's population to be given the status of "regional language" - allowing for its use in courts, schools, and other government institutions - was unconstitutional, thus making the law invalid; Ukrainian remains the country's only official nationwide language

Religions
Orthodox (includes the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC), and the Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)), Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish (2013 est.)

Population growth rate
-0.52% (2023 est.)

Government
Government type
semi-presidential republic

Capital
name: Kyiv

Economy
Economic overview
lower middle-income non-EU Eastern European economy; major wheat producer; industrial and energy exporter; big fiscal reallocations toward defenses; seeking $2 billion in monthly US wartime aid to combat Russia; mass war-related emigration and homelessness

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$535.579 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$12,900 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products
maize, wheat, potatoes, sunflower seed, sugar beets, milk, barley, soybeans, rapeseed, tomatoes

Industries
coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing

Exports
$81.504 billion (2021 est.)

Exports - partners
Russia 9%, China 8%, Germany 6%, Poland 6%, Italy 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)

Exports - commodities
corn, sunflower seed oils, iron and iron products, wheat, insulated wiring, rapeseed (2019)

Imports
$84.175 billion (2021 est.)

Imports - partners
China 13%, Russia 12%, Germany 10%, Poland 9%, Belarus 7% (2019)

Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, coal, natural gas (2019)