Portal:Ukraine
The Ukraine Portal - Портал України
Ukraine Україна (Ukrainian) | |
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ISO 3166 code | UA |
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. It also borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slovakia to the west; Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Odesa. Ukraine's official language is Ukrainian.
During the Middle Ages, Ukraine was the site of early Slavic expansion and the area later became a key centre of East Slavic culture under the state of Kievan Rus', which emerged in the 9th century. The state eventually disintegrated into rival regional powers and was destroyed by the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. The area was then contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of external powers for the next 600 years, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia. The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in central Ukraine in the 17th century, but was partitioned between Russia and Poland, and absorbed by the Russian Empire. Ukrainian nationalism developed and, following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic was formed. The Bolsheviks consolidated control over much of the former empire and established the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union when it was formed in 1922. In the early 1930s, millions of Ukrainians died in the Holodomor, a human-made famine. The German occupation during World War II in Ukraine was devastating, with 7 million Ukrainian civilians killed, including most Ukrainian Jews.
Ukraine gained independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union dissolved, and declared itself neutral. A new constitution was adopted in 1996. A series of mass demonstrations, known as the Euromaidan, led to the establishment of a new government in 2014 after a revolution. Russia then unilaterally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, and pro-Russian unrest culminated in a war in the Donbas between Russian-backed separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since the outbreak of war with Russia, Ukraine has continued to seek closer ties with the United States, European Union, and NATO.
Ukraine is a unitary state and its system of government is a semi-presidential republic. A developing country, it is the poorest country in Europe by nominal GDP per capita and corruption remains a significant issue. However, due to its extensive fertile land, pre-war Ukraine was one of the largest grain exporters in the world. Ukraine is considered a middle power in global affairs, and the Ukrainian Armed Force is the fifth largest armed force in the world in terms of both active personnel as well as total number of personnel with the eighth largest defence budget in the world. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also operates one of the largest and most diverse drone fleets in the world. It is a founding member of the United Nations, as well as a member of the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, and the OSCE. It is in the process of joining the European Union and has applied to join NATO. (Full article...)
In the news
- 26 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Eastern front of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Kurakhove
- Russian forces enter the city of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, with heavy fighting reportedly underway. (Al Arabiya)
- 22 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2024 Kursk offensive
- Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova states that 46 of one thousand Russian civilians who claimed to have been forcibly relocated by Ukraine into its territory have been returned, following extensive negotiations involving the Red Cross. (Reuters)
- Two people are killed and 12 others are injured in a Russian drone attack on civilian infrastructure in Sumy, Ukraine. (Reuters)
- 21 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Dnipro strikes, Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Russia strikes Dnipro, Ukraine, with a projectile stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin to be a new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) model. This confirms earlier reports from the United States and other western officials, who said that Russia had used an IRBM after initial reports misidentified the missile as a RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. (Reuters) (CBS News) (BBC News)
- Hungary and the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Hungary announces the deployment of a missile defense system on its border with Ukraine, saying that the threat of escalation with Russia is now "greater than ever". (Reuters)
Featured pictures
Did you know (auto-generated)
- ... that the Crimean Mountain karst nature reserve in Ukraine has more than 1,000 natural karst cavities?
- ... that the Jihadist Burkinabè rebels' ongoing siege of Djibo has been described as a "Ukrainian death"?
- ... that the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra brought music by three Ukrainian composers to concert halls in Poland and Germany in April 2022, including the Berlin Philharmonie and the Kurhaus Wiesbaden?
- ... that the Ukrainian Holodomor Memorial Day, commemorating the victims of the 1932–33 famine, is also observed in Canada?
- ... that Ukrainians Nadia Smyrnytska, Maria Kalyuzhnaya and Maria Kovalevska joined other prisoners in committing suicide to protest against the abuse of imprisoned women in Kara katorga?
- ... that Ukrainian designer Anna October showed her collection during Paris Fashion Week after escaping the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine?
More did you know -
- ... that the Kryvbas economic region in Ukraine is one of the largest iron ore and steel industry centers in Europe?
- ... that Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych (pictured), known for the "Carol of the Bells", was nicknamed "Ukrainian Bach" in France?
- ... that the Khreschatyk is the main street of Ukrainian capital Kyiv on which Orange Revolution and other historical events mainly took place?
- ... that among many historic landmarks at the Andrew's Descent in Kyiv, there is a medieval Gothic style castle that locals call the "Castle of Richard the Lion Heart" due to the legend the 12th century King of England had visited the building?
- ... that according to legend, a tunnel leads from the Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle to the Khotyn Fortress which is 20 kilometres (12 mi) away?
- ... that Ukrainian naturalist, lecturer, artist and author John Lhotsky was credited as the first discoverer of gold in New South Wales?
Selected article -
Sviatoslav or Svyatoslav I Igorevich (Old East Slavic: Свѧтославъ Игорєвичь, romanized: Svętoslavŭ Igorevičǐ; Old Norse: Sveinald; c. 943 – 972) was Prince of Kiev from 945 until his death in 972. He is known for his persistent campaigns in the east and south, which precipitated the collapse of two great powers in Eastern Europe, Khazaria and the First Bulgarian Empire. He conquered numerous East Slavic tribes, defeated the Alans and attacked the Volga Bulgars, and at times was allied with the Pechenegs and Magyars (Hungarians).
Following the death of his father Igor in 945, Sviatoslav's mother Olga reigned as regent in Kiev until 962. His decade-long reign over the Kievan Rus' was marked by rapid expansion into the Volga River valley, the Pontic steppe, and the Balkans, leading him to carve out for himself the largest state in Europe. In 969, he moved his seat to Pereyaslavets on the Danube. In 970, he appointed his sons Yaropolk and Oleg as subordinate princes of Kiev and Drelinia, while he appointed Vladimir, his son by his housekeeper and servant Malusha, as the prince of Novgorod. (Full article...)
In the news
- 26 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Eastern front of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Battle of Kurakhove
- Russian forces enter the city of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, with heavy fighting reportedly underway. (Al Arabiya)
- 22 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2024 Kursk offensive
- Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova states that 46 of one thousand Russian civilians who claimed to have been forcibly relocated by Ukraine into its territory have been returned, following extensive negotiations involving the Red Cross. (Reuters)
- Two people are killed and 12 others are injured in a Russian drone attack on civilian infrastructure in Sumy, Ukraine. (Reuters)
- 21 November 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Dnipro strikes, Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
- Russia strikes Dnipro, Ukraine, with a projectile stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin to be a new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) model. This confirms earlier reports from the United States and other western officials, who said that Russia had used an IRBM after initial reports misidentified the missile as a RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. (Reuters) (CBS News) (BBC News)
- Hungary and the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Hungary announces the deployment of a missile defense system on its border with Ukraine, saying that the threat of escalation with Russia is now "greater than ever". (Reuters)
Selected anniversaries for November
- November 11—November 12, 1918 — Battle of Przemyśl was fought between Polish and Ukrainian forces.
- November 24, 2007 - the official day of remembrance for people who died as a result of Holodomor and political repression.
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