NA

Environment - current issues:

inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
Compounds

Geography - note:

strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe

People
Ukraine

Population:

45,994,288 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 13.9% (male 3,277,905/female 3,106,012) 15-64 years: 70% (male 15,443,818/female 16,767,931) 65 years and over: 16.1% (male 2,489,235/female 4,909,386) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 39.4 years male: 36.1 years female: 42.5 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.651% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

9.55 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

15.93 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 9.23 deaths/1,000 live births male: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 68.06 years male: 62.24 years female: 74.24 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.25 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

360,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

20,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Ukrainian(s) adjective: Ukrainian

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 census)

Religions:

Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 50.4%, Ukrainian Orthodox -
Moscow Patriarchate 26.1%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8%, Ukrainian
Autocephalous Orthodox 7.2%, Roman Catholic 2.2%, Protestant 2.2%,
Jewish 0.6%, other 3.2% (2006 est.)

Languages:

Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, other 9% (includes small
Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.4% male: 99.7% female: 99.2% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 15 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

6.3% of GDP (2006)

Government
Ukraine

Country name:

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ukraine local long form: none local short form: Ukrayina former: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Kyiv (Kiev) geographic coordinates: 50 26 N, 30 31 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimea or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Dnipropetrovs'k, Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmel'nyts'kyy, Kirovohrad, Kyiv**, Kyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil', Vinnytsya, Volyn' (Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Independence:

24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 24 August (1991); note - 22 January 1918, the day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia) and the day the short-lived Western and Central Ukrainian republics united (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day

Constitution:

adopted 28 June 1996

Legal system:

based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (since 23 January 2005) head of government: Prime Minister Yuliya TYMOSHENKO (since 18 December 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr TURCHYNOV (since 18 December 2007); Deputy Prime Ministers Hryhoriy NEMYRYA and Ivan VASYUNYK (since 18 December 2007) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers selected by the prime minister; the only exceptions are the foreign and defense ministers, who are chosen by the president note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council or NSDC originally created in 1992 as the National Security Council; the NSDC staff is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a Presidential Secretariat helps draft presidential edicts and provides policy support to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); note - a special repeat runoff presidential election between Viktor YUSHCHENKO and Viktor YANUKOVYCH took place on 26 December 2004 after the earlier 21 November 2004 contest - won by YANUKOVYCH - was invalidated by the Ukrainian Supreme Court because of widespread and significant violations; under constitutional reforms that went into effect 1 January 2006, the majority in parliament takes the lead in naming the prime minister election results: Viktor YUSHCHENKO elected president; percent of vote - Viktor YUSHCHENKO 52%, Viktor YANUKOVYCH 44.2%

Legislative branch:

unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; members allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or more of the national electoral vote; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 30 September 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party/bloc - Party of Regions 34.4%, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 30.7%, Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense 14.2%, CPU 5.4%, Lytvyn bloc 4%, other parties 11.3%; seats by party/bloc - Party of Regions 175, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 156, Our Ukraine-People's Self Defense 72, CPU 27, Lytvyn bloc 20

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders:

Christian Democratic Union [Volodymyr STRETOVYCH]; Communist Party
of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO]; European Party of Ukraine
[Mykola KATERYNCHUK]; Fatherland Party (Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya
TYMOSHENKO]; Forward Ukraine! [Viktor MUSIYAKA]; Labor Party of
Ukraine [Mykola SYROTA]; People's Union Our Ukraine [Vyacheslav
KYRYLENKO]; Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy
KINAKH]; Party of the Defenders of the Fatherland [Yuriy Karmazin];
People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK]; People's Party
[Volodymyr LYTVYN]; PORA! (It's Time!) party [Vladyslav KASKIV];
Progressive Socialist Party [Natalya VITRENKO]; Reforms and Order
Party [Viktor PYNZENYK]; Party of Regions [Viktor YANUKOVYCH];
Republican Party [Yuriy BOYKO]; Sobor [Anatoliy MATVIYENKO]; Social
Democratic Party [Yevhen KORNICHUK]; Social Democratic Party
(United) or SDPU(o) [Yuriy ZAHORODNIY]; Socialist Party of Ukraine
or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ]; Ukrainian People's Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO];
Viche [Inna BOHOSLOVSKA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Ihor POPOV]; Peoples' Self-Defense
[Yuriy LUTSENKO]

International organization participation:

Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Oleh V. SHAMSHUR chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 333-0606 FAX: (202) 333-0817 consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador William B. TAYLOR Jr. embassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynsky Street, 01901 Kyiv mailing address: 5850 Kiev Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850 telephone: (44) 490-4000 FAX: (44) 490-4085

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grain fields under a blue sky

Economy
Ukraine

Economy - overview:

After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Shortly after independence was ratified in December 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Ukraine depends on imports to meet about three-fourths of its annual oil and natural gas requirements. A dispute with Russia over pricing in late 2005 and early 2006 led to a temporary gas cut-off; Ukraine concluded a deal with Russia in January 2006 that almost doubled the price Ukraine pays for Russian gas. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms. Ukrainian Government officials eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget law, bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy, but more improvements are needed, including fighting corruption, developing capital markets, and improving the legislative framework. Ukraine's economy remains buoyant despite political turmoil between the Prime Minister and President. Real GDP growth reached about 7% in 2006-07, fueled by high global prices for steel - Ukraine's top export - and by strong domestic consumption, spurred by rising pensions and wages. Although the economy is likely to expand in 2008, long-term growth could be threatened by the government's plans to reinstate tax, trade, and customs privileges and to maintain restrictive grain export quotas.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$324.8 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$140.5 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

7.7% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$7,000 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 9% industry: 32.2% services: 58.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

21.58 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 25% industry: 20% services: 55% (1996)

Unemployment rate:

2.3% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers; the International Labor Organization calculates that Ukraine's real unemployment level is nearly 7% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

37.7% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 3.4% highest 10%: 25.7% (2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

31 (2006)

Investment (gross fixed):

27.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $43.54 billion expenditures: $45.06 billion; note - this is the planned, consolidated budget (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

11.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

12.8% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

8% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

13.9% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$35.97 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$41.51 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$87.13 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk

Industries:

coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)

Industrial production growth rate:

6% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

182.4 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

148.1 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

12.52 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

2.082 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 48.6% hydro: 7.9% nuclear: 43.5% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

102,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

344,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

190,500 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

441,200 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

395 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

19.5 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

84.9 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

4 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

65.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

1.104 trillion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$5.918 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$49.84 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products

Exports - partners:

Russia 23.3%, Turkey 7.9%, Italy 5.8% (2007)

Imports:

$60.41 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners:

Russia 23.9%, Germany 11.8%, China 8.5%, Poland 8.1%, Turkmenistan 5.4% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$409.6 million (1995); IMF Extended Funds Facility $2.2 billion (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$32.48 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$69.04 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$31.08 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$895 million (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$42.87 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

hryvnia (UAH)

Currency code: