Ukraine

semi-presidential republic

<p>Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which was the largest and most powerful state in Europe during the 10th and 11th centuries. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism.

Profile

CapitalKyiv (Kiev is the transliteration from Russian)

Population35.7M

GDP$577.6B

Area603,550 km²

LanguageUkrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes Crimean Tatar, Moldovan/Romanian, and Hungarian) 2.9% (2001 est.)

Currencyhryvnia (UAH) per US dollar -