SPAMfighter information about
 

Ukraine

The data on this page is obtained from The World Factbook.
 Communications information 
SPAMfighters: 27,456
Internet users: 5,278,100 (2005)
Internet hosts: 229,110 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 260 (2001)
Internet country code: .ua
Telephones - main lines in use: 12.142 million (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 17.214 million (2005)
Telephone system: general assessment: Ukraine´s telecommunication development plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system

domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied; telephone density is rising slowly and the domestic trunk system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is expanding at a high rate

international: country code - 380; two new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems
Radio broadcast stations: AM 134, FM 289, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: 45.05 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: at least 33 (plus 21 repeaters that relay broadcasts from Russia) (1997)
Televisions: 18.05 million (1997)
 Geographical information 
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
Geographic coordinates: 49 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references: Asia, Europe
Area: total: 603,700 sq km

land: 603,700 sq km

water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,663 km

border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland 526 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 97 km
Coastline: 2,782 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation
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; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south
Terrain: most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m

highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 53.8%

permanent crops: 1.5%

other: 44.7% (2005)
Irrigated land: 22,080 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: 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 information 
Population: 46,710,816 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 14.1% (male 3,377,868/female 3,203,738)

15-64 years: 69.3% (male 15,559,998/female 16,831,486)

65 years and over: 16.6% (male 2,635,651/female 5,102,075) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 39.2 years

male: 35.9 years

female: 42.2 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.6% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 8.82 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 14.39 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female

total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 11.48 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 8.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.98 years

male: 64.71 years

female: 75.59 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born/woman (2006 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 19%, Orthodox (no particular jurisdiction) 16%, Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 9%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 6%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 1.7%, Protestant, Jewish, none 38% (2004 est.)
Languages: Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%, small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.7%

male: 99.8%

female: 99.6% (2003 est.)
 Governmental information 
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 the Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991); 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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Viktor A. YUSHCHENKO (since 23 January 2005)

head of government: Prime Minister Viktor YANUKOVYCH (since 4 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister - Mykola AZAROV (since 5 August 2006)

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 Mr. 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 51.99%, Viktor YANUKOVYCH 44.2%
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; allocated on a proportional basis to those parties that gain 3% or more of the national electoral vote; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011)

election results: percent of vote by party/bloc in 2002 - Party of Regions 32.1%, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 22.3%, Our Ukraine 13.9%, SPU 5.7%, CPU 3.7%; seats by party/bloc - Party of Regions 186, Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc 129, Our Ukraine 81, SPU 33, CPU 21
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO]; Fatherland Party (Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO]; Lytyvn-led People´s Bloc group [Ihor SHAROV]; Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO]; Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy KINAKH]; People´s Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK]; People´s Party [Volodymyr LYTVYN]; People´s Trust group [Anton KISSE]; 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]; Social Democratic Party (United) or SDPU(o) [Viktor MEDVEDCHUK]; Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman]; Ukrainian People´s Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO]; United Ukraine [Bohdan HUBSKYY]; Vidrodzhennya (Revival) [Anton KISSE]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Committee of Voters of Ukraine [Ihor POPOV]
International organization participation: Australia Group, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer), ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Oleh V. SHAMSHUR

chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone: [1] (202) 333-0606

FAX: [1] (202) 333-0817

consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William B. TAYLOR

embassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynsky Street, 04053 Kyiv

mailing address: 5850 Kiev Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850

telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000

FAX: [380] (44) 490-4085
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grain fields under a blue sky
 Economical information 
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. Ukraine depends on imports of energy, especially natural gas, to meet some 85% of its annual energy requirements. 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. Loose monetary policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. Ukraine´s dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. A dispute with Russia over pricing led to a temporary gas cut-off; Ukraine concluded a deal with Russia in January 2006, which almost doubled the price Ukraine pays for Russian gas, and could cost the Ukrainian economy $1.4-2.2 billion and cause GDP growth to fall 3-4%. 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 for businesses. Reforms in the more politically sensitive areas of structural reform and land privatization are still lagging. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms. GDP growth was 2.4% in 2005, down from 12.4% in 2004. The current account surplus reached $2.2 billion in 2005. The privatization of the Kryvoryzhstal steelworks in late 2005 produced $4.8 billion in windfall revenue for the government. Some of the proceeds were used to finance the budget deficit, some to recapitalize two state banks, some to retire public debt, and the rest may be used to finance future deficits.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $329.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $75.14 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.6% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $7,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18.7%

industry: 45.2%

services: 36.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 22.67 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 24%

industry: 32%

services: 44% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 3.1% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers; the International Labor Organization calculates that Ukraine´s real unemployment level is around 9-10% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: 29% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.4%

highest 10%: 24.8% (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.5% (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $23.59 billion

expenditures: $22.98 billion; note - this is the consolidated budget (January-September 2005)
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: 3.2% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production: 181.3 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 48.6%

hydro: 7.9%

nuclear: 43.5%

other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: 176 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports: 1 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports: 255 million kWh (2004)
Oil - production: 85,660 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption: 491,700 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - exports: 8,891 bbl/day NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: 444,600 bbl/day NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: 20.3 billion cu m (2004)
Natural gas - consumption: 75.8 billion cu m (2004)
Current account balance: $2.531 billion (2005 est.)
Exports: $38.22 billion (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products
Exports - partners: Russia 22.1%, Turkey 6%, Italy 5.6% (2005)
Imports: $37.18 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners: Russia 35.5%, Germany 9.4%, Turkmenistan 7.4%, China 5% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $19.39 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $23.93 billion (2005 est.)
Currency (code): hryvnia (UAH)
Currency code: UAH
Exchange rates: hryvnia per United States dollar - 5.1247 (2005), 5.3192 (2004), 5.3327 (2003), 5.3266 (2002), 5.3722 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
 Transportations information 
Airports: 499 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 193

over 3,047 m: 13

2,438 to 3,047 m: 55

1,524 to 2,437 m: 27

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 93 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 306

2,438 to 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 11

914 to 1,523 m: 18

under 914 m: 274 (2006)
Heliports: 10 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 19,951 km; oil 4,514 km; refined products 4,211 km (2006)
Railways: total: 22,473 km

broad gauge: 22,473 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 169,447 km

paved: 164,772 km (including 15 km of expressways)

unpaved: 4,675 km (2004)
Waterways: 2,253 km (most on Dnieper River) (2006)
Merchant marine: total: 202 ships (1000 GRT or over) 782,456 GRT/911,201 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 151, container 4, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 2

foreign-owned: 1 (Russia 1)

registered in other countries: 160 (Belize 7, Cambodia 17, Comoros 14, Cyprus 4, Dominica 2, Georgia 22, Liberia 16, Malta 24, Moldova 3, Mongolia 1, Panama 8, Russia 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 12, Sierra Leone 4, Slovakia 8, unknown 4) (2006)
Ports and terminals: Feodosiya, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol´, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Reni, Yuzhnyy
 Military information 
Military branches: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly), Air Defense Forces (2002)
Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 11,020,222

females age 18-49: 11,370,687 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 7,376,050

females age 18-49: 9,313,385 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males age 18-49: 382,751

females age 18-49: 365,599 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $617.9 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY02)
 Information about transnational issues 
Disputes - international: 1997 boundary treaty with Belarus remains un-ratified due to unresolved financial claims, stalling demarcation and reducing border security; delimitation of land boundary with Russia is complete and parties have renewed discussions on demarcation; the dispute over the maritime boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite a December 2003 framework agreement and ongoing expert-level discussions; Moldova and Ukraine have established joint customs posts to monitor transit through Moldova´s break-away Transnistria Region, which remains under OSCE supervision; in 2004 Ukraine and Romania took their dispute over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary to the ICJ for adjudication; Romania opposes Ukraine´s reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to the West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey to Europe and Russia; Ukraine has improved anti-money-laundering controls, resulting in its removal from the Financial Action Task Force´s (FATF´s) Noncooperative Countries and Territories List in February 2004; Ukraine´s anti-money-laundering regime continues to be monitored by FATF

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