, 1936. The Ukrainian terrain is composed of plateaus and fertile plains that are crossed by numerous rivers including Southern Bug, Dniester, Seversky Donets, and the Dnieper among others. On the other hand, when the question 'What language do you use in everyday life?' Ukraine has 200,000 active military personnel and 900,000 in the reserves. [42][need quotation to verify], The establishment of the state of Kievan Rus' remains obscure and uncertain. [179] Precipitation is highest in the west and north and lowest in the east and southeast. Ukraine has a long and troubled history. It was created as the armed forces of the underground Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). Since the mid-1960s, Western-influenced pop music has been growing in popularity in Ukraine. Ukraine (Ukrainian: , romanized: Ukrana, pronounced [krjin] ()) is a country in Eastern Europe.It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. President Joe Biden (C-L) walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C-R) at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral during an unannounced visit, in Kyiv on Feb. 20, 2023. 2000 - Chernobyl nuclear power plant is shut down, 14 years after the accident. [51], The Mongol invasions in the mid-13th century devastated Kievan Rus', and Kyiv was completely destroyed in 1240. During the 1st millennium bce the steppe hinterland was occupied successively by the Cimmerians, Scythians, and Sarmatians. "Let us kindly help you use words related to #Ukraine correctly," the Ukrainian embassy in Washington D.C . [103][104] Both organizations, the OUN and the UPA, supported the goal of an independent Ukrainian state on the territory with a Ukrainian ethnic majority. 1708-09 - Mazepa uprising attempts to free the eastern Hetmanate from Russian rule, during the prolonged Great Northern War that ranged Russia against Poland and Sweden at the time. [334], Ukraine produces the fourth largest number of post-secondary graduates in Europe, while being ranked seventh in population. According to the 1937 Soviet constitution as amended in 1944, Ukraine had the right to "enter into direct relations with foreign states, to conclude agreements, and . Capital: Kyiv (Kiev). 26 1991 ", "The Underachiever: Ukraine's Economy Since 1991", "Can Ukraine Avert a Financial Meltdown? In addition, Cossacks controlled a largely self-governing territory known as the Hetmanate. Value of Ukrainian currency falls sharply and investors pull out. [215] The Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union was signed in 2014.[216]. Ukraine 'planned attack on Moscow that would have sparked WWIII Together they pushed back Ukrainian troops to the frontline established in February 2015, i.e. [298] According to the Council of Europe, this act fails to achieve fair protection of the linguistic rights of minorities. [157][158][159], Even though Russia had signed the so-called Budapest memorandum in 1994 that said that Ukraine was to hand over nuclear weapons in exchange of security guarantees and those of territorial integrity, it reacted violently to these developments and started a war against its western neighbour. Rapid growth followed in the Soviet period. The Seven Wonders of Ukraine and Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine are selections of the most important landmarks of Ukraine, chosen by Ukrainian experts and an Internet-based public vote.