Ukraine -- School-age

Ukraine

Official Name: Ukraine

Government Type: Semi-presidential republic

Capital: Kyiv (Kiev)

County's inhabitants: Ukrainian

Abbreviation: UA, UKR

Currency: Hryvnia (UAH) Each hryvnia is divided into 100 kopiyka.

Official Language: Ukrainian.

Religion: The population of Ukraine is overwhelmingly Christian; Up to two thirds identify themselves as Eastern Orthodox. A small number people are Muslim and Jewish, each compose less than 1% of the total population.

Population: Ukrainians are the largest group at 77.8%. Russians (17.3%) form the next largest group.

Ukraine is in Eastern Europe bordering the black sea. Belarus is to the north. Russia is to the east. The Kerch Strait separates the Ukraine from Russia. The the Kerch Strait connects the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea in the south. To the west is Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland. Moldova and Romania are to the southwest.

Ukraine is the largest country that is entirely within Europe.

Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe after Russia (Russia is located in Europe and Asia).

History

Ukraine has been the target of invaders for thousands of years.

The history of Ukraine begins with the Slavic tribes that arrived during the 400s and 500s. Viking called Varangians would arrive in the 800s.

The first East Slavic powerful kingdom, Kievan Rus emerged along the Dnepr River valley in 862, that controlled the trade route between Scandinavia and the Byzantine Empire.

Vladimir the Great(Prince Volodymyr in Ukrainian) would introduce Christianity in 988.

Kyivan Rus lost power when the Mongols invaded in the 1200s. One hundred years latter in the 2300s Lithuanians would control Ukraine. Polish invaders arrived in 1569 and made many Ukrainians into serfs. A serf is a laborer who was bound to the land and subject to the will of the owner.

An army of Ukrainian Cossacks would form and fight against Poland and in the 1600s led to a Cossack alliance with Russia. By the 1700s Russia would slowly gain control over most of Ukraine. In 1922 Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union.

By the 1700s Russia would slowly gain control over most of Ukraine. In 1922 Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union.

In the 1930s the Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin orchestrated a manmade famine in Ukraine to force Ukrainians to give up their land and join collective farms and to curb rebellion. During this manmade famine about five to seven million Ukrainians died from starvation.

During World War II Germany would invade and occupy Ukraine. An estimated 1.5 million Ukrainian Jews were killed by Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union in 1944 drove the Germany's out of Ukraine. The the Soviets would control Ukraine.

In 1991 the Soviet Union broke apart, and Ukraine became an independent country.

In 2014 Russian troops invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula (a part of Ukraine). Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the people in Crimea voted in a referendum for independence from Ukraine. Russia would sign a treaty with Crimea, joining Crimea to Russia.

February 2022, Putin officially recognized the separatist republics (Donetsk and Luhansk) in eastern Ukraine and sent troops to the region. Russia began three days later to attack Ukraine. Leaders around the world have condemned the attacks.

Ukraine History Video

Government

A semi-presidential system of government represents a republic with a popularly elected president and a prime minister and cabinet accountable to the parliament (legislative body of government).

The executive branch consist of the president, prime minister, and cabinet. The president is the chief of state and is elected for a 5-year term of office, limited to two terms consecutively.

The president appoints the prime minister who is the head of government and must be confirmed by the parliament. The prime minister consults with the president who will be nominated as cabinet ministers. The prime minister nominates members to the cabinet who are approved by the parliament.

The Parliament of Ukraine is known as Verkhovna Rada. The legislative body of Ukraine is unicameral, it has a single legislative chamber. The 450 deputies are elected and serve 5-year terms.

The judicial branch consists of local courts, court of appeal, high courts, Supreme Court, and constitutional court.

Flag of Ukraine

The flag of Ukraine has two equally sized horizontal bands of blue and yellow. A light blue strip on top and a yellow strip at the bottom.

The blue stripe represents the sky and streams. The yellow stands for Ukrainian fertile land and fields of wheat.

Coat of Arms of Ukraine

After Ukraine reestablished its independence in 1991 the Ukrainian parliament would in 1992 adopt a gold trident on an azure background as the country's coat of arms.

The design of the insignia is from the seal-trident of Volodymyr, the first Grand Prince of Kyiv. The Cost of Arms of Ukraine is officially referred to as the Princely State Symbol of Volodymyr the Great.

Land

Steppe /step/ is a large area of unforested grassland.

Ukraine consist of almost entirely flat plains. In the central and southern parts of the country are grasslands called steppes.

The landscape has some variety with highland and lowland areas.

The Pripet Marshes in the north are among the country's lowland and are the largest wetland areas of Europe.

The country's only mountains are the Carpathian Mountains in the west.

Ukraine's longest river is the Dnieper.

Ukraine has warm summers and cold winters.

Animals

Ukraine's forests are mostly in the mountains in the west. Some trees grow in the swamplands and in central Ukraine.

The forest are home to elk, foxes, red deer, roe dear, squirrel, wild boars, wolves as well as brown bears and lynx. Birds in the forested area include cranes, starlings, and wood grouse.

Steppe Polecat

In the steepe areas are field mice, hamsters, marmots, and squirrels. The birds in this area include steepe eagles, quail, and pink starlings.

Along the coast are birds that include ducks, herons, pelicans, and sea gulls.

Animals of Ukraine

Plants

Sunflowers are not native to Ukraine (they are from North America) they are grown widely in Ukraine's steppe lands. The sunflower is becoming a symbol of solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fight for their country and freedom.

In the Carpathian mountains is found pine and oak trees. The white Edelweiss flower is also found in the Carpathian mountains. Spruce trees are common in the northeast. The forest-steppe areas is grassland with a few trees such as oak. In the steppe areas there are grassy plains.

Ukraine Is Famous For

On April 26, 1986 a nuclear disaster occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant just outside the town of Pripyat, Ukraine. Pripyat is in northern Ukraine, near the Ukraine–Belarus border. Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.

Ukraine is known for a massive nuclear incident, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. It is is considered the worst nuclear accident in history.

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is near the city of Pripyat located in the north of Ukrainian. In 1986 Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union.

On April 26, 1986 a routine safety test at the No. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant went horribly wrong./p>

Power was reduced in preparation for a safety test which was timed with a routine shutdown for maintenance. A less-experienced night shift performed the test. The power would plummet below the level at which the reactor is considered stable. Operators removed the control rods, which was a violation of the plant's safety guideline. The power stabilizes at below the preferred level but the plant supervisors order the test to proceed. The emergency shutdown system and other safety features are turned off. When the test begins a power surge occurs. Explosions occur and radiation begins spewing out. Walls collapse and dozens of firers start up. Some 36 hours later the evacuation of Pripyat and nearby towns and villages begins. Pripyat in the Ukraine became a ghost town.