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Ukraine is situated in the south-eastern part of Central
Europe and has its own territory, government, national
emblem, flag and anthem. It borders on Russia, Byelorussia,
Moldova, Slovakia, Roumania, Hungary and Poland on land and
Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Roumania and Turkey on sea.
The
territory of Ukraine is mostly a level, treeless plain,
calls "steppe". There are the Crimean Mountains in the
Crimean peninsula and the Carpathians in the west, but they
are not very high. Mixed forests of pine and fir-trees,
beeches, limes, oaks and elms cover the mountains, but the
thickest woods can still be found in the northern part of
the republic, in Volyn. Kiev and Cherkassy lie in the midst
of Ukrainian southernmost pine forest. The main Ukrainian
river is the Dnieper. It is one of the longest European
rivers and one of the republic's main source of
hydroelectric power. The Dnieper and its tributary the Ross
had been the cradle of the Ukrainian and Russian people in
time immemorial.
The
climate of the country is moderate. Winter is rather mild,
with no severe frosts but with regular snowfalls everywhere
except the south. The rivers and lakes freeze in winter. The
average winter temperature varies -20 Centigrade in the
north to -3-5 in the south. Summer is quite hot and dry,
with occasional showers and thunderstorms. The fertile black
soil is well watered in spring and autumn and gets plenty of
sunshine in summer.
Due to
favorable climatic conditions, Ukraine is traditionally an
agricultural area. It grows wheat, maize, buckwheat and
other corn, red and green vegetables, all kinds of fruit,
melons and berries.
Ukraine is one of the world's main centers of sugar
production. It produces sugar both for her own needs and for
export.
The
country is rich in natural resources, such as iron ore,
coal, color metal, oil, gas, mineral salts, clay and
potential water power. It has developed a varied industry,
concentrated mostly in and around big cities, such as Kiev,
Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk, Dnyeprodzerzhinsk, Odessa,
Kharkov, Lviv, Nickolayev and other. It produces planes and
ships, lorries and buses, motorcars and locomotives,
computer and electronic equipment, precision instruments and
agricultural machines, TV and radioset, chemicals and
textiles and various consumer goods. Odessa, Sebastopol,
Nickolayev, Kherson and Kerch are main ukrainian ports.
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