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Ukraine lies in eastern Europe on the western border of Russia. To the north is Belarus, with the Black Sea to the south and Poland to the west. Although slightly smaller than the state of Texas, Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe-far behind Russia but just ahead of France. Two-thirds of Ukraine's people live in urban areas.

Kiev, the capital, lies in north-central Ukraine, on both sides of the Dnieper River. It is the largest and oldest city in the country. Although the Carpathian mountains rise in western Ukraine and the Crimeans in the south, most of the country is "steppe" -- fertile, rolling, lightly-wooded plain. Ukraine was known as "the breadbasket of the USSR, " and more than half its land is dedicated to growing crops. The hottest month for inland Ukraine is July, when the daily high averages 23°C (73°F). January, the coldest month, averages minus 3°C (26º ) in the southwest and minus 8°C (18º F) in the northeast.

Inland Ukraine gets most of its rainfall in June and July. Yalta and Odessa, on the shores of the Black Sea, experience a more temperate climate. December and January are the wettest months on the coast.

Statistics

Population: 49,811,174

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18% (male 4,690,318; female 4,498,239) 15-64 years: 68% (male 16,136,296; female 17,572,011) 65 years and over: 14% (male 2,251,664; female 4,662,646) Note that the male and female populations remain roughly equal until age 64, when the male population declines to half that of the female portion. That's because the average life expectancy for a man in Ukraine is only 60.23 years, as opposed to 71.87 years for a woman.

Population growth rate: -0.62% Birth rate: 9.54 births per 1,000 population Infant mortality rate: 21.73 deaths per 1,000 live births Death rate: 16.38 deaths per 1,000 population Currency: Ukraine hryvnia (also spelled grynia and hryvna) Exchange rates fluctuate; check out recent exchange rates for current information.

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