As you know, Ukraine is considered one of the largest countries in Europe. Its territory is located in several climatic zones at once, it has many rivers, and the southern coast is washed by two seas at once: the Black and Azov.
Do you know what is the area of Ukraine? Not? This and much more will be discussed in this article. The reader will learn in more detail about how the regions were called in the past, what geographical points on the map indicate the borders of the state, and also get acquainted with the most significant regions of the country.
Section 1. General information
Ukraine is located in the east of Europe and shares borders with countries such as Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, Russia and Belarus.
It gained its independence in August 1991. To date, the capital of the state is the city of Kyiv.
In total, about 45 million people live on the territory of the state. There is access to the Black and Azov seas. The main water artery of the country is the Dnieper River.
Official currency –Ukrainian hryvnia.
Section 2. Today's area of Ukraine and former names of regions
In the historical past, the lands of modern Ukraine had a completely different territorial division. The regions did not yet exist, and the regions had completely different names. Here are some examples:
- Bessarabia is a territory, most of which is located in the Republic of Moldova. The north (Khotynsky district) and the south (Izmailovsky, Belgorod-Dnestrovsky districts) entered the structure of present-day Ukraine.
- Bukovina - Chernivtsi region.
- Volyn - lands consisting of Volyn, Rivne and parts of Ternopil and Zhytomyr regions.
- Galicia is part of the Ternopil region, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.
- Transcarpathia (Transcarpathian Ukraine) - Transcarpathian region.
- Podillia (Ukrainian Podillia) consists of Vinnitsa, Khmelnytsky and part of Ternopil regions.
- Polesie (Ukrainian Polissya) is part of the Zhytomyr region, Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.
- Tavria - the lands of the former Tauride province, consisting of the Crimea, the current Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. The center of Tavria was the city of Simferopol.
Section 3. Geographic location
As mentioned above, the area of Ukraine is quite extensive. At first glance, it is hard to even imagine that the length of the borders from north to south is about 893 km, and from west to east - about 1320 km.
The northernmost point of the country is in Chernihivarea in the village of Petrovka, southern - in the Crimea, on Cape Sarych. The western mark is the village of Solomonovo in the Transcarpathian region, the eastern one is the village of Krasnaya Zvezda in the Luhansk region. The geographical center of the country is located in the Cherkasy region near the small town of Vatutyno. Today in this place there is a special stand with the inscription “Ukraine. Area of the country and regions. Everyone can get acquainted with this attraction, take a picture or just relax in this place in one of the many cafes located nearby.
This state occupies 5.6% of the territory of Europe (the area of Ukraine is 603.7 sq. m), and is also considered the largest of all countries located entirely within Europe (for example, France has a size of 547 thousand sq. m.. km). The total length of the maritime borders is almost 1360 km, of which 1057 km along the Black Sea, 250 km along the Azov Sea, and 49 km along the Kerch Bay.
Section 4. Nature and climate
Agree, the area of Ukraine in sq. km is considerable, and therefore not so surprising that in this region there are different types of climate and soils and, as a result, representatives of the flora.
The country is located on the East European Plain in the zones of coniferous and mixed forests, steppe and forest-steppe. The forest-steppe and steppe are characterized by chernozem soils, to the north (in the zone of mixed forests) gray forest and sod-podzolic soil prevails, to the south (in the steppes) chestnut and dark chestnut lands are common.
Today in Ukrainethere are many nature reserves. The most famous are the Danube and "Askania-Nova".
Climate is formed under the influence of air masses coming from the North Atlantic. Less influence is exerted by air masses from the Arctic Ocean. Local climate change is affected by the river system, soil and vegetation, various structures, etc.
Ukraine is located mainly in the temperate continental climate zone, the only exception is the southern coast of Crimea, which is characterized by a subtropical climate.
According to experts, the main climate-forming factors in this state are the following: the direction and strength of air flows, atmospheric pressure and precipitation, air temperature.
Winter is moderately cold and summer is warm and dry.
Section 5. Water resources
The territory (area) of Ukraine is washed in the south by the waters of the Black and Azov Seas. The first is connected to many seas and has access to the ocean. The favorable climate of the Black and Azov Seas makes the coasts one of the best places for resort holidays.
In Ukraine, there are over 70 thousand rivers and about 20 thousand reservoirs. The Dnieper River is the largest not only in the state, but also in Europe as a whole. Hydroelectric reservoirs have been built along its course, solving the problems of water supply in many regions.
Other large river systems - Dnieper, Dniester, Danube, etc. Ukraine, with an area of 600 sq. km, actually has problems with water both for drinking andfor soil irrigation is not tested.
Section 6. The smallest region of the country
Chernivtsi region, located in the south-west of Ukraine, is called Bukovina. And such a name was not given at all by chance, because beech trees grow on these lands.
Its area is only 8.1 thousand square meters. km, population - 904 thousand people. The west of the region is occupied by the Carpathian slopes up to 1500 meters high. The Dniester River divides the region into two parts.
The administrative center of Bukovina is Chernivtsi, which is located on the Prut River. This city is considered the cultural center of the Western part of Ukraine, famous figures of many national cultures spent their lives in it.
The first mention of the settlement of the city of Tsetsin (current Chernivtsi) refers to the end of the XIV century. The city was located at the crossroads of trade routes and was famous for its fairs. After the capture of Moldova by the Ottoman Empire, the lands were divided into the Christian and Muslim worlds. During the period of the XVI-XVIII centuries. The city was constantly being destroyed. The new flourishing of Bukovina began only after joining the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1775. Architectural structures on the streets of the city still remind of that period.
Section 7. The largest area in the state
The main territory of the Odessa region is located on the Black Sea lowland, in the north are the foothills of the Podolsk upland, and the eastern and southeastern sides are washed by the Black Sea. In the west, the region borders on Moldova, in the southwest - on Romania, in the north - onVinnitsa and Kirovohrad regions, and in the east - from Mykolaiv.
The story about what area of Ukraine would be impossible without mentioning this area. About 200 rivers flow here, although many of them dry up in summer. Large ones are used for navigation, irrigation and the creation of hydroelectric power plants (Dniester, Danube). In the coastal zone there are many freshwater and s alt water reservoirs. Large bays include the following: Kuyalnitsky, Dniester, etc.
The climate is temperate continental, summers are hot, and winters are mild and with little snow. The south of the region is subject to strong winds, dry winds and droughts.
Section 8. Donetsk is the most densely populated region
The Donetsk region includes 18 districts. On an area of 25.6 thousand square meters. km is home to about 5 million people. For 1 sq. km accounts for 173.4 people, which exceeds the population density in the Kyiv and Odessa regions. The regional center is the city of Donetsk. This is the largest industrial hub of Ukraine, which houses the main enterprises and mines.
Besides this, the area has its own attractions. There is a well-known s alt mine in the Artemovsky district, and the largest arboretum in the Slavyansky district. Here is the Svyatogorsk Monastery.
