FACTS

Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east

Area (only Total) total: 603,700 sq km

Climate: temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country, hot in the south

Terrain: most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south

Population: 45,994,287 (July 2008 est.)

Main Language (only first): Ukrainian

Government type: republic

Capital (Name): Kyiv (Kiev)

Capital (Time Difference): UTC+2

Independence: 24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991); note - 22 January 1918, the day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia) and the day the short-lived Western and Central Ukrainian republics united (1919), is now celebrated as Unity Day

HOLIDAYS

January 1 New Year's Day

January 2 Labour Day

January 7 Orthodox Christmas Day

January 14 Orthodox New Year

March 8 Women's Day

April 26 Chernobyl nuclear incident anniversary

May 9 Victory Day (World War II)

June 28 Constitution Day

August 24 Independence Day

Holidays falling on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday) are observed on the Monday following.

Weekend - Saturday, Sunday