Crimea

The Crimean Peninsula , also known simply as Crimea , is a major land mass on the northern coast of the Black Sea that is almost completely surrounded by water. The peninsula is located south of the Ukrainian region of Kherson and west of the Russian region of Kuban. It is surrounded by two seas: the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov to the northeast. It is connected to Kherson Oblast by the Isthmus of Perekop and is separated from Kuban by the Strait of Kerch. The Arabat Spit is located to the northeast; a narrow strip of land that separates a system of lagoons named Sivash from the Sea of Azov. Crimea—or the Tauric Peninsula, as it was called from antiquity until the early modern period—has historically been at the boundary between the classical world and the Pontic-Caspian steppe. Its southern fringe was colonised by the ancient Greeks, the ancient Persians, the ancient Romans, the Byzantine Empire, the Crimean Goths, the Genoese and the Ottoman Empire, while at the same time its interior was occupied by a changing cast of invading steppe nomads, such as the Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Goths, Alans, Bulgars, Huns, Khazars, Kipchaks, and the Golden Horde. Crimea and adjacent territories were united in the Crimean Khanate during the 15th to 18th century. Crimea was annexed to the Russian Empire in 1783 and, following the Russian Revolution of 1917, became a republic within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in the USSR. In World War Two it was downgraded to the Crimean Oblast, and in 1954, the Crimean Oblast was transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. It became the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within newly independent Ukraine in 1991, with Sevastopol having its own administration, within Ukraine but outside of the Autonomous Republic. Sovereignty and control of the peninsula became the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine after Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014 and now administers it as two federal subjects: the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol.

Kyiv City

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population in July 2015 was 7006288797400000000♠2,887,974 (though higher estimated numbers have been cited in the press), making Kiev the 8th most populous city in Europe. Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro. The city's name is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of its four legendary founders (see Name, below). During its history, Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of great prominence and relative obscurity. The city probably existed as a commercial centre as early as the 5th century. A Slavic settlement on the great trade route between Scandinavia and Constantinople, Kiev was a tributary of the Khazars, until seized by the Varangians (Vikings) in the mid-9th century. Under Varangian rule, the city became a capital of the Kievan Rus', the first East Slavic state. Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasion in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbours; first the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by Poland and Russia. The city prospered again during the Russian Empire's Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century. In 1917, after the Ukrainian National Republic declared independence from the Russian Empire, Kiev became its capital. From 1919 Kiev was an important center of the Armed Forces of South Russia and was controlled by the White Army. From 1921 onwards Kiev was a city of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which was proclaimed by the Red Army, and, from 1934, Kiev was its capital. During World War II, the city again suffered significant damage, but quickly recovered in the post-war years, remaining the third largest city of the Soviet Union. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukrainian independence in 1991, Kiev remained the capital of Ukraine and experienced a steady migration influx of ethnic Ukrainians from other regions of the country. During the country's transformation to a market economy and electoral democracy, Kiev has continued to be Ukraine's largest and richest city. Kiev's armament-dependent industrial output fell after the Soviet collapse, adversely affecting science and technology. But new sectors of the economy such as services and finance facilitated Kiev's growth in salaries and investment, as well as providing continuous funding for the development of housing and urban infrastructure. Kiev emerged as the most pro-Western region of Ukraine where parties advocating tighter integration with the European Union dominate during elections.

Odessa Oblast

Odessa Oblast (also spelled Odesa Oblast; Ukrainian: Одеська область, Odes’ka oblast’; also Odeshchyna (Одещина)) is an oblast or province of southwestern Ukraine located along the northern coast of the Black Sea. Its administrative center is the city of Odessa.

Lviv Oblast

Lviv Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Lviv. Population: 2,540,702 (2013 est.).

Kharkiv Oblast

Kharkiv Oblast is an oblast in eastern Ukraine. The oblast borders Russia to the north, Luhansk Oblast to the east, Donetsk Oblast to the south-east, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to the south-west, Poltava Oblast to the west and Sumy Oblast to the north-west. The area of the oblast is 31,400 km², corresponding to 5.2% of the total territory of Ukraine. The oblast is the third most populous province of Ukraine, with a population of 2,857,751 in 2004, more than half of whom live in the city of Kharkiv, the oblast's administrative center. While the Russian language is primarily spoken in the cities of Kharkiv oblast, elsewhere in the oblast most inhabitants speak Ukrainian.

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. As is the case with most other oblasts of Ukraine this region has the same name as its administrative center which was renamed by the Soviets after the Ukrainian writer, nationalist and socialist Ivan Franko on November 9, 1962. Population: 1,381,788 (2013 est.). Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast is also known to Ukrainians by a deep-rooted alternative name: Prykarpattia (although some sources may also consider the southern Lviv Oblast including such cities as Stryi, Truskavets, and Drohobych, as also part of Prykarpattia). Prykarpattia, together with Lviv and Ternopil regions, was the main body of the historic region of eastern Halychyna; which in the 13th century was a part of the Kingdom of Rus and the Halych-Volyn Principality (see Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia). Along with the Lviv and Ternopil regions Prykarpattia is a component of the Carpathian Euroregion. In the past the area was known as Stanisławów Voivodship and Stanislav Oblast (1939-1962). Until the 20th century the major center of the region was the city of Kolomyia (which is a major cultural center of Pokuttya, the traditional name for the southern part of the oblast).

Donetsk Oblast

Donetsk Oblast is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. It is the most populated oblast, with around 4.5 million residents. Its administrative center is Donetsk; however, its Regional State Administration was relocated to Mariupol, a temporary measure due to the ongoing crisis in Donetsk. Historically, the region is an important part of the Donbas region. Until November 1961, it bore the name Stalino Oblast, as its capital Donetsk was named Stalino in honour of Joseph Stalin at that time. The oblast is known for its urban sprawl and is often associated with mining industry. On April 7, 2014, following the annexation of Crimea by Russia, separatists occupying the Donetsk Oblast administrative building declared independence from Ukraine and held a referendum on separating from Ukraine on May 11, 2014. Subsequently, the War in Donbass started. After Donetsk was under control of the separatist government, the Donetsk Oblast administration was relocated to Mariupol, and later to Kramatorsk.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine, the most important industrial region of the country. It was created on February 27, 1932. Dnipropetrovsk has a population of about 3,307,795 (2013 est.), approximately 80% of whom live centering on administrative center of Dnipropetrovsk, Kryvyi Rih, Dniprodzerzhynsk, Nikopol. The Dnieper River runs through the oblast.

Ternopil Oblast

Ternopil Oblast is an oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Ternopil, through which flows the Seret River, a tributary of the Dnister.

Zaporizhzhya Oblast

Zaporizhzhia Oblast is an oblast of southern Ukraine. Its capital is Zaporizhzhia. The oblast covers an area of 27,183 sq.kms, and its population was 1,785,243 (2013 est.) at a January 2013. This oblast is an important part of Ukraine's industry and agriculture.

Chernivtsi Oblast

Chernivtsi Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine, consisting mostly of the northern part of the region of Bukovina, and bordering Romania and Moldova. It has a large variety of landforms: the Carpathian Mountains and picturesque hills at the foot of the mountains gradually change to a broad partly forested plain situated between the Dniester and Prut rivers. Its capital is the city Chernivtsi. The region has a population of 913,275 and spans 8,100 km².

Zakarpattya Oblast

The Zakarpattia Oblast is an administrative oblast located in southwestern Ukraine, coterminous with the historical region of Carpathian Ruthenia. Its administrative center is the city of Uzhhorod. Other major cities within the oblast include Mukachevo, Khust, Berehove and Chop which is home to railroad transport infrastructure. Zakarpattia Oblast was established on 22 January 1946, after Czechoslovakia ceded the territory of Subcarpathian Rus to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, under a treaty between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. Some scholars say that during the Ukrainian independence referendum held in 1991, Zakarpattia Oblast voters were given a separate option on whether or not they favored autonomy for the region. Although a large majority favored autonomy, it was not granted. However, this referendum was about self-government status, not about autonomy . Situated in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine, Zakarpattia Oblast is the only Ukrainian administrative division which borders upon four countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. The Carpathian Mountains play a major part in the oblast's economy, making the region an important tourist and travel destination housing many ski and spa resorts. The oblast is ranked 23rd by area and 17th by population. According to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, the population of Zakarpattia Oblast is 1,254,614. This total includes people of many different nationalities of which Hungarians, Romanians and Rusyns constitute significant minorities in some of the province's cities, while in others, they form the majority of the population (as in the case of Berehove).

Kiev Oblast

Kiev Oblast or Kyiv Oblast is an oblast in central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Kiev , which also serves as the capital of Ukraine. Despite being located in the center of the Kiev Oblast, and hosting the governing bodies of the oblast, Kiev itself is a self-governing city with special status and not under oblast jurisdiction. Kiev Oblast neither corresponds to nor is limited to the unofficially-designated Kiev metropolitan area although it is significantly dependent on the urban economy and transportation of the latter. The largest city in the oblast is Bila Tserkva. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is technically located within the northernmost part of the Kiev Oblast but access to the Zone is prohibited to the public and it is administered separately from the oblast.

Luhansk Oblast

Luhansk Oblast is the easternmost oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the name Voroshilovgrad Oblast (until 1958 and again 1970 to 1990) in honor of Kliment Voroshilov. Population: 2,256,551 (2013 est.).

Volyn Oblast

Volyn Oblast is an oblast in north-western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Lutsk. Kovel is the westernmost town and the last station in Ukraine of the rail line running from Kiev to Warsaw. Population: 1,039,958 (2013 est.).

Kherson Oblast

Kherson Oblast is an oblast in southern Ukraine, just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson. The area of the region is 28,461 km², its population is 1,083,367. Important cities in the oblast include: Kherson (capital) Kakhovka Nova Kakhovka

Vinnytsya Oblast

Vinnytsia Oblast is an oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Vinnytsia. Population: 1,627,038 (2013 est.).

Cherkasy Oblast

Cherkasy Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine located along the Dnieper River. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Cherkasy.

Poltava Oblast

Poltava Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Poltava. Other important cities within the oblast include: Komsomolsk, Kremenchuk, Lubny and Myrhorod.

Khmelnytsky Oblast

Khmelnytskyi Oblast is an oblast of western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Khmelnytskyi. The current estimated population is around 1,401,140 .

Rivne Oblast

Rivne Oblast is an oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Rivne. The area of the region is 20,100 km²; its population is 1.2 million. Previously part of the Second Republic of Poland's Wojewódstwo Wołyńskie, the Rivne Oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on December 4, 1939 after the Soviet invasion and occupation of eastern Poland on 17 September 1939. Before 1992, under the policy of Russification, the region was officially known under its Russian name of Rovno Oblast. In the mass media it is often referred as Rivnenshchyna Ukrainian: Рівненщина. The Rivne Nuclear Power Plant is located in the oblast, near the city of Kuznetsovsk.

Mykolayiv Oblast

Mykolaiv Oblast is an oblast of Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Mykolayiv.

Zhytomyr Oblast

Zhytomyr Oblast is an oblast of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Zhytomyr. Population: 1,268,903 (2013 est.)

Sumy Oblast

Sumy Oblast is an oblast in the northeastern part of Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Sumy. Other important cities within the oblast include Konotop, Okhtyrka, Romny, and Shostka. As of 1 May 2004, the population is 1,255,866, which includes 886,100 urban and 483,700 rural residents.

Chernihiv Oblast

Chernihiv Oblast is an oblast of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Chernihiv.

Kirovohrad Oblast

Kirovohrad Oblast is an oblast of Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Kirovohrad. Population: 995,171 (2013 est.).

Chernihivska Oblast

Khmelnytskyi

Odesa

Vinnytska oblast

Volynska oblast

Kyiv

Zhytomyrska oblast

Dnipropetrovska Oblast