Homework Help: Social Studies: Geography: Europe: Ukraine

Languages (Spoken)

Of all the main languages in Ukraine there are a few that stand out the most. People mostly speak Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, and Hungarian. There are a few other languages listed in Ukraine. There are about 11 listed languages, and of those, 10 are living spoken languages. 1 of those 11 languages is extinct (Gothic). Ukrainian language is considered the official langauge of the state. All documentation is held in English. But still many people in everyday life speak Russian. Ukrainian was prohibited during Soviet times, and Russian was encouraged. The same was with all the national languages of the 14 soviet republics. But people saved their own languages, and besides they are all bilingual now. For example, people can easily communicate with people from Tajikistan, because they speak Russian.

Physical Description

Mount Goveria and Hora Hoverla are located on the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathian Mountain Range defines the country’s extreme western border. Smaller Crimean Mountains rise in the Crimean Peninsula in the South. The Dniester River flows through Ukraine and Moldova. It forms part of the border between Ukraine and Moldova. It rises in the Carpatian Mts. and flows generally SE through SW Ukraine. The Dniester formed the Romanian-Soviet border from 1918 to 1940, when the USSR regained Bessarabia. The Dnipro River flows through the middle of the country and divides the country. The Dnipro Lake is part of the river, located in the northern center of Ukraine.

Interesting Historical Events/Facts

• Ukraine is one of the 7 greatest producers of sugar, vegetable oil, pork and potato.
• Ukraine spends $590 million per year on its defense and hosts no atomic weapons.
• With Stalin persecuting Ukrainians at the sign of national revival, the purges of 1937-39, devastation of WWII, and more catastrophes it is estimated that during the first half of the 20th century, war, famine and purges cost the lives of over half the male and a quarter of the female population of Ukraine.
• A princess was in command of a 6 thousand man army in the 17th century.
• Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated on January 7
• The meltdown in Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant in April 1986 was the world's worst nuclear disaster. The explosion of the plant's nuclear reactor killed at least 32 immediately but thousands more have died since 1986 due to related diseases. Over 100,000 people were evacuated from the region following the blast. Radiation problems continue to plague the region today.
• Stephan Kovaltchuk spent 57 years in his attic in Montchintsi, Ukraine, before emerging at the age of 75 in September 1999 because his sister, who had looked after him, had died. Having originally gone into hiding from the Nazis, who occupied Ukraine in 1942, he remained in isolation to avoid the draft by the Russians after the Red Army's victory over the Germans.
• The oldest house in the world is a 15,000 year old one made of mammoth bones found at Mezhirich near Kiev in Ukraine. It was probably covered with mammoth hides.
• The world's first known horseman rode in Dereivka, central Ukraine, 6,000 years ago.
• According to The Beatles, Ukrainian women are absolute stunners. In their famous song "back in the USSR", Paul McCartney sang: "Those Ukraine girls really knock me out, they leave the west behind."

History

At the beginning of the 20th century, the lion’s share of modern Ukraine was in the Russian Empire and the rest was in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the chaos of World War I and the Russian Revolution, the Russian part of Ukraine declared itself an independent republic. In 1922, it joined the U.S.S.R. as one of its constituent republics. In World War II, the Soviet Union made significant territorial gains, some of which were annexed to the Ukrainian S.S.R. Ukraine became independent once again in 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved.

Language (History)

Ukrainian is an East Slavic language, one of three members of this language group, the other two being Russian and Belarusian. Written Ukrainian bears resemblances to these two languages, but with several notable differences. Spoken Ukrainian finds a closer similarity with Slovak and Polish. The spoken language is partly influenced by Polish vocabulary.

Industry

• Ukraine’s main industrial product: coal, followed by electric power
• Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine
• There are large numbers of unregistered or underemployed workers; only 3.7% of the population of Ukraine are officially registered employees.
• Ukrainians make money by working in industries such as mining, transportation, naval, food processing (especially sugar), etc.
• Example: In the oblast of Ternopol, the Berezhany glass factory is a public industry for Ukrainians to work in.

Famous Products

Ukraine is famous for the origin of borscht. They also love to decorate and paint eggs. Many of the famous Cossack songs and dance traditions have originated from Ukraine.

Main Religions

The main religion in Ukraine is Orthodox. Most of Ukrainians are Orthodox, but there are some Greek Catholic people in western Ukraine. Chistianity was introduced into Ukraine in 988 A.D. by Prince Volodymyr the Great. Before Christianity, the Ukrainians were Pagans. Their traditions have been preserved since those times. Celebrating the Holiday of Spring and jumping across the fire custom.

Literacy

Adult literacy rate: The percentage of pepole aged 15 and above who can, with understanding, both read and write a short, simple statement related to their everyday life. In year 1990, the adult literacy rate for Ukraine was 99.4% In year 2001, the adult literacy rate was 99.6%

Attractions and Entertainment

People in Ukraine can set up many fun things to use in their wondrous beaches. People can set up the slippery football, island, water trampoline, pyramid, and water polo. The Old Town is concentrated around the north-eastern end of vulitsya Volodymyrska and contains a number of Kiev's historic landmarks. The main attraction is the 11th century St Sophia Cathedral, the city's oldest standing church, which contains some of the country's greatest mosaics and frescoes. A few blocks south of the cathedral is Kiev's main commercial promenade, the vulitsya khershchatyk, a bustling thoroughfare lined with shops. At the southern end of Khreshchatyk, the aisles at the Bessarabsky Market are filled with fruit and vegetable vendors.

Ukraine is an urban society blooming with many cities.

Art

Among many attractions in Ukraine, there are a few that stand out the most. The Saint Vladimir Cathedral is a place where many people like to go to see the wondrous arts made by man. The Golden Gates are another main attraction. It is one of their oldest remains of the older Ukraine. This gate helped protect Ukraine from foreign invaders. Also, the House Of Chimaeras is a great place to visit. It is a house linked to many legends, but the truth is that it was made to advertise the new material; cement.

Transportation & Trade

Transportation is important in Ukraine like everywhere else. Rail transport plays an important role in connecting Ukraine's industrial and urban centers, and port facilities with neighboring countries. Four major railroad lines run through Ukraine. As with rail traffic, there has been a significant drop in the volume of over-the-road freight shipments. Ukraine has 12 large ports serving international and costal trade. Major seaports include Odessa, Yuzhny, Illichevsk, and Mariupol.

Wealth Status

Ukraine has a long history of war, let it be civil or struggling for independence, and sadly, Ukraine is thriving with poverty. Ukraine, as well as other "transition" countries of the former Soviet Union, is confronted with two different types of poverty, which require different, but coordinated policy responses. The United Nations loosely refers to these groups as "old poor" and "new poor," defining them in this way.

(Environmental) Current Event

The nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl in 1986 and the resultant damage to the environment in Ukraine have been well documented, but the degradation of Ukraine's environment goes well beyond Chernobyl. Soviet industrialization of Ukraine, especially in the Donetsk basin, has left a legacy of air pollution, and industrial runoff into the Dniester River has contributed to the pollution and decay of the Black Sea. Until now, many people are trying to recover from the meltdown. Radiation continues to plague the area today. It is still affecting Ukraine’s modern day society.

Homework Help: Social Studies: Geography: Europe

For Further Reading