About Ukraine
Ukraine lies in Eastern Europe between Poland, Belarus, Russia, the Black Sea, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. With a total area of 233,000 sq. miles it is the largest country entirely in Europe. (Though Russia is larger, a great part of it is in Asia.) Physically, its major characteristic is large rolling plains of highly fertile soil with great agricultural potential.
- To the southwest are the Carpathian Mountains that form a natural frontier with the western neighbors
- To the north are the forests and marshes that border Belarus
- To the east are the vast plains shared with Russia that historically have made Ukraine vulnerable to foreign invaders
- To the south the Black Sea gives access to the Mediterranean and the wider world.
A key feature is the Dniepro River that divides the country from north to south. The third longest river in Europe, it has long been a major trade and communications route. It was the major factor that led to the creation of Ukraine as a major European nation.
