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Introduction
General Discussion of Ukraine
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Geographic location: Eastern Europe, between Poland and Russia,
bordering the Black Sea
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Total area: 603,700 sq. km (app. 240,000 sq. mi.). Comparative area:
slightly bigger than France
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Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil,
salt, sulphur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury,
timber.
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Land use. Arable land: 56%. Irrigated land: 26,000 sq. km (1990).
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Environmental issues: air and water pollution, inadequate supplies
of potable water, radiation contamination in the north-east from 1986 accident
at Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, deforestation.
Ukraine has got it independence in 1991 with the break up of the USSR.
Since than Ukrainian economy has experienced dramatic decline. Slow economic
and political reforms did not facilitate economic recovery. Last year Ukrainian
GDP showed growth for the first time in ten years.
On one hand, Ukraine has inherited highly educated population, health
care system, well-developed energy and public transport infrastructures.
On the other hand, country got high level of corruption and political unrest.
Ukraine used to have modern industries. However, these industries were
attached to the military industry and are in stagnation. The economy has
shifted a lot to the industries with high-energy consumption like metallurgy.
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