Resort Ukraine
Sanatorium-and-spa institutions
Sanatorium-and-spa treatment
General information
Ukraineis a state in Eastern Europe. (It is the biggest among the states, wholly situated in Europe; it includes the Autonomous Republic of Crimea). In the south it is washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, in the east, in the northeast and in the north it borders on the Russian Federation, in the north – on Belarus, in the west – on Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, in the southwest – on Rumania and Moldova (including the unrecognized republic of Transdniestria).
Territory is 603.7 thousand km2, which makes up 5.7% of the territory of Europe and 0.44% of the territory of the world. It is the greatest in area country, which is wholly located on the territory of Europe. It is the second (after Russia) country in Europe according to the size of the territory. The length of maritime boundary is 1.355 km (along the Black Sea – 1.056.5 km; along the Sea of Azov – 249.5 km; along the Kerch Strait – 49 km). The geographical centre of Europe, according to one of the calculation procedures, is situated on the territory of Ukraine, not far from Rakhiv city of Zakarpattia region.
Population size of Ukraine as of March 1st, 2008, is 46 314 736 inhabitants, 31 643 316 of them is the urban population and 14 671 420 is rural. The national population mix (2001) is: Ukrainians – 77.8%, Russians – 17.3%, Armenians – 0.8%, Byelorussians – 0.6%, Crimean Tatars – 0.5%, Moldavians – 0.5%, Bulgarians – 0.4%, Hungarians – 0.3%, Romanians – 0.3%, Poles – 0.3%, Jews – 0.2%, Greeks – 0.2%, Tatars – 0.2%.
Capital is Kyiv (2.81 mln of inhabitants). Other big cities: Kharkiv (1.68 mln of inhabitants), Dnipropetrovsk (1.23 mln of inhabitants), Donetsk (1.15 mln of inhabitants), Odesa (1.12 mln of inhabitants).
Official language – Ukrainian.
Dominant religion – Christianity (orthodoxy, autocephalous Greek-Catholic church).
Monetary unit – hryvna = 100 copecks.
State structure – presidential republic.
Political structure. Ukraine is an independent sovereign state (since 1991). Constitution is working in the country. The head of the state is President, who is elected on the basis of the general voting. The superior body of legislative branch – one-chamber parliament – is the Verkhovna Rada. The superior body of executive branch is the Cabinet of Ministers.
History. In the 9th-12th centuries the major part of the territory of current Ukraine was the part of the Kievan Rus. The term “Ukraine” was originally used in the meaning of “outskirts” – territories, which bordered on steppe, were meant, where Tatars raided the Slavic population. After the disintegration of Kievan Rus neighbours, first of all Lithuania and Poland, began the capture of the territory of future Ukraine. In 1654 after the uprising, led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Left-bank Ukraine reunited with Russia. By the end of the 18th century (mainly because of the division of Poland) the great part of Right-bank Ukraine had been given to Russia.
Since the accession of Left-bank Ukraine to Russia here the development of mineral resources and industry has begun. In the beginning of the 20th century the rate of industrial growth was even higher than in North America and Western Europe. The reason was the short period of serfdom, lack of competition, high profit rate and attraction of foreign capital.
In 1917-1918 the Soviet power was established in Ukraine. In the result of Soviet-Polish War of 1920, Western Ukraine became a part of Poland and was joined again in 1939. In 1940 North Bukovina and Bessarabia became the parts of Ukraine. In 1941-1945 the territory of Ukraine was in German occupation. It was liberated by the Soviet army before the beginning of 1945. In years of the Soviet power the programme of intensive industrialization was carried out in the country. In 1954 Russia passed Ukraine Crimean region. In April, 1986, at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant near Kyiv there was a big accident, because of which many regions of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia suffered.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in August 1991, the independence of the country was proclaimed.
Economy. Ukraine is one of the richest countries of the world with the reserves of mineral raw materials, however, in the structure of fuel balance coal plays the main role, and oil and gas resources are poor, what painfully affects the economy development. Besides, Ukraine is rich in metallic-ore raw materials. Metallurgy industry is one of the main branches of the country’s economy. Ukraine also exports food items and raw materials. In spite of the difficulties in relationship, Russia is the main partner of the country in trade among the CIS countries. Other trade partners are Turkmenia, Germany, China and Belarus.
Relief. Almost all the territory is the plain, average hight is 175 m above sea level, mountains make up only 5% (the Carpathians, the Crimean Mountains). The highest peak is the Hoverla mountain (2061 m). The plain part is not even: among the most significant forms of the relief are Donetsk mountain ridge, Kanivski Mountains, the Podolian Upland and the Black Sea Lowland.
Climate. Climate is generally moderately continental, subtropical and Mediterranean in the southern coast of the Crimea. Average temperature in January in the northeast of the country is -70С, in the southwest is -40С. Positive temperatures are maintained in the Southern coast of the Crimea also in winter. Average temperature in July in the west is 180С, in the south is 240С. The main amount of precipitation is brought by the Atlantic air masses, the major part of the plain territory gets more than 500-600 mm of precipitation per year, the southern steppes get 250-300 mm, which is not enough for agriculture economy.
Sights. In the territory of Ukraine traces of several cultural and historical epochs have remained: primitive system (Kamyana Mohyla (Stone Tomb), Zaporizhia region), stone sculptures, Scythian burial mounds and settlements, the ruins of Greek and Genoese settlements remained in the Crimean Peninsula. The old Russian culture found its reflection in the architectural monuments of Kyiv (St. Sophia Cathedral, Golden Gate etc.). In Kiev there are 30 museums, including Saint Sophia Cathedral – an architectural and historical reserve. In Kharkiv the museum of nature, historical and art museums deserve attention. Architecture of Lviv is associated with Vienna. Uzhgorod and Chernivtsy resemble the European medieval towns.
Tourism. The country has attractive recreational areas, such as the Crimea (Yalta, Alushta, Sudak, Feodosia and Eupatoria resorts) and the Carpathian Mountains (Truskavets, Morshyn, Poliana Kvasova). Ukraine is a country with the developed tourism, it is annually visited by more than 20 million of tourists (23.1 million in 2007), first of all from Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the USA and Japan. The development of mass tourism in Ukraine began in the middle of the 19th century.
The area of tourist interest in Ukraine includes both types of active types of rest and sport tourism, such as mountain climbing and downhill skiing, and travelling for cognitive purposes, where the object of cognition is rich archaeological and religious history of this country.
A tour of Ukraine for the tourist purpose can be combined with the benefit for health. Health resorts, located literally in all the regions of Ukraine, have been famous long since.
The Ukrainian cuisine is extremely varied and delicious.