Ukraina

CAPITAL: Kiev (Kyyiv)

FLAG: Equal horizontal bands of azure blue (top) and yellow.

ANTHEM: The National Anthem of Ukraine.

MONETARY UNIT: The official currency, introduced in early 1993, is the hryvnia (HRN), which consists of 100 shahy. $1 = HRN5.33; as of January 2003.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is used.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1–2 January; Christmas, 7 January; Women's Day, 8 March; Spring and Labor Day, 1–2 May; Victory Day, 9 May; Ukrainian Independence Day, 24 August.

TIME: 2 PM = noon GMT.

Location, Size, and Extent

Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe, is located in eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia. Comparatively, Ukraine is slightly smaller than the state of Texas with a total area of 603,700 sq km (233,090 sq mi). Ukraine shares boundaries with Belarus on the N, Russia on the E, the Black Sea on the S, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, and Slovakia on the W, and Poland on the NW...