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Ukraine
is bordered by Belarus on the north, by Russia on the north,
north- east, and east, by the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea
on the south, by Moldova and Romania on the south-west, and
by Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland on the west.
The
capital is Kyiv. Ukraine occupies an area of 233,100 square
miles (603,700 square km) and its population is about 50,000,000.
Ukraine consists almost entirely of level plains and occupies
a large portion of the East European Plain. A key feature
of the Ukrainian geography 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. The Dnipro River runs
from north to south. Lowlands extend along the shores of the
Black and Azov seas in southern Ukraine, while the Crimean
Peninsula, in the extreme south, has both lowlands and low
mountains. Western Ukraine has some uplands, and the Carpathian
Mountains extend through that region for more than 150 miles
(240 km).
Ukraine
lies in a temperate climatic zone and receives 16 to 24 inches
(400 to 600 mm) of precipitation annually. The Dnipro, Don,
Dniester, and other rivers all drain southward through the
plains to empty into the Azov-Black Sea Basin. Ukraine's most
important river, the Dnipro, is extensively dammed along much
of its course for hydroelectric and irrigation purposes
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