Where Is Ukraine Ukraine is a nation in eastern Europe Spanning 233,032 square miles 603,550 square kilometers it is the second largest country on the continent Its capital is Kiev This ancient city stands on the banks of the Dnieper River in the north Moldova and Romania are Ukraine’s neighbors to the southwest Hungary Slovakia and Poland line the country’s western boundary Ukraine shares part of its northern border with Belarus Russia lies to the north and east To the south are the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea Their waters meet at the Kerch Strait Romania Poland Slovakia Hungary 4
Kiev Russia Belarus Moldova Did you know For nearly 70 years Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union This empire broke up soon after Ukraine declared its independence in 1991 Black Sea Kerch Strait Sea of Azov Ukraine N E W S 5
The Land Flat fertile grasslands sweep across much of Ukraine The country’s major rivers flow through these plains from the northwest to the southeast The largest is the Dnieper River It snakes through central Ukraine before it empties into the Black Sea Along the route dams turn waterpower into electricity Dnieper River 6
In the west the land rises into the stunning Carpathian Mountains This range holds Mount Hoverla Ukraine’s tallest peak The north contains vast wetlands and forests of birch oak and pine Near the southern coast lowlands extend into the Crimean Peninsula Here the Crimean Mountains tower above the Black Sea shore 7 Carpathian Mountains 7