Population: 48,760,474 (July 2001 est.)

Languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian

Background: Richly endowed in natural resources, Ukraine has been fought over and subjugated for centuries; its 20th-century struggle for liberty is not yet complete. A short-lived independence from Russia (1917-1920) was followed by brutal Soviet rule that...

Currency: hryvnia (UAH, No information)

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.