Eastern Europe · EuropeUkraine
Discover Ukraine - Europe's second-largest country by area, land of golden wheat fields, Kyiv's ancient churches, Carpathian mountains, and unbreakable resolve.
Where Is Ukraine?
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. Its capital is Kyiv.
- Capital Kyiv
- Population 39M
- Area 603,550 km²
Ukraine is Europe's second-largest country by area, and for centuries it has been called the breadbasket of Europe - the vast black soil (chernozem) of its plains is some of the most fertile on the planet. Kyiv was already a major city when Moscow was a swamp, and the Kyivan Rus' established in the 9th century was the medieval predecessor state to both modern Ukraine and Russia. The golden-domed churches of Kyiv, the Carpathian mountain villages, and the Black Sea coastline represent a culture that's been shaped by Byzantine, Polish, Ottoman, and Soviet influences while remaining fiercely its own.
Since 2022, Ukraine has been at the center of the world's attention for its resistance against a full-scale Russian invasion. The courage displayed has earned global admiration and fundamentally reshaped European security. But Ukraine's story is far bigger than any war. It's the country that gave the world borscht (yes, it's Ukrainian, not Russian), produced literary giants like Gogol and Shevchenko, launched the first satellite from a Ukrainian-designed rocket, and created a tech industry that was booming before the invasion. Ukrainian resilience isn't new - from the Holodomor famine to Chernobyl to Maidan, this is a nation that refuses to disappear.
At a glance
Largest cities in Ukraine
Kyiv
Kharkiv
Odesa
Dnipro
Lviv
Famous people from Ukraine
Taras Shevchenko
LiteratureUkraine's national poet, born a serf, whose poetry became the foundation of Ukrainian literary language and national identity
Sergei Korolev
ScienceBorn in Zhytomyr, chief designer of the Soviet space program who launched Sputnik and sent Gagarin into orbit
Andriy Shevchenko
SportWon the Ballon d'Or in 2004, one of the greatest strikers in football history, played for AC Milan and Chelsea
Milla Jovovich
FilmBorn in Kyiv, became a Hollywood action star in the Resident Evil franchise and a top supermodel
Nikolai Gogol
LiteratureBorn in Poltava region, wrote Dead Souls and The Overcoat, foundational works of Russian-language literature
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
PoliticsFormer comedian who became president in 2019 and emerged as a global symbol of resistance during the 2022 invasion
Traditional cuisine of Ukraine
- Borscht
- Beetroot soup that Ukraine considers its national dish (UNESCO agreed, recognizing Ukrainian borscht in 2022)
- Varenyky
- Ukrainian dumplings filled with potato, cheese, cherries, or meat, served with sour cream - Ukraine's comfort food
- Salo
- Cured pork fatback, eaten raw, smoked, or seasoned with garlic, an iconic Ukrainian delicacy
- Chicken Kyiv
- Breaded chicken breast stuffed with garlic butter that bursts when you cut it, named after the capital
- Deruny
- Crispy potato pancakes served with sour cream, a staple of Ukrainian home cooking
- Pampushky
- Soft garlic bread rolls served alongside borscht, rubbed with garlic-oil sauce
- Holubtsi
- Stuffed cabbage rolls filled with rice and meat in tomato sauce, a Ukrainian celebration dish
Nature and landmarks in Ukraine
- Carpathian MountainsMountain
- Western Ukrainian mountain range with traditional Hutsul villages, ski resorts, and dense spruce forests
- Dnipro RiverRiver
- Europe's fourth-longest river flowing through the heart of Ukraine, historically vital for trade and culture
- Tunnel of LoveForest
- Magical tree-covered railway tunnel near Klevan, a natural green archway and one of the most romantic spots in Europe
- Askania-NovaNational Park
- UNESCO biosphere reserve in southern Ukraine with the largest remaining virgin steppe in Europe and herds of Przewalski's horses
- Sofiyivka ParkLandmark
- Stunning landscape park in Uman with waterfalls, grottoes, and sculptures, built in 1796 as a gift of love
- Synevyr LakeLake
- The largest and most beautiful mountain lake in the Ukrainian Carpathians, called the Sea Eye
Sports in Ukraine
- Football
- Dynamo Kyiv won the Cup Winners' Cup twice, Shakhtar Donetsk won the UEFA Cup, and Shevchenko won the Ballon d'Or
- Boxing
- The Klitschko brothers dominated heavyweight boxing for a decade, and Oleksandr Usyk became undisputed champion
- Gymnastics
- Strong Olympic tradition in both artistic and rhythmic gymnastics
- Athletics
- Sergey Bubka broke the pole vault world record 35 times, one of the greatest athletes in any sport
Did you know?
UNESCO recognized Ukrainian borscht as an intangible cultural heritage in 2022
Kyiv is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, founded around the 5th century AD
Ukraine has the deepest metro station in the world - Arsenalna in Kyiv at 105.5 meters underground
The Chernobyl exclusion zone has become an unlikely wildlife sanctuary with wolves, bears, and wild horses thriving
Ukraine is one of only four countries to voluntarily give up nuclear weapons (in 1994)
The country's national symbol, the trident (tryzub), has been used since the medieval Kyivan Rus'
Lviv has the highest number of cafes per capita in Ukraine and claims to have introduced coffee to Europe
Can you find Ukraine on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Ukraine and its neighbours without a second thought.
