Ukraine. Information.

UKRAINE (УКРАIНА), Republic of Ukraine - state in Eastern Europe.

Area           - 603 700 sq.km.
Population - 49 153 027 .
Сapital       - Кiev.

On west Ukraine borders upon Moldova, Roumania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland. 
On east Ukraine borders upon Russia. 
On north Ukraine borders upon Belorus.

Slavic tribes occupied central and eastern Ukraine in the sixth century A.D. and 
played an important role in the establishment of Kiev. Situated on lucrative trade routes, 
Kiev quickly prospered as the center of a powerful state of Kievan Rus. In the 11th century, 
Kievan Rus was, geographically, the largest state in Europe. But in  the 12th century Kiev was 
razed by Mongol raiders.

Most of the territory was annexed by Poland and Lithuania in the 14th century, but during that 
time, the Ukrainian people began to conceive of themselves as a distinct people.

In 1667, Ukraine was partitioned between Poland and Russia. In 1793, it was reunited as part of
the Russian Empire.

When World War I and the Bolshevik revolution in Russia shattered the Hapsburg and Russian empires,
Ukrainians declared independent statehood. In 1917 and 1918, three separate Ukrainian republics 
declared independence. However, by 1921, the western part of the traditional territory had been
incorporated into Poland, and the larger, central and eastern part became part of the Soviet Union.

After the German and Soviet invasions of Poland in 1939, the western Ukrainian regions were 
incorporated into the Soviet Union.

Finally, independence was attained in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR.

Currency system: 1 hrivna (UAH) = 100 kopecks.

Full information about stamps of Ukraine you can find on site: www.stamp.kiev.ua