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Ukraine occupies an area of 603,700 square kilometers, and is among the largest European countries. Territorially it is larger than France (544,000 sq. km.), Spain (505,000 sq. km.), Sweden (450,000 sq. km.), and Poland (312,7000 sq. km.).
In terms of population (50.5 million as of January 1, 1998), Ukraine ranks fifth in Europe after Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Sweden. The population density per one square kilometer amounts to an average of 85.6 people, the European average being 67.
In its ethnic composition, Ukraine is a multi-ethnic Republic, inhabited by more than 110 ethnic groups, of which Ukrainian (72.7%) are the largest, followed by Russians, Jews, Belarussians, Moldovans, Bulgarians, Poles and Hungarians.
The easternmost point is in the township of Milove, Luhansk Region. The westernmost point is the city of Chop in Transcarpathia, the distance between them being 1,270 kilometers. In its widest central part, the distance between the northernmost village of Muravyi in the Chernihiv Region and the southernmost Sarych Promontory in Crimea equals 900 kilometers.
The largest mountain system is the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains, which are part of the Eastern Carpathians. The mountains stretch to the west within the territories of the Transcarpathian, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi regions.
The highest mountain peak, Hoverla, is in the Ukrainian Carpathians within the territories of Transcarpathian and Ivano-Frankivsk.
The Black Sea borders Ukraine to the south. The Dnieper is the country?s largest river. The deepest river is the Danube. Yalpug is Ukraine?s largest lake in the Danube delta of the Odesa Region.
The deepest lake is Svitiaz in the basin of the Southern Buh. It is one of the Shatsk Lakes in Volyn.
The highest mountain lake is Brebeneskul, between the Carpathian range of Chornohora and the Hutyn-Tamnatyk Mountain.
The considerable remoteness from oceans and continental Siberia tells favorably on the climate of Ukraine. Almost al of its territory is located in the temperate zone. On the whole, the climate is temperately continental, and only on the southern shore of Crimea is it subtropical.
As of January 1, 1990, Ukraine numbered 436 cities inhabited by more than 68% of the country's population. Over 75% of basic production assets and about 95% of scientific research institutions are concentrated in these metropolitan areas.
