Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state Kyivan Rus which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state the Cossack Hetmanate was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917 Ukraine achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20) but was reconquered and endured a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II German and Soviet armies were responsible for 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although Ukraine achieved final independence in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform privatization and civil liberties.
A peaceful mass protest referred to as the 'Orange Revolution' in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary (Rada) elections become prime minister in August 2006 and be elected president in February 2010. In October 2012 Ukraine held Rada elections widely criticized by Western observers as flawed due to use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates interference with media access and harassment of opposition candidates. President YANUKOVYCH's backtracking on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU in November 2013 - in favor of closer economic ties with Russia - and subsequent use of force against civil society activists in favor of the agreement led to a three-month protest occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's use of violence to break up the protest camp in February 2014 led to all out pitched battles scores of deaths international condemnation and the president's abrupt departure to Russia. New elections in the spring allowed pro-West president Petro POROSHENKO to assume office on 7 June 2014.
Shortly after YANUKOVYCH's departure in late February 2014 Russian President PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula claiming the action was to protect ethnic Russians living there. Two weeks later a 'referendum' was held regarding the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation. The 'referendum' was condemned as illegitimate by the Ukrainian Government the EU the US and the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Although Russia illegally annexed Crimea after the 'referendum' the Ukrainian Government backed by UNGA resolution 68/262 asserts that Crimea remains part of Ukraine and fully under Ukrainian sovereignty. Russia also continues to supply separatists in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces with manpower funding and materiel resulting in an armed conflict with the Ukrainian Government. Representatives from Ukraine Russia and the unrecognized separatist republics signed a ceasefire agreement in September 2014. However this ceasefire failed to stop the fighting. In a renewed attempt to alleviate ongoing clashes leaders of Ukraine Russia France and Germany negotiated a follow-on peace deal in February 2015 known as the Minsk Agreements. Representatives from Ukraine Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also meet regularly to facilitate implementation of the peace deal. Scattered fighting between Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatist forces is still ongoing in eastern Ukraine.

arable land: 56.1%
permanent crops: 1.5%
permanent pasture: 13.6%

urban: 95.5% of population
rural: 97.8% of population
total: 96.2% of population
urban: 4.5% of population
rural: 2.2% of population
total: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 97.4% of population
rural: 92.6% of population
total: 95.9% of population
urban: 2.6% of population
rural: 7.4% of population
total: 4.1% of population (2015 est.)

Vidrozhennya ('Revival') [Vitaliy KHOMUTYNNIK] (parliamentary group)
Volya Naroda (“People's Will”) or VN (parliamentary group)

After Russia the Ukrainian republic was the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat milk grain and vegetables to other republics. Likewise its diversified heavy industry supplied unique equipment such as large diameter pipes and vertical drilling apparatus and raw materials to industrial and mining sites in other regions of the former USSR.
Shortly after independence in August 1991 the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF –encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms to foster economic growth. Ukrainian Government officials eliminated most tax and customs privileges in a March 2005 budget law bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy. But more improvements are needed including fighting corruption developing capital markets and improving the legislative framework. From 2000 until mid-2008 Ukraine's economy was buoyant despite political turmoil between the prime minister and president.
Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Ukraine depends on imports to meet about three-fourths of its annual oil and natural gas requirements and 100% of its nuclear fuel needs. In January 2009 after a two-week dispute that saw gas supplies cut off to Europe Ukraine agreed to 10-year gas supply and transit contracts with Russia that brought gas prices to 'world' levels. The strict terms of the contracts further hobbled Ukraine's cash-strapped state gas company Naftohaz. The economy contracted nearly 15% in 2009 among the worst economic performances in the world. In April 2010 Ukraine negotiated a price discount on Russian gas imports in exchange for extending Russia's lease on its naval base in Crimea.
Ukraine’s oligarch-dominated economy grew slowly from 2010 to 2014. After former President YANUKOVYCH fled the country during the Revolution of Dignity the international community began efforts to stabilize the Ukrainian economy including a March 2014 IMF assistance package of $14-18 billion. Ukraine has made significant progress on reforms designed to make the country a prosperous democratic and transparent country.
Russia’s occupation of Crimea in March 2014 and on-going aggression in eastern Ukraine have hurt economic growth. With the loss of a major portion of Ukraine’s heavy industry in Donbas and ongoing violence Ukraine’s economy contracted by 6.8% in 2014 and by an estimated 10.5% in 2015. Ukraine and Russia have engaged in a trade war with sharply reduced trade between the countries by the end of 2015. The EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area finally started up on 1 January 2016 and is expected to help Ukraine integrate its economy with Europe by opening up markets and harmonizing regulations.

$339.5 billion (2015 est.)
$376.7 billion (2014 est.)
$403.1 billion (2013 est.)

-9.9% (2015 est.)
-6.6% (2014 est.)
0% (2013 est.)

$7,500 (2015 est.)
$8,300 (2014 est.)
$9,400 (2013 est.)

15.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
10% of GDP (2014 est.)
9.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

9.1% (2015 est.)
9.3% (2014 est.)

24.6 (2013)
28.2 (2009)

79.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
69.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

48.7% (2015 est.)
12.1% (2014 est.)

22% (23 December 2015)
7.5% (31 January 2012)

21.82% (31 December 2015 est.)
17.72% (31 December 2014 est.)

$19.68 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$27.62 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$78.02 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$113.4 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$62.77 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$95.93 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$20.71 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
$25.56 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
$39.46 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

-$260 million (2015 est.)
-$5.332 billion (2014 est.)

$35.5 billion (2015 est.)
$50.76 billion (2014 est.)

$38.94 billion (2015 est.)
$58.24 billion (2014 est.)

$13.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$7.53 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$119.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$130.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$60.95 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$57.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$7.183 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$7.145 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

hryvnia (UAH) per US dollar -
21.8447 (2015 est.)
11.8867 (2014 est.)
11.8867 (2013 est.)
7.99 (2012 est.)
7.9676 (2011 est.)

3.8% of GDP (2016)
2.7% of GDP (2015)
1.77% of GDP (2014)
0.97% of GDP (2013)