Map of Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Europe with its capital at Kyiv, home to about 38.98 million people across 603,550 km². The interactive map below plots 49 cities and towns, 10 rivers, 4 lakes, 2 mountain summits, 1 major dams and 20 ports recorded for Ukraine in YearMaps.
- Population
- 38.98 million
- Area
- 603,550 km²
- Capital
- Kyiv
- Continent
- Europe
Interactive Map of Ukraine
Centred on Kyiv at 50.4353° N, 30.5147° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the north; Poland and Slovakia to the west; Hungary, Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv is Ukraine's capital and largest city, followed by Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro. The official language is Ukrainian. Ukraine covers about 600,000 km2 (230,000 sq mi), with around 32 million people.
Humans have inhabited Ukraine since at least 32,000 BC. During the Middle Ages, it was the site of early Slavic expansion and later became a key centre of East Slavic culture under the state of Kievan Rus', which emerged in the 9th century. Kievan Rus' became the largest and most powerful realm in Europe in the 10th and 11th centuries, but gradually disintegrated into rival regional powers before being destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century. For the next 600 years the area was contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of external powers, including the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia.
The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in central Ukraine in the 17th century but was partitioned between Russia and Poland before being gradually absorbed by the Russian Empire in the 18th century. Ukrainian nationalism developed and, following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic was formed. The Bolsheviks consolidated control over much of the former empire and established the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922. In the early 1930s, millions of Ukrainians died in the Holodomor, a human-made famine. During World War II, Ukraine was occupied by Germany and endured major battles and atrocities, resulting in 7 million civilians killed, including most Ukrainian Jews.
Ukraine gained independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union dissolved, declaring itself neutral. A new constitution was adopted in 1996 as the country transitioned to a free market liberal democracy amid endemic corruption and a legacy of state control. The Orange Revolution of 2004–2005 ushered electoral and constitutional reforms.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Ukraine (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Ukraine
Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which was the largest and most powerful state in Europe during the 10th and 11th centuries. 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. 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, the Russian Empire absorbed most Ukrainian territory. After czarist Russia collapsed in 1917, Ukraine -- which has long been known as the region's "bread basket" for its agricultural production -- achieved a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but the country was reconquered and endured a Soviet rule that engineered two famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over eight million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for seven to eight million more deaths. In 1986, a sudden power surge during a reactor-systems test at Ukraine's Chernobyl power station triggered the worst nuclear disaster in history, releasing massive amounts of radioactive material. Although Ukraine overwhelmingly voted for independence in 1991 as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) dissolved, democracy and prosperity remained elusive, with the legacy of state control, patronage politics, and endemic corruption stalling efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. In 2004 and 2005, a mass protest dubbed the "Orange Revolution" forced the authorities to overturn a presidential election and allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH became prime minister in 2006 and was elected president in 2010. In 2012, Ukraine held legislative elections that Western observers widely criticized as corrupt. In 2013, YANUKOVYCH backtracked on a trade and cooperation agreement with the EU -- in favor of closer economic ties with Russia -- and then used force against protestors who supported the agreement, leading to a three-month protestor occupation of Kyiv's central square. The government's use of violence to break up the protest camp in 2014 led to multiple deaths, international condemnation, a failed political deal, and the president's abrupt departure for Russia. Pro-West President Petro POROSHENKO took office later that year; Volodymyr ZELENSKYY succeeded him in 2019. Shortly after YANUKOVYCH's departure in 2014, Russian President Vladimir PUTIN ordered the invasion of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. In response, the UN passed a resolution confirming Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. In mid-2014, Russia began an armed conflict in two of Ukraine's eastern provinces. International efforts to end the conflict failed, and by 2022, more than 14,000 civilians were killed or wounded. On 24 February 2022, Russia escalated the conflict by invading the country on several fronts, in what has become the largest conventional military attack on a sovereign state in Europe since World War II. Russia made substantial gains in the early weeks of the invasion but underestimated Ukrainian resolve and combat capabilities. Despite Ukrainian resistance, Russia has laid claim to four Ukrainian oblasts -- Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia -- although none is fully under Russian control. The international community has not recognized the annexations. The invasion has also created Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II, with over six million Ukrainian refugees recorded globally. It remains one of the two largest displacement crises worldwide (the other is the conflict in Syria). President ZELENSKYY has focused on boosting Ukrainian identity to unite the country behind the goals of ending the war through reclaiming territory and advancing Ukraine’s candidacy for EU membership.
- Location
- Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Belarus, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east.
- Climate
- Temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; warm summers across the greater part of the country, hot in the south.
- Terrain
- Mostly fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, with mountains found only in the west (the Carpathians) or in the extreme south of the Crimean Peninsula.
- Highest point
- Hora Hoverla 2,061 m.
- Lowest point
- Black Sea 0 m.
- Coastline
- 2,782 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 5,581 km; border countries: Belarus 1,111 km; Hungary 128 km; Moldova 1,202 km; Poland 498 km; Romania 601 km; Russia 1,944 km, Slovakia 97 km.
- Major rivers
- Dunay (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km; Dnipro (Dnieper) river mouth (shared with Russia [s] and Belarus) - 2,287 km; Dnister (Dniester) river source and mouth (shared with Moldova) - 1,411 km; Vistula (shared with Poland [s/m] and Belarus) - 1,213 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
- Natural resources
- Iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 71.3% (2023 est.); arable land: 56.8% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 1.5% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 13% (2023 est.); forest: 17.3% (2023 est.); other: 10.4% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Occasional floods; occasional droughts.
- Geographic note
- Strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe after Russia.
- Languages
- Ukrainian (official) 67.5%, Russian (regional language) 29.6%, other (includes Crimean Tatar, Moldovan/Romanian, and Hungarian) 2.9% (2001 est.)
- Religions
- Orthodox (includes the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC), and the Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP)), Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish (2013 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 est.)
- Economy
- Lower-middle-income, non-EU, Eastern European economy; key wheat and corn exporter; gradual recovery after 30% GDP contraction at start of war; damage to infrastructure and agriculture balanced by consumer and business resilience in western Ukraine; international aid has stabilized foreign exchange reserves, allowing managed currency float; continued progress on anti-corruption reforms.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Ukraine in Numbers
- Population
- 38.98 million
- GDP
- US$214.2 billion
- GDP per person
- US$5,866
- Life expectancy
- 74.7 years
- Population growth
- 2.92% a year
- Population density
- 65 per km²
- Urban population
- 69.6%
- Surface area
- 603,550 km²
- Forest cover
- 17.4%
- Arable land
- 56.8%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 82.5%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Ukraine in Depth
History
Evidence for the earliest securely dated hominin presence in Europe comes from 1.4 million-year-old stone tools from Korolevo, in western Ukraine. Settlement by modern humans in Ukraine and its vicinity dates back to 32,000 BC, with evidence of the Gravettian culture in the Crimean Mountains. By 4,500 BC, the Neolithic Cucuteni–Trypillia culture was flourishing in wide areas of modern Ukraine, including Trypillia and the entire Dnieper-Dniester region. Ukraine is a probable location for the first domestication of the horse. The Kurgan hypothesis places the Volga-Dnieper region of Ukraine and southern Russia as the linguistic homeland of the Proto-Indo-Europeans.
Geography
Ukraine is the second-largest European country, after Russia, and the largest country entirely in Europe. Lying between latitudes 44° and 53° N, and longitudes 22° and 41° E., it is mostly in the East European Plain. Ukraine covers an area of 603,550 square kilometres (233,030 sq mi), with a coastline of 2,782 kilometres (1,729 mi).
The landscape of Ukraine consists mostly of fertile steppes (plains with few trees) and plateaus, crossed by rivers such as the Dnieper, Seversky Donets, Dniester and the Southern Bug as they flow south into the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. To the southwest, the Danube Delta forms the border with Romania. Ukraine's regions have diverse geographic features, ranging from the highlands to the lowlands.
Economy
In 2021, agriculture was the biggest sector of the economy. Ukraine is one of the world's largest wheat exporters. It remains among the poorest countries in Europe with the lowest nominal GDP per capita. Despite improvements, as in Moldova corruption in Ukraine remains an obstacle to joining the EU; the country was rated 104th out of 181 in the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2025. In 2021, Ukraine's GDP per capita by purchasing power parity was just over $14,000. Despite supplying emergency financial support, the IMF expected the economy to shrink considerably by 35% in 2022 due to the Russo-Ukrainian war. One 2022 estimate was that post-war reconstruction costs might reach half a trillion dollars.
Demographics
Before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the country had an estimated population of over 41 million people, and was the eighth-most populous country in Europe. It is a heavily urbanised country, and its industrial regions in the east and southeast are the most densely populated—about 67% of its total population lives in urban areas. At that time Ukraine had a population density of 69.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (180 inhabitants/mi2), and the overall life expectancy in the country at birth was 73 years (68 years for males and 77.8 years for females).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Ukraine (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ukraine: Key Facts
| Currency | hryvnia |
|---|---|
| Official language | Ukrainian |
| Head of state | Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
| Head of government | Serhii Koretskyi |
| Form of government | semi-presidential system |
| Calling code | +380 |
| Internet domain | .ua |
| Highest point | Hoverla |
| Lowest point | Kuialnyk Liman |
| Established | 24 August 1991 |
Facts from Wikidata Q212 (CC0).
History of Ukraine: Empires and States
The atlas records 41 polities whose mapped territory included part of Ukraine, from Scythia in 650 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Scythia | 650–224 BCE | Most |
| Kingdom of Pontus | 91–64 BCE | A small part |
| Gothia | 207–377 CE | A large part |
| Huns | 373–425 CE | Most |
| Hunnic Empire | 426–468 CE | Most |
| Avar Khaganate | 561–655 CE | Most |
| Old Great Bulgaria | 633–681 CE | A large part |
| Khazaria | 674–969 CE | A small part |
| First Bulgarian Empire | 682–969 CE | A small part |
| Magyars | 840–899 CE | A large part |
| Kievan Rus' | 882–1235 CE | A large part |
| Principality of Peremyshl | 1056–1146 CE | A small part |
| Halych-Volhynia occupation | 1056–1240 CE | A large part |
| Principality of Chernigov | 1056–1240 CE | A small part |
| Principality of Kiev | 1056–1240 CE | A small part |
| Principality of Pereyaslavl | 1056–1240 CE | A small part |
| Principality of Terebovlia | 1094–1146 CE | A small part |
| Principality of Halych | 1147–1201 CE | A small part |
| Principality of Galicia-Volhynia | 1202–1240 CE | A small part |
| The Mongol Empire | 1241–1293 CE | Most |
| Galicia-Volhynia | 1294–1351 CE | A small part |
| Golden Horde | 1294–1501 CE | Most |
| Kingdom of Poland | 1352–1449 CE | A small part |
| Blue Horde | 1363–1401 CE | A small part |
| Grand Duchy of Lithuania | 1363–1449 CE | A large part |
| Polish-Lithuania Kingdom | 1395–1449 CE | Most |
| House of Jagiellon | 1450–1571 CE | A large part |
| Crimean Khanate | 1450–1782 CE | A small part |
| Grand Principality of Moscow | 1507–1546 CE | A small part |
| Tsardom of Russia | 1547–1720 CE | A small part |
| The Ottoman Empire | 1564–1790 CE | A small part |
| Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth | 1572–1793 CE | A large part |
| Zaporozhian Cossacks | 1662–1774 CE | A small part |
| Sloboda Ukraine | 1670–1768 CE | A small part |
| The Russian Empire | 1721–1916 CE | Most |
| Habsburg Monarchy | 1772–1805 CE | A small part |
| Austrian Empire | 1806–1867 CE | A small part |
| Austria-Hungary | 1868–1918 CE | A small part |
| Second Polish Republic | 1920–1939 CE | A small part |
| Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | 1922–1991 CE | Most |
| Ukraine | 1992–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Ukraine
Ukraine on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Ukraine
Ukraine (Ukrainian: Україна, Ukraïna) is a country in Eastern Europe, the largest country entirely within Europe, with a very rich culture and history. Ukraine has a range of great attractions to offer. The country's main draws include some great and quintessentially Slavic cities, impressive cultural heritage, and, of course, top-class natural areas.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Ukraine (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Ukraine
49 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiev | 2.71 million | Kiev | National capital |
| 2 | Kharkiv | 1.46 million | Kharkiv | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Dnipro | 1.05 million | Dnipropetrovs'k | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Odessa | 991,000 | Odessa | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Donetsk | 988,000 | Donets'k | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Lvov | 803,880 | L'viv | Admin-1 capital |
| 7 | Zaporizhzhya | 788,000 | Zaporizhzhya | Admin-1 capital |
| 8 | Kryvyy Rih | 652,380 | Dnipropetrovs'k | Populated place |
| 9 | Mykolayiv | 510,840 | Mykolayiv | Admin-1 capital |
| 10 | Mariupol | 481,626 | Donets'k | Populated place |
| 11 | Luhansk | 452,000 | Luhans'k | Admin-1 capital |
| 12 | Khmelnytskyy | 398,346 | Khmel'nyts'kyy | Admin-1 capital |
| 13 | Horlivka | 396,885 | Donets'k | Populated place |
| 14 | Makiyivka | 376,610 | Donets'k | Populated place |
| 15 | Vinnytsya | 352,115 | Vinnytsya | Admin-1 capital |
| 16 | Kherson | 320,477 | Crimea | Admin-1 capital |
| 17 | Poltava | 317,847 | Poltava | Admin-1 capital |
| 18 | Chernihiv | 307,684 | Chernihiv | Admin-1 capital |
| 19 | Chernivtsi | 298,251 | Chernivtsi | Admin-1 capital |
| 20 | Cherkasy | 297,568 | Cherkasy | Admin-1 capital |
| 21 | Sumy | 294,456 | Sumy | Admin-1 capital |
| 22 | Zhytomyr | 282,192 | Zhytomyr | Admin-1 capital |
| 23 | Rivne | 255,106 | Rivne | Admin-1 capital |
| 24 | Kirovohrad | 249,454 | Kirovohrad | Admin-1 capital |
| 25 | Ternopil | 244,768 | Ternopil' | Admin-1 capital |
The other 24 (population, region, role)
- Ivano-Frankivsk · 241,239 · Ivano-Frankivs'k · Admin-1 capital
- Kremenchuk · 232,742 · Poltava · Populated place
- Lutsk · 213,661 · Volyn · Admin-1 capital
- Bila Tserkva · 199,163 · Kiev · Populated place
- Kramatorsk · 184,105 · Donets'k · Populated place
- Melitopol · 158,000 · Zaporizhzhya · Populated place
- Uzhgorod · 150,832 · Transcarpathia · Admin-1 capital
- Nikopol · 130,500 · Dnipropetrovs'k · Populated place
- Lysychansk · 124,421 · Luhans'k · Populated place
- Drohobych · 124,269 · L'viv · Populated place
- Berdyansk · 118,284 · Zaporizhzhya · Populated place
- Nizhyn · 116,288 · Chernihiv · Populated place
- Kamyanets-Podilskyy · 114,658 · Khmel'nyts'kyy · Populated place
- Konotop · 103,547 · Sumy · Populated place
- Shostka · 96,825 · Sumy · Populated place
- Brovary · 88,506 · Kiev · Populated place
- Uman · 87,658 · Cherkasy · Populated place
- Izmayil · 83,194 · Odessa · Populated place
- Kupyansk · 78,870 · Kharkiv · Populated place
- Korosten · 72,984 · Zhytomyr · Populated place
- Kovel · 71,301 · Volyn · Populated place
- Illichivsk · 54,102 · Odessa · Populated place
- Voznesensk · 43,996 · Mykolayiv · Populated place
- Chernobyl · Kiev · Historic place
Highest Mountains in Ukraine
2 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gora Goverla | 2,058 m | 6,752 ft | Europe |
| 2 | Roman-Kosh | 1,545 m | 5,069 ft | Europe |
Roman-Kosh
Mountain · 1,545 m
Roman-Kosh is a mountain rising to 1,545 metres (5,069 ft) in Ukraine, in the Europe region.
Roman-Kosh (Crimean Tatar: Орман Къош, romanized: Orman Qoş; Russian: Роман-Кош;Ukrainian: Роман-Кош) is the highest peak of the Crimean Mountains.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Roman-Kosh (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 1,545 m (5,069 ft)
- Global rank
- #489 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Europe (#56)
- Country
- Ukraine
- Coordinates
- 44.6287°, 34.2480°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Roman-Kosh ranks #489 by elevation, below Gora Sedova (1,549 m) and above Jebel Chambi (1,544 m).
- Ranges:
- Transylvanian Alps (Europe), Balkan Mountains (Europe)
- Neighbouring summits:
- Dombai-Ulgen (4,038 m), Gora Elbrus (5,642 m), Erciyes Dagi (3,917 m)
- Settlements below:
- Yalta (16 km), Simferopol (38 km), Sevastapol (62 km)
More about Roman-Kosh
Roman-Kosh: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 1,541 m |
|---|---|
| Mountain range | Crimean Mountains |
Facts from Wikidata Q2092607 (CC0).
Major Dams in Ukraine
1 dam recorded. Ranked by structural height.
| # | Name | Height | River | Capacity | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DneproGES (Dnipro HPP) | 60 m | Dnieper | 1,569 MW | 1932 |
Largest Lakes in Ukraine
4 lakes recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syvash | 2,339 km² | Alkaline Lake |
| 2 | Kakhovka Reservoir | 2,045 km² | Reservoir |
| 3 | Kremenchuk Reservoir | 1,897 km² | Reservoir |
| 4 | Kiev Reservoir | 647 km² | Reservoir |
Syvash
Alkaline Lake · 2,339 km²
Syvash is a alkaline lake in Russia and Ukraine, with a mapped surface area of about 2,339 km². About 42% of its surface lies in Ukraine, and the rest in Russia.
The Syvash or Sivash (Ukrainian and Russian: Сиваш; Crimean Tatar: Sıvaş, Сываш, lit. 'dirt'), also known as the Putrid Sea or Rotten Sea (Russian: Гнилое Море, romanized: Gniloye More; Ukrainian: Гниле Море, romanized: Hnyle More; Crimean Tatar: Çürük Deñiz), is a large area of shallow lagoons on the western edge of the Sea of Azov. Separated from the sea by the narrow Arabat Spit, the water of the Syvash covers an area of around 2,560 km2 (990 sq mi) and the entire area spreads over about 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi). The Henichesk Strait is its eastern connection to the Sea of Azov. The Syvash borders the northeastern coast of the main Crimean Peninsula. The central and eastern Syvash were registered as wetlands of Ukraine under the Ramsar Convention. Since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the entire Syvash has been occupied by Russia.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Syvash (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 2,339 km²
- Area rank
- #89 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Alkaline Lake
- Countries
- Russia, Ukraine
- Coordinates
- 45.4079°, 35.1528°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Syvash ranks #89 by surface area, after Hulun Nuur (2,347 km²) and ahead of Lake Edward (2,220 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Other water nearby:
- Kakhovka Reservoir (2,045 km²), Kremenchuk Reservoir (1,897 km²)
More about Syvash
Overview
The Syvash nearly cuts the Crimean Peninsula off from the mainland, serving as a natural border between the Kherson region and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The long (110 km (68 mi)) and narrow (0.27–8 km (0.2–5.0 mi)) Arabat Spit runs to its east, separating it from the Sea of Azov. The two bodies are connected in the north at the Henichesk Strait beside the port of Henichesk. To its west, the Isthmus of Perekop separates it from the Black Sea and connects Crimea to the mainland.
The Syvash is extremely shallow. The deepest place is about 3 meters (10 ft), with most areas between 1⁄2–1 m (1 ft 8 in – 3 ft 3 in) deep. The bottom is covered with silt up to 5 m (16 ft) thick. Being very shallow, the waters in the Syvash heat up in the summer and produce a putrid smell.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Syvash (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Syvash: Key Facts
| Surface area | 2,560 km² |
|---|---|
| Maximum depth | 3 m |
| Surface elevation | 0 m |
| Inflows | Salhyr, Bulhanak-Skhidnyy, Pobednaya, Mirnovka, Stalnaya, Sudzhilka |
Facts from Wikidata Q1130771 (CC0).
Kakhovka Reservoir
Reservoir · 2,045 km²
Kakhovka Reservoir is an artificial reservoir in Ukraine, with a mapped surface area of about 2,045 km². It exists because of a dam rather than natural drainage, and was filled in 1956.
The Kakhovka Reservoir (Ukrainian: Каховське водосховище, romanized: Kakhovs'ke vodoskhovyshche) was a water reservoir on the Dnieper River in Ukraine. It was created in 1956 by construction of the Kakhovka Dam at Nova Kakhovka. It was one of several reservoirs in the Dnieper reservoir cascade.
The dam was breached on 6 June 2023, which consensus attributes to Russian forces mining and blowing the base of the dam, while Russia alternatively described it as a "terrorist" act, in the case of the Russian-installed mayor of Nova Kakhovka, or as caused by a lack of maintenance, in the case of the Russian government. By the end of June, the reservoir was completely dry.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Kakhovka Reservoir (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 2,045 km²
- Area rank
- #96 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Reservoir
- Country
- Ukraine
- Impounded
- 1956
- Coordinates
- 47.5421°, 35.1567°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Kakhovka Reservoir ranks #96 by surface area, after Poyang Hu (2,078 km²) and ahead of Kama Reservoir (2,033 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Settlements on the shore:
- Zaporizhzhya (35 km), Nikopol (56 km), Melitopol (80 km)
- Other water nearby:
- Syvash (2,339 km²), Kremenchuk Reservoir (1,897 km²)
More about Kakhovka Reservoir
Geography
The reservoir covered a total area of 2,155 km2 (832 sq mi) in the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts of Ukraine. It was 240 km (150 mi) long and up to 23 km (14 mi) wide. The depth varied from 3 to 26 m (9.8 to 85.3 ft; 1.6 to 14.2 fathoms) and averaged 8.4 m (28 ft; 4.6 fathoms). The total water volume was 18.2 km3 (4.4 cu mi). The Kakhovka dam has resulted in the natural water level of the Dnieper River being raised 16 m (52 ft). Locals sometimes referred to the reservoir as the Kakhovka Sea (Ukrainian: Каховське море, romanized: Kakhovs'ke more) as the other side of the river bank could not be seen at some points.
History
The reservoir's construction had submerged archaeological sites, including Scythian pots and Cossack fortifications. Mykhailo Mulenko, head of the conservation department at the Khortytsia nature reserve, has argued that the Soviet Union deliberately submerged these sites to erase Ukraine's pre-Russian history. These sites have re-emerged after the dam was breached and the reservoir was drained.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kakhovka Reservoir (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kakhovka Reservoir: Key Facts
| Surface area | 2,155 km² |
|---|---|
| Maximum depth | 26 m |
| Volume | 18.18 km³ |
| Surface elevation | 44 m |
| Inflows | Dnieper, Konka River, Bazavluk River, Rohachyk river |
| Outflows | Dnieper |
| Drainage system | Dnieper basin |
Facts from Wikidata Q1540436 (CC0).
Kremenchuk Reservoir
Reservoir · 1,897 km²
Kremenchuk Reservoir is an artificial reservoir in Ukraine, with a mapped surface area of about 1,897 km². It exists because of a dam rather than natural drainage, and was filled in 1959.
The Kremenchuk Reservoir (Ukrainian: Кременчуцьке водосховище, romanized: Kremenchutske vodoskhovyshche) is a reservoir on the Dnieper river in the Ukrainian oblasts of Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad, one of five of Dnieper reservoir cascade. Named after the city of Kremenchuk, the reservoir is primarily used for irrigation, flood control, fishing, and transport from the ports of Cherkasy and Svitlovodsk. It is the largest reservoir on the Dnieper river, with a length of 149 km, a width of 28 km, an area of 2,250 km2, an average depth of six meters, and a volume of 13.5 km3.
The reservoir's water level is maintained by the dam of the Kremenchuk Hydroelectric Power Plant, built between 1954 and 1959. Its filling resulted in the submersion of 23 populated places in the Novoheorhiivsk Raion, including Kryliv and Novoheorhiivsk. The Sula River flows into the reservoir, forming a delta with numerous islands.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Kremenchuk Reservoir (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 1,897 km²
- Area rank
- #105 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Reservoir
- Country
- Ukraine
- Impounded
- 1959
- Coordinates
- 49.2216°, 32.8594°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Kremenchuk Reservoir ranks #105 by surface area, after Lake Oahe (1,922 km²) and ahead of Lago Buenos Aires (1,895 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Settlements on the shore:
- Kremenchuk (44 km), Cherkasy (62 km), Kirovohrad (91 km)
- Watercourses:
- Dnipro (River), Southern Bug (River)
- Other water nearby:
- Kakhovka Reservoir (2,045 km²), Kiev Reservoir (647 km²)
More about Kremenchuk Reservoir
Kremenchuk Reservoir: Key Facts
| Surface area | 2,250 km² |
|---|---|
| Inflows | Dnieper, Vilshanka, Supiy River, Tiasmyn, Irkliy, Lyaschivka |
| Outflows | Dnieper |
| Drainage system | Dnieper basin |
Facts from Wikidata Q1431500 (CC0).
Kiev Reservoir
Reservoir · 647 km²
Kiev Reservoir is an artificial reservoir in Ukraine and Belarus, with a mapped surface area of about 647 km². About 100% of its surface lies in Ukraine, and the rest in Belarus. It exists because of a dam rather than natural drainage, and was filled in 1964 behind Kiev.
The Kyiv Reservoir (Ukrainian: Київське водосховище, romanized: Kyivs'ke vodoskhovyshche), locally the Kyiv Sea (Ukrainian: Київське море, romanized: Kyivs'ke more), is a large water reservoir located on the Dnipro River in Ukraine. Named after the city of Kyiv, which lies to the south, it covers an area of 922 square kilometres (356 sq mi) within the Kyiv Oblast. The reservoir filled in 1964–1966 after the dam for the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant was built at Vyshhorod. The reservoir is mainly used for hydroelectricity generation, industrial and public consumption, and irrigation.
The reservoir is 110 km in length, 12 km in width, has a depth of four to eight meters, a volume of 3.7 km3 (0.89 cu mi), and a usable volume of 1.2 km3 (0.29 cu mi). The reservoir, together with the Kakhovka Reservoir (destroyed in 2023 during Russian invasion of Ukraine), the Dnieper Reservoir, the Kamianske Reservoir, the Kremenchuk Reservoir, and the Kaniv Reservoir, has created a deep-water route on the river.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Kyiv Reservoir (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 647 km²
- Area rank
- #265 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Reservoir
- Countries
- Ukraine, Belarus
- Impounded
- 1964
- Dam
- Kiev
- Coordinates
- 51.0438°, 30.4842°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Kiev Reservoir ranks #265 by surface area, after Siletitengiz Kli (647 km²) and ahead of Lake St. Joseph (645 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Other water nearby:
- Kremenchuk Reservoir (1,897 km²), Kakhovka Reservoir (2,045 km²)
More about Kiev Reservoir
Kiev Reservoir: Key Facts
| Surface area | 922 km² |
|---|---|
| Surface elevation | 99 m |
| Inflows | Dnieper |
| Outflows | Dnieper |
| Drainage system | Dnieper basin |
Facts from Wikidata Q1425651 (CC0).
Rivers in Ukraine
10 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
Ports in Ukraine
20 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skadovs'K | 53 m | Very Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
| 2 | Belgorod-Dnestrovsky | 49.4 m | Very Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
| 3 | Henichesk | 49.4 m | Very Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
| 4 | Kyrylivka | 49.4 m | Very Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
| 5 | Kherson | 49.4 m | Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
| 6 | Berdyansk | 49.4 m | Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
| 7 | Khorly | 45.7 m | Very Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
| 8 | Reni | 45.7 m | Very Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | point_of_interest |
| 9 | Mariupol | 45.7 m | Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | large vessels |
| 10 | Chornomors Ke | 42.1 m | Very Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
The other 10 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)
- Odesa · 42.1 m · Major · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
- Izmayil · 42.1 m · Very Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
- Dnipro-Buzkyy · 38.4 m · Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
- Port Oktyabrsk · 38.4 m · Very Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
- Ust-Dunaisk · 34.7 m · Very Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
- Sudak · 34.7 m · Very Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
- Yuzhnyy · 31.1 m · Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
- Balaklava · 31.1 m · Very Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
- Alushta · 31.1 m · Very Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
- Feodosiya · 20.1 m · Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · medium vessels
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ukraine
9 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra | 1990 | Cultural | (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| 2 | Danube Delta | 1991 | Natural | (vii) (x) |
| 3 | Old Town of Lviv | 1998 | Cultural | (ii) (v) |
| 4 | Struve Geodetic Arc | 2005 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (vi) |
| 5 | Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe | 2007 | Natural | (ix) |
| 6 | Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans | 2011 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| 7 | Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora | 2013 | Cultural | (ii) (v) |
| 8 | Wooden tserkvas of Carpathian region in Poland and Ukraine | 2013 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) |
| 9 | historical city centre of Odesa | 2023 | Cultural | (ii) (iv) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Ukraine
9 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Europe | 11.24M km² | Continent | Europe |
| 2 | Carpathian Mountains | 220,248 km² | Range/mtn | Europe |
| 3 | Central Russian Upland | 165,976 km² | Plateau | Europe |
| 4 | Pontic Steppe | 102,190 km² | Plain | Europe |
| 5 | Alföld | 100,263 km² | Plain | Europe |
| 6 | Azov Upland | 26,039 km² | Plateau | Europe |
| 7 | Crimea | 25,759 km² | Pen/cape | Europe |
| 8 | Dnieper Upland | 16,170 km² | Plateau | Europe |
| 9 | Danube Delta | 932 km² | Delta | Europe |
States and Provinces of Ukraine
2 first-level divisions with their own map.
Countries Bordering Ukraine
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Europe
Ukraine: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Ukraine?
- The capital of Ukraine is Kyiv.
- What is the population of Ukraine?
- Ukraine has a population of about 38.98 million, the #40 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Ukraine?
- Ukraine covers 603,550 km², ranking #47 by area, with about 65 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Ukraine in?
- Ukraine is in Europe.
- Which countries border Ukraine?
- Ukraine shares a land or maritime border with Hungary, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Slovakia, Moldova, Romania.
- What is the largest city in Ukraine?
- Kiev is the largest city in Ukraine, with a metropolitan population of about 2.71 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Ukraine?
- The highest summit recorded for Ukraine in YearMaps is Gora Goverla at 2,058 m (6,752 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in Ukraine?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering Ukraine is Syvash, at roughly 2,339 km².
- What is the tallest dam in Ukraine?
- The tallest dam recorded for Ukraine is DneproGES (Dnipro HPP) at 60 m, on the Dnieper.