Quick Facts:
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Capital: | Kiev (Kyiv) |
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Population: |
49 million |
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Currency: | 1 Hryvnia (grivna, hrv, UAH) = 100 Kopeks |
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Official Language: | Ukrainian |
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Country Phone Code: | 380 |
| Time: |
GMT/UTC + 2 hours. Eastern European Time. |
| Electricity: | 220V, 50Hz. Standard European electric jacks. |
| Weights and Measures: | Metric |
Visas
Most visitors need visas. Visas for citizens of the United States of Armerica can apply for visas by mail at the consular section of the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, DC as well as consulates in New York and Chicago. Citizens of other countries can apply for visas in their respective countries at the consular section of the Embassy of Ukraine. More visa Information >>
Citizens of the following countries do NOT require visas:
Azerbaijan,
Byelorus,
Armenia,
Georgia,
Kazakhstan,
China (Passport must be marked about the business purpose of the trip),
Kyrgyzstan,
Moldova,
Mongolia,
Poland,
Russia,
Tajikistan,
Hungary,
Uzbekistan
Please note that valid passports are still required.
Emergency Travel visas good for up to 14 days are available at international airports in Kiev, Odessa and Simferopol for citizens of the European Union, United States, Canada, Slovakia, Turkey, Switzerland and Japan. Please note that emergency visas will not be issued at any other port of entry. Emergency visas will not be issued to citizens of any other countries.
In order to receive an emergency visas travelers must have valid passports, two passport sized photos and hold hotel/tourist vauchers from tourist organizations registered at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Maps
Maps of Ukraine are not readily available outside the country. One of the best maps available outside Ukraine is Freytag and Berndt's Ukraine. Much better maps are available in Ukraine, however most are in Ukrainian (cyrillic alphabet). The best ones are published by Kartografia and have bright blue covers. They can be purchased at book stores and news stands.
Climate
Inland Ukraine enjoys a moderate continental climate. The hottest month is July. Avergae temperature is July is 23C (74F). THe cold month is January. Average temperature in January is -5C (24F). It is usually colder in the East and warmer in the west. Along the coast, Yalta and Odessa enjoy a subtropical climate and are much (especially Yalta and the Southern most part of Crimea) milder in the winter.
Average temperature in Kiev
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year
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| °C | -5.6 | -4.7 | 0.3 | 8.1 | 15.3 | 18.8 | 20.4 | 19.0 | 14.0 | 8.0 | 1.2 | -3.1 | 7.6
| | °F | 21.9 | 23.5 | 32.5 | 46.6 | 59.5 | 65.8 | 68.7 | 66.2 | 57.2 | 46.4 | 34.2 | 26.4 | 45.7
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Average Temperature in Yalta
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year
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| °C | -0.4 | -1.0 | 2.4 | 9.8 | 16.0 | 20.3 | 22.8 | 22.1 | 16.9 | 10.6 | 5.9 | 1.9 | 10.9
| | °F | 31.3 | 30.2 | 36.3 | 49.6 | 60.8 | 68.5 | 73.0 | 71.8 | 62.4 | 51.1 | 42.6 | 35.4 | 51.6
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Society and Culture
Even though Ukrainians are tolerant of the faux pas done bt foreigners, you may want too know the following few things:
The following things are considered bad luck:
- Women should not sit at the corner of a table.
- Nobody should shake hands across the threashhold (Door entrance)
- Empty alcohol bottles should not be left on the table
Religion
Nearly 97% of all Ukrainians are Christian. Because of complex historic reasons the eastern half of Ukrain mostly follow the Moscow-based Orthodox Church, while the rest of the country follows the Kiev-based Orthodox Church. The latter is also known as the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The western parts of Ukraine are mostly Greek-Catholic and are under the jurisdiction of the Vatican. The are small Jewish minorities in all cities, while Musclim communities, primarily Tatars, live in Crimea.
Language
Language is a complex issue for Ukraine. Most Ukrainians are fluent in two languages: Russian and Ukrainian. The only official language in Ukraine is Ukrainian, so all documents, signs etc. are in Ukrainian.
Ukrainian is also the primary language for people leaving in the western part of the country.
Because of long years of "russification" dictated by Russia most people living in larger cities in central and eastern parts of the country speak Russian as their primary language, however they also speak and understand Ukrainian. For historical reasons people who live in Crimea only speak Russian.
People living in smaller towns in villages in western Ukraine only speak Ukrainian.
Because of these issues in order to be able to communicate effectively throughout the entire country one needs to be able to speak and understand both Ukrainian and Russian.
Ukrainian and Russian come from the same language group and are somewhat simmilar. They use the same alphabet (Cyrrilic) with only some letters being different.
People in larger cities speak some English or German. People in smaller towns usually do not speak any language other than Ukrainian and Russian.
Because of this fact if you are planning on going to the country you should fammiliarize yourself with the Cyrillic alphabet. More info >>
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