ukraine

• country located in eastern europe bordering the black sea and belonging to the commonwealth of independent states (formerly part of the soviet union)
ukraine is a country in eastern europe, bordering russia, byelorussia, poland, czechoslovakia, hungary, and romania. it was the second most populous republic of the ussr. it became independent of the ussr in 1991. russians make up about one-fifth of the population. leonid kuchma was elected president in 1994. in 1994 the legislature of crimea, where 67% of the population is russian, declared itself a sovereign republic within ukraine. ukraine produces coal, iron and steel, sugar, grain, and other agricultural products. high inflation and a large budget deficit are serious economic problems. in 1991 ukraine was one of the founders of the commonwealth of independent states.