Ukrainian Environment For the most part, Ukraine has significant environmental problems resulting from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant disaster in 1986 and from industrial pollution. Ukraine has announced that the Chornobyl Atomic Energy Station will be phased out and shut down by the year 2000; it has asked for financial help to achieve this goal and to provide alternative sources of energy for its population. Key current environmental issues in Ukraine includes the following: -inadequate supplies of potable water -air and water pollution -deforestation -radiation contamination in the northeast from the 1986 accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant In this regard, Ukraine is interested in cooperating on regional environmental issues. Conservation of natural resources is a high priority. It established its first nature preserve, Askanyia-Nova, in 1921 and has a program to breed endangered species. Ukraine also had established a Ministry of Environment and has introduced a pollution fee system that levies taxes on air and water emissions and solid waste disposal. The resulting revenues are channeled to environmental protection activities, but enforcement of this pollution fee system is lax. Regulation and protection of the environment in the Ukraine comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety. The major international agreements which Ukraine is party to include Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, and Ship Pollution. Agreements signed, but not ratified include Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Climate Change, and Law of the Sea. Home |
Key Facts -------------------------------------------- Boundaries Country Length of Boundary Russia 1,576 km Moldova 939 km Belarus 891 km Romania 531 km Poland 428 km Hungary 103 km Slovakia 90 km -------------------------------------------- Ethnic Divisions Ukrainian 73 % Russian 22 % Jewish 1 % Other 4 % -------------------------------------------- Religions Ukrainian Orthodox Moscow Patriarchate Kiev Patriarchate Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic (Uniate) Protestant Jewish -------------------------------------------- National Symbols Flag Emblem Click either the flag or emblem to learn more about them |
Ukrainian Environment |
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Eastern Europe 49,811,174 603,700 km 2,782 km Temperate continental; winters vary from cold along the Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater part of the country. Hot in the south. Ukrainian Russian $1 = 5.42 hryvnia New Year - January 1 Christmas - January 7 Easter - Date Varies Independence Day - August 24 |
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