Background: Ukraine was the center of the first Slavic state, Kievan Rus, which during the
10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe.
Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kievan Rus was
incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kievan 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.
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in
the west and Russia in the east
Population: 47,425,336 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.6% (male 3,783,725/female 3,619,754)
15-64
years: 68.8% (male 15,619,989/female 16,992,628)
65 years and
over: 15.6% (male 2,497,851/female 4,911,389) (2005 est.)
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