UKRAINE Eastern Europe in a nutshell

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe, prior to 1989, was under control of the Soviet Union. Many of the states in Eastern Europe were production sites for goods and materials needed in Russia. Their natural resources were also exploited. What does exploit mean?

Ukraine Ukraine is one of the larger countries in Eastern Europe. Ukraine is about the same size as Texas The Carpathian mountains are along its southwest border. The Eastern edge of the country turns into a vast steppe with rivers that ships cant navigate.

Ukraine Climate Most of Ukraine has relatively cold winters because of its latitude, but also warm summers, because of its location near bodies of water. Ukraine is covered in rich dark soil that is very fertile. Because of this reason it is often called the “Breadbasket of Europe.”

People The earliest people to settle in Ukraine were called Slavs. A short time later they were conquered by people from the north called the Nords. The Nords established a large city called Kiev, which is the capital of the country today.

Ukraine Under Communism Under communism, Ukraine was heavily used for it ability to produce food. The natural resources of Ukriane were drained and the environment was polluted. One of the best examples of this can be seen in the Chernobyl disaster.