Ukraine's climate is temperate continental, which means plenty of rain and cloudy autumns and winters. The Crimean coast to the south has a Mediterranean climate, and there is regular snowfall during winter (October to April), with temperatures falling as low as 17-35°F (-8 to 2°C). The winters are long and cold and the summers short and very hot (especially in the south), with temperatures at around 64-81° F (18-27°C). Rainfall, in the form of thundershowers and downpours, is greatest in the west and north.

Follow the link to our Ukraine weather page for details about the climate in the Ukraine and the best time to visit this interesting country, including a detailed six-day Ukraine weather forecast.

Ukraine's official currency is the Hryvnia (UAH). And 1uah is equal to 100 kopecks. While US Dollars and Euros can be easily exchanged at the banks (open Monday to Friday till 3 pm) and currency offices, other currencies are not as widely accepted. There are sufficient ATMs in all the major cities, but travellers' cheques are not widely accepted. In fact, they attract a high commission and involve lengthy paperwork. The major restaurants, shops and hotels all accept EuroCard, Visa, and MasterCard, but credit cards are usually not accepted in smaller areas by local establishments. So you would be wise to carry enough local currency while travelling outside the main cities.

To view the current Ukraine exchange rate, click on this link to OANDA.com the currency website.

Electrical current is 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are round pin attachment variety with two pins.

 Ukrainian is the official language and is spoken widely in western and central Ukraine. Russian, meanwhile, is spoken by everyone. In fact, it is the primary language spoken in Kyiv, Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

Hello - Vitayu
Hi - Pryvit
Goodbye - Do pobachennya
Bye - Pa-pa
Good morning - Dobrogo rankoo
Good afternoon  - Dobryy' den'
Good evening - Dobryy' vechir
Good night - Dobranich
Yes  - Tak
No - Ni
Thank you - Dyakuyu
Thank you very much - Duzhe dyakuyu
You're welcome - Proshu, bud' laska
Please - Proshu, bud' laska
Excuse me - Pereproshuyu, vybachte
I am sorry - Vybachte
Okey! - Harazd, dobre
How are you? - Yak spravy?
Good - Dobre
Bad - Pohano
So-so - Tak sobi
Just a moment - Khvylynku

The Ukraine is located in Central Eastern Europe, and is bordered by the Russian Federation to the north and east; Belarus to the north; Poland, the Slovak Republic and Hungary to the west; and Romania and Moldova to the southwest.

To view a map of the Ukraine, click on this link for WorldAtlas.com WorldAtlas.com.

Ukraine's international dialling code is +380. Its outgoing code is 810, followed by the country code (for instance, 81044 for the UK). You have to wait for a second dial tone after you dial 8, then dial 10. In fact, International Direct Dialling facilities are available in most cities. In case of internal dialling, Kiev's code is (8)44. The GSM 900/1800 network coverage is limited to Kiev and urban centres. Besides, there are internet cafes in Kiev, Odessa Cherkassy, and Lyiv.

All tourists to Ukraine are advised to get comprehensive medical insurance. They should also consider immunisation against tick-borne encephalitis, diphtheria, rabies, and hepatitis A. In fact, typhoid vaccinations are strongly recommended for travellers who might eat outside the major hotels and restaurants. It is also best to avoid drinking water directly from taps. While the presence of Bird Flu has been confirmed in some parts of Crimea, no human infections have so far been reported. So tourists are not at a real risk, but you would be wise to avoid contact with birds, and eat poultry and egg dishes only at the better restaurants.

A note of caution for the adventurous traveller: HIV is widespread in Ukraine and so are sexually transmitted diseases. Also, swimming in the Dnieper River is best avoided due to the risk of exposure to pollutants and radioactive materials.

While EU citizens do not need a tourist visa for stays up to 90 days within a 180-day period, others require a letter of confirmation from a hotel or a tour company. For business visas, you need an invitation letter from a company in the Ukraine. However, visitors from the US, Canada, Switzerland, Turkey, Japan and Slovakia do not require invitation letters to get a visa. On arrival at the airport, all foreigners need to fill in an immigration card, which is to be presented both while entering and leaving the country.

Entry requirements for Australians and New Zealanders
Nationals of Australia and New Zealand require both a visa and a passport to enter Ukraine.

In Ukraine, there are nearly 35 million Orthodox faithful, even as the church is divided into breakaway pro-Kyiv and pro-Moscow factions. In western Ukraine, there are at least five million Uniate Catholics (Eastern Rite). The country also has a minority population that includes Muslims and Protestants.

Ukraine's history dates back to the inception of Kyivan (or Kievan) Rus. Despite being the most powerful state in Medieval Europe, the country fell prey to Mongol conquest and the western region became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the 14th century to the 18th century. A subsequent Ukrainian state managed to remain autonomous for more than a century, but the Russian Empire absorbed much of the country in the 18th century, causing considerable damage to its culture and identity.

Despite a brief independence post the czarist regime, Ukraine became part of the new USSR in 1922, after the Russian Civil War. The country was subject to two disastrous famines (in 1932-33 and 1946) and brutal fighting during World War II. Ukrainian, the language, was also sidelined, when compared to Russian - Stalinist repressions in the 1930s, decentralisation attempts during the Khrushchev administration and then the retightening of controls during the era of Brezhnev-Kosygin in the 1970s and early 1980s. Still, the traditionally bilingual province has signs in both Ukrainian and Russian in mostly all cities, including Lviv, where Ukrainian is most prevalent. While the 1986 Chernobyl accident was initially seen as an event that would further damage the republic, it was also considered an event that, in the long term, brought the population together and led to pressure the central government towards autonomy.

In July 1990, Ukraine declared its sovereignty within the Soviet Union. Ukraine's Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) declared independence in December 1991 following results of a referendum in November, which indicated an overwhelming popular support (90% in favour of independence). This declaration became a reality on December 25, 1991, the date when the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist. The repercussions were severe - major economic difficulties prevailed for many years post independence. Then, during the 2004 Presidential election, issues of cronyism, corruption and voting irregularities came to a head and resulted in the Orange Revolution. The subsequent election of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko as President gave much hope to a country on the brink of anarchy.