Ukraine

After a brief period of independence from 1917 to 1920, the Ukraine was brought under repressive Soviet domination. After achieving independence in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Ukraine continued to struggle with massive corruption that stymied efforts at economic and political reform. The “Orange Revolution” of 2004 precipitated a reform movement whose effects are still unclear. The struggle over the position of Ukraine in global politics, oriented either toward Russia or toward Western Europe, remains unresolved. The second-largest country in Europe, the Ukraine has a population of 47,425,336. With a per capita income of $6,800, the Ukraine is ranked 114th in world incomes. Some 29 percent of the population live below the poverty line. The United Nations Development Programme Human Development ...