Ukraine

Ukraine officially became an independent state in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Over 90% of Ukrainian voters approved the Declaration of Independence in a nationwide referendum held on December 1, 1991.

Ukraine traces its distinct Slavic cultural identity back to the medieval state of Kievan Rus, which flourished from the late 9th to the mid-13th century. The capital city of Kyiv was the powerful center of this federation before its decline during the Mongol invasion.

Ukraine is the largest country located entirely within Europe by geographic area, spanning roughly 603,500 square kilometers. Excluding the Russian Federation, which spans across Europe and Asia, it holds the top spot for the continent.

The Holodomor was a devastating famine that swept across Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933. It is recognized by Ukraine and numerous other nations as a deliberate genocidal campaign orchestrated by Joseph Stalin's policies of forced agricultural collectivization.