conventional short form: Ukraine
local long form: none
local short form: Ukrayina
former: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type: republic
Capital: Kiev (Kyyiv)
Administrative divisions: 24 oblasti (singular - oblast'), 1
autonomous republic* (avtomnaya respublika), and 2 municipalities
(mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkas'ka
(Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv), Chernivets'ka (Chernivtsi),
Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k), Donets'ka (Donets'k),
Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k), Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv),
Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka (Khmel'nyts'kyy),
Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyyiv**, Kyyivs'ka (Kiev), Luhans'ka
(Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka
(Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Avtonomna Respublika Krym*
(Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**, Sums'ka (Sumy),
Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya), Volyns'ka
(Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka (Zaporizhzhya),
Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr); note - when using a place name with an
adjectival ending 's'ka' or 'z'ka,' the word Oblast' should be added
to the place name
note: oblasts have the administrative center name following in parentheses
Independence: 24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991)