A Tour of Ukraine Trivia Quiz

After WWII the Ukrainian part of the Carpathian Mountains was taken from Czechoslovakia and incorporated into Ukraine SSR. The Carpathian Mountains help to form the southwestern border of Ukraine today, and are the highest mountains in the country.

Often called the Lungs of Ukraine because the mountains are near some of the oldest forests in Europe, the area is highly valued for its clean air and water. It is a very popular destination for tourism, as it contains ski resorts and spa towns. Logging is an important industry in the Carpathian Mountains, and traditional shepherding is also done there.

Many of the people who live in the mountainous region belong to ethnic groups like the Hutsuls, Boilos, and Lemkos, who have preserved their unique culture. They are known for crafting musical instruments and the production of clothing.

As one of the largest ports on the Black Sea, the city of Odesa is very important to Ukraine's trade, and is critical to its importing and exploring economy. The city is also the hub of Ukraine's railroad network, and is the site of an international airport. In addition, it provides access to the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, which links the Black Sea with the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and is the headquarters of the Ukrainian Navy.

Odesa is also an important tourist destination, with its beautiful beaches and mud baths. The historic center of the city was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023. If you ever are able to visit the city, remember to enjoy its amazing architecture, the Potemkin Stairs, and the Privoz Market.

According to the Montreux Convention of 1936, the Black Sea does not belong to anyone. Turkey is the caretaker of the Bosporus and Dardanelles, the two straits that allows passage into the Black Sea from the north. While Russia maintains a military presence there, Ukraine is a littoral state on the Black Sea, which means it has sovereign rights over its own coastline and up to 12 nautical miles from its coast.

Ukraine has relied on its Black Sea ports to aid in the export of its agricultural products and grain for many years. This enables the country to trade internationally, as the region is an important crossroads between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Not only is the region important economically, it is also important to the military defense of Ukraine.

Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, an action which is considered to be illegal under international law. Since 2022 Russia has used the Crimea as a military base, and Ukraine has launched several attacks on its infrastructure there.

The Crimea is historically important because the location allows for more control over the Black Sea, and it provides an important warm water port for trade and military naval bases. In addition, valuable natural gas and oil resources have been discovered there. Is it any wonder that since 1917 the peninsula has been controlled by the Russian Empire, Crimean People's Republic, Allies, Red and White Army, Bolsheviks, Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, Ukrainian SSR, an independent Ukraine, and Russia?

The Sea of Azov is an important waterway that leads from Ukrainian territory, through the Kerch Strait, and out into the Black Sea. It is a vital part of Ukraine's agricultural and industrial trading network. In addition, because of its warmth, low salinity, and abundant nutrients, the Sea of Azov is an important fishing ground with over eighty species of fish.

In 2022 Russia broke a 2003 treaty, which had designated the Sea of Azov as a shared territory, and declared that the internal waters were theirs to control. Although Ukraine has found it difficult to assert their dominance over the area, it technically belongs to them.

An important cultural and historical icon, the Dnieper River has served Ukraine well for centuries. The Varangian Vikings began coming to the area in the 700s AD, and eventually established the kingdom of Kievan Rus' on its banks. Since then it has been the central waterway in Ukraine, and is a major source of economic activity for the country.

The Dnieper River, the fourth longest in Europe, not only connects Ukraine to the important Black Sea trade, it also connects it to other European waterways via the Dnieper-Bug Canal. Dams have been built along the river in order to generate hydroelectric power. Like other rivers, it is also a source for irrigation and drinking water, as well as fish.

Dnipro is the fourth largest city in Ukraine, and is important as the country's industrial hub. The city's industries not only produce goods for the military, but also manufacture steel, iron, and other machinery.

In recent years it has been used as a base that provides humanitarian aid for displaced Ukrainians. Also an important center for education and culture, Dnipro has become important for its Information Technology and high-tech training facilities.

Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv is strategically important due to its closeness to the Russian border. Founded in 1654, it was the capital of Ukraine SSR from 1919-1934, and the site of heated battles between Ukraine and Russia in 2022. While Russia took control of some of the Kharkiv Oblast or province, it did not occupy the city at that time. Unfortunately, Kharkiv's location near the Russian border means that it is under constant bombardment.

Like Ukraine's other major cities, Kharkiv is an important transportation and industrial center. It is an old city, founded by the Cossacks in 1654, and an important religious and cultural center. The largest Ukraine bank, UkrSibbank, is based there; in addition it is the second largest Information Technology location in Ukraine.

The story is that members of an Eastern Slavic tribe founded Kyiv on the banks of the Dnieper River in the 5th century AD, and the city was named Kyiv after one of its founders. A Roman coin found in the area helped to establish 482 AD as the exact date that happened, and in 1982 the city celebrated its 1500th anniversary. After that the area was populated by Varangian Vikings, who went on to form the kingdom Kievan Rus' in the late 800s. The kingdom is considered to be the forerunner of the Russian Empire.

Today it is the capital of Ukraine, its largest city, and a major industrial center. A wide range of products, such as aircraft, other machinery, and cameras, along with consumer goods is manufactured there. The Kyiv hydroelect plant and Trypillya thermal electric plant provide energy for factories and private homes in the city.

Considered to be the Cradle of Ukrainian Culture, the city also has a number of universities, research institutes, and museums. Saint Sophia Cathedral and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, were the first UNESCO sites chosen in Ukraine in 1990.

Lviv, the fifth largest city in Ukraine, was founded in the 13th century. The Old Town of the city is very well preserved, and was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998. It is an important Ukrainian cultural hub in spite of the fact that many different cultural groups have influenced life in the city; it has been invaded so many times during its long history - by Poland, Lithuania, Austria, Cossacks, Sweden, and the Soviet Union, among others - that the exact number of invasions is difficult to count.

The geographic location of the city, however, has made it easier for the people to protect their culture, even when other cities in Ukraine found their customs suppressed during the Soviet era. The oldest printing press in Ukraine is located there, and the city today is an important publishing center, as well as an important center for education and the arts.