Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine has reaffirmed itself as an independent nation. With a population of about 50 million people, vast fertile plains, and huge coal resources, Ukraine has great potential for economic development.
Ukraine has long been a breadbasket of Eastern Europe. On the fertile steppe, farmers produce vast amount of crops that are exported to Russia and other countries. The chief crops are wheat, rye, barley, and potatoes. Agriculture is so productive because the climate is warm and the precipitation is adequate. Also, Ukraine is known for its rich, black-earth soils, called chernozem, that formed beneath the lush grass that once covered the steppe.
Ukraine's industries are less developed. They must import large quantities of oil and gas, which puts the nation at an industrial disadvantage. The economy of Ukraine has not advanced since its independence as much as people had hoped.
This lackluster economy has led to political unrest. Indeed, it has led to revolution. Many Ukrainians sought closer ties with the West and more free market reforms. In 2014, the president of Ukraine seemed to waiver between aligning with the West or maintaining close ties to Russia. A sizable Russian minority (about 20 percent of the population) vocalized their desire to remain close to Russia. Russia even sent armed forces into Crimea, a large peninsula in the Black Sea that is valuable to both Ukrainians and Russians. The future of the peninsula—and the relationship between "Little Russia" and Russia—remains in doubt.
