Ukraine

geographical name

yü-ˈkrān

ˈyü-ˌkrān,

also yü-ˈkrīn

variants or Ukrayina

ˌü-krä-ˈyē-nä

or chiefly formerly the Ukraine

country in eastern Europe on the northern coast of the Black Sea; capital Kyiv area 233,032 square miles (603,550 square kilometers), population 43,952,000

Note: Ukraine was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union from 1923 to 1991. In the past Ukraine was frequently referred to as the Ukraine; however, since Ukraine declared independence in 1991, most newspapers and magazines have adopted the style of referring to Ukraine without a preceding the, and this has become the more common styling.