Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1304

 1252 UKRAINE

UKRAINE.

(Ukraina.)

It is claimed that the firstUkrainian State was founded in Kieff in the ninth century. In the fourteenth century the eastern portion was couquered by the Lithuanians and the western portion by the Poles. Eventually the whole of the Ukraine was incorporated with Poland. In 1648 the Ukrainians threw off the Polish yoke, and in 1654 Chmelnitzki concluded the Treaty of Perey- aslav with the Muscovite Tsars, according tc which Ukraine east of the Dnieper was united to Muscovy, while Galicia passed over to Austria in 1795. The Treaty of Pereyaslav formed the constitution of the Ukrainian State until the death of the Hetman Daniel Apostol in 1734.

The independence of Russian Ukraine was proclaimed on November 21,

1917, and that of Austrian Ukraine on November 19, 1918. On December 14,

1918, the Government of Ukraine, a Directory of five members, was established as a Provisional Government, with a Ministerial Cabinet of 14, until a Parliament representing the whole nation has been elected ; and on January 3, 1919, the union of "Eastern" (Russian) and "Western" (Austrian) Ukraine took place.

In the Treaty of Riga (March 19, 1921), between Soviet Russia and Poland, both sides agreed to recognise the independence of the Ukraine. In 1920 a Soviet Government was established.

Area and Population.— The territory claimed by the Ukrainians em- braces a large section of Southern Russia extending from the Caspian in the east to the Black Sea, including Kuban ; along the northern shore of the Black Sea to Odessa, with a section extending south to near the mouth of the Rumba ; north-west along the borders of Rumania, Hungary, and Cheko- Slovakia ; north to the Polish boundary ; skirting Lithuania and White Ruthenia on the north ; south-east to Kursk and east to the country of the Don Cossacks, which borders it on the east ; at Rostov the line, much broken, proceeds east and south-east to the Caspian at about 45° N. The area of this territory is stated to be 498,100 square miles, and the total population 46,000,000. Of these 32,662,000 ar<s Ukrainians, 5,376,800 Russians, 2,079,500 Poles, 3,795,760 Jews, 871,270 Germans, 435,240 Rumanians, 32,960 Hungarians, and the remainder various nationalities.

Religion. — The overwhelming mass of the people (30,652,860) belong to the Ukrainian-Orthodox Church, which differs but slightly from the Russian- Orthodor. There are besides 6,847,140 Greek Catholics, 4,500,000 Russian- Orthodox, 3,800,000 Jews, 2,000,000 Roman Catholics, 800,000 Protestants, and 1,400,000 others.

Instruction. — In 1918 there were 1,162 higher elementary schools where the course lasts four years. For secondary education there are 120 colleges and about a dozen normal schools. There are six superior institu- tions and 1,200 private schools, besides two Universities at Kiew and Kamercz- Podolsk.

Finance- — The Budget of the Ukraine in 1918 was : Revenue 80,644, 000Z. ; expenditure, 115,000,000/.

Production and Industry-— The land may be divided as follows: — Arable land, 66 per cent. ; forests, 10 percent. ; pasturage, 12 per cent. ; other 'productive soil, 6 per cent. ; ami sterile soil, 6 per cent. The country produces wheat, barley, rye. oats, beet, and potatoes. The principal industry in the Ukraine is the manufacture of sugar.