To honor the courage of the Ukranian citizens during Russia's ongoing invasion, it seems appropriate to review the nature of that country. Stretching from Poland to Southern Russia and southward to the Black Sea, Ukraine is the largest country that lies completely within Europe.
The eastern Carpathian Mountains stretch across southwestern Ukraine while the remainder of the country's topography is composed of woodlands, plains and low steppes. Rich soil throughout the northern and central latitudes of the country support agricultural activity and Ukraine is one of the primary wheat producers on the globe. Less fertile regions mine a wide variety of minerals and drill for oil and gas. Deforestation and pollution have been ongoing complications of all of these industries. Wildlife of note include brown bears, wolves, lynx and martens in the Carpathians and white storks throughout much of Western Ukraine.
The two primarily rivers in Ukraine are the Dnieper and the Dniester. The former, Ukraine's largest and longest) rises in southwestern Russia, flows southward through eastern Belarus and then bisects Ukraine on its way to the Black Sea; this large river passes through the capital of Kyiv. The Dniester rises in the Carpathian Mountains and flows southeastward to the Black Sea, forming Ukraine's border with Moldova along the way. I should also note that a portion of Southern Ukraine borders the massive Danube River Delta as it enters the Black Sea (Romania harbors most of that delta).
