"Ukraine - presentation part V" Top 5 Page for this destination Ukraine Travelogue by Klod5

In 1995 Ukraine imported about $14.5 billion of goods and exported about $11.5 billion. The major imports are oil and gas from Russia and Turkmenistan and technology from Western nations. Exports, which are minimal for a developed country, consist mainly of raw materials and agricultural goods. Major trading partners are Russia, Belarus, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Germany, the United States, Italy, and China. Ukraine is experiencing great difficulty breaking into the global market, and much of its export goes to former Soviet republics.
In 1992 Ukraine became a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank). It also became affiliated with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Ukraine is an associate member of the trade and economic union of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the loosely organized alliance of 13 former Soviet republics.

In September 1996 Ukraine introduced its new currency, the hryvnia. The currency of the Soviet period, the ruble, ceased to be legal tender in 1992 when it was replaced with a temporary coupon currency, the karbovanets. In 1993 already high inflation reached hyperinflationary levels, with an average annual rate of 4735 percent; however, a strict monetary policy introduced in late 1994 significantly reduced inflation in 1995 and 1996. The country's bank of issue is the National Bank of Ukraine, founded in 1991 and located in Kyiv.
So :

Ukraine's national currency is the Hryvnia . You can exchange foreign currency for Hryvnas at many exchange points located throughout the city.
Be forewarned that changing money on the street or with individuals is illegal and may be dangerous.
The most accepted foreign currencies are US Dollars and Euro.
Make sure your foreign bills are new - torn and written-on bills are often not accepted.

For your information I have pleasure to provide you with the current rates of exchange according to the official data of the <a href="http://www.bank.gov.ua/ENGL/DEFAULT.htm" target="_blank"> National Bank of Ukraine</a> :

<a href="http://finance.com.ua" target="_blank"><img src="http://finance.com.ua/cgi-bin/fip.cgi?currency=USD/UAH&source=NBU" border="0" width="88" height="31" alt="finance.com.ua"></a><a href="http://finance.com.ua" target="_blank">
<img src="http://finance.com.ua/cgi-bin/fip.cgi?currency=EUR/UAH&source=NBU" border="0" width="88" height="31" alt="finance.com.ua"></a>

Credit cards are becoming more and more common in Ukraine, although they are not accepted everywhere.
Major hotels, restaurants and selected shops accept them.
In general, do not rely only on credit cards when travelling in Ukraine.

Although the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought Ukraine independence, the rigidly centralized Soviet structure of government remained. The first five years were a tumultuous time of trying to establish democratic institutions and traditions. Ukraine's first direct presidential election was held in 1991. In 1994 an early presidential election took place, as well as elections to the legislature. Ukraine was the last of the former Soviet republics to adopt a new constitution. The delay was caused by a struggle in the legislature between reformers, who wanted to introduce a new, democratic system of government, and conservatives, who wanted to preserve the structures of the former Soviet state. The reformers finally triumphed in June 1996 when the legislature adopted a new constitution that stipulated a democratic form of government. All citizens aged 18 and over are eligible to vote.

Under the 1996 constitution, the president is head of state. The president is elected by direct, majority vote for a term of five years and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The president appoints the prime minister and, under the advice of the prime minister, also appoints the Cabinet of Ministers. These appointments are subject to confirmation by the legislature. The prime minister is head of government and is responsible for carrying out its policies.

The legislature (Verkhovna Rada, or Supreme Council) consists of a single chamber of 450 deputies elected for four-year terms. The inability of some candidates to win absolute majorities in their constituencies has left a number of these seats unfilled. Among its prerogatives, the legislature has the right to change the constitution, pass laws, confirm the budget, and impeach the president.

The highest court is the Constitutional Court, which is charged with protecting and interpreting the constitution. The president, the legislature, and a conference of judges each appoint six of the court's 18 members. The Supreme Court is the highest appeals court for nonconstitutional issues. A Supreme Judiciary Council, consisting of 20 members, recommends judiciary appointments and deals with the removal of judges.

Although Ukraine is a unitary state, its constitution allows for a considerable degree of decentralization. The country is divided into 24 oblasts (districts) and one autonomous republic, Crimea. The cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol' have special status; their governments, which operate independently of oblast authority, are responsible only to the central government in Kyiv. Local councils and executive bodies, elected every four years, are responsible for their jurisdiction's taxes, budgets, schools, roads, utilities, and public health. The Crimean Autonomous Republic enjoys far-ranging autonomy within Ukraine, including its own constitution, legislature, and Cabinet of Ministers. The latter controls Crimea's government and economy, but is restricted from implementing policies that would contradict the constitution of Ukraine.

In the late 1980s, when the Communist Party began to lose influence, the first non-Communist political groups appeared. However, the Communist Party was Ukraine's only legal party until its constitutional monopoly was abolished in 1990. The Communist Party was banned from 1991 to 1993, but by 1994 it was Ukraine's largest party. More than 40 political parties were officially registered in the mid-1990s, most of which had only several thousand members. Ukraine's entire party system is poorly developed, and its political parties lack local organization and grassroots support. The electoral system allows workers' collectives to nominate candidates for the legislature, thus weakening the role of parties in the electoral process. As a result, almost 170 members of the legislature have no party affiliation. Of the parties represented in the 1994 elections to the legislature, the Communist Party won the most seats, while the People's Movement of Ukraine, known as Rukh, won the second largest number of seats. In general, Ukraine's political parties fall into four categories: extreme nationalists, such as the Ukrainian National Assembly; moderate nationalists, such as Rukh, the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, and the Ukrainian Republican Party; centrists, such as the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; and the left, such as the Communist Party of Ukraine, the Peasants' Party of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Socialist Party.

To read the continuation :

Ukraine - presentation part VI
Summary :
Social Services
Defense
International Organizations
History
Foreign Rule
The Soviet Period
Recent Developments

Don't forguet :
Born From Pain : The Children of Chornobyl
THE WORLD CAN NOT AFFORD TO IGNORE WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN UKRAINE. WE MUST LEARN FROM THIS NUCLEAR DISASTER.

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