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The '''Orange Revolution''' was the democratic political upheaval of 2004 in [[Ukraine]].
[[File:Ukraine-12-13-2004.jpg|thumb|280px|Canadian news magazine reports, Dec. 13, 2004]] [[Leonid Kuchma]]'s second term in office as president (1999-2004) was characterized by the collapse of the national democratic-centrist alliance, the "Kuchmagate" crisis, the rise of a non-Communist opposition in the 2002 elections, and the election of [[Viktor Yushchenko]] in 2004 following the protests that sparked the Orange Revolution.
The deep divisions that have become evident under Yushchenko had their origins in Ukraine's regionalism, the "Kuchmagate" crisis, antiregime protests, and different attitudes to dealing with the past. The country is divided by linguistic and regional cleavages that appear sharply in regional polarization in national elections. These divisions have led to constant questioning of the viability of the Ukrainian state and predictions of violence and civil war. Secessionist movements have made few inroads, however, and violence has been nonexistent. Because the "minority" group in Ukraine is actually quite large, it has immense influence in the state without resort to regional autonomy or secession. The balance of power between Ukraine's regions and ethnic groups has ensured that neither side has dominated. This does not make for rapid reform, but it has created a stable state.
==Further reading==
* Aslund, Anders, and Michael McFaul.''Revolution in Orange: The Origins of Ukraine's Democratic Breakthrough'' (2006)
* Aslund, Anders. '' How Ukraine Became a Market Economy and Democracy'' (2009)
* Kubicek, Paul. ''The History of Ukraine'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Ukraine-Greenwood-Histories-Nations/dp/0313349207/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256898525&sr=8-7 excerpt and text search]
* Wilson, Andrew. ''Ukraine's Orange Revolution'' (2005)
[[Category:Ukraine]]