| − | '''Ukraine''' is an [[Eastern Europe]]an country that was part of [[Russia]] and [[Austria-Hungary]] and became a founding member of the [[Soviet Union]] in 1922.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080418030322/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-30078/Ukraine Interwar Soviet Ukraine], ''Encyclopædia Britannica''.</ref> It was previously independent from 1917 to 1918, a German puppet state in 1918, again independent from 1918 to 1920, a Soviet Republic from 1922 to 1941, again a German puppet state from 1941 to 1944, and again a Soviet Republic from 1944 to 1991. Despite constant foreign threats of invasion, [[liberal]]s limited Ukrainian civilian gun ownership to only 84th in the world.<ref>https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/cp/ukraine</ref> [[Leftist]] [[gun control]] generally prohibited handgun ownership in [[Ukraine]], leaving the citizenry defenseless against invasion. | + | '''Ukraine''' is an [[Eastern Europe]]an country that was part of [[Russia]] and [[Austria-Hungary]] and became a founding member of the [[Soviet Union]] in 1922.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080418030322/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-30078/Ukraine Interwar Soviet Ukraine], ''Encyclopædia Britannica''.</ref> It was previously independent from 1917 to 1918, a German puppet state in 1918, again independent from 1918 to 1920, a Soviet Republic from 1922 to 1941, again a German puppet state from 1941 to 1944, and again a Soviet Republic from 1944 to 1991. Despite constant foreign threats of invasion, [[liberal]]s limited Ukrainian civilian gun ownership to only 84th in the world.<ref>https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/cp/ukraine</ref> [[Leftist]] [[gun control]] generally prohibited handgun ownership in Ukraine, leaving the citizenry defenseless against invasion. |
| − | Ukraine is ethnically [[diversity|diverse]]. It had a significant Russian population in its eastern provinces, and many of these Russians have declared independence to become self-governing or wish to ultimately re-join Russia. Ukraine has less significant but still notable Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian, Greek, and Rusyn populations in its southern and western provinces. Throughout historry Ukraine has been the site of some of the worst [[human rights]] atrocities on the planet. The former territory of Crimea was once populated by Crimean Tatars, but their presence was drastically reduced by the de-population policies of [[Joseph Stalin]]. | + | Ukraine has some ethnic [[diversity]]. It had a significant Russian population in its eastern provinces, and many of these Russians have declared independence to become self-governing or wish to ultimately re-join Russia. Ukraine has less significant but still notable Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian, Greek, and Rusyn populations in its southern and western provinces. Throughout history Ukraine has been the site of some of the worst [[human rights]] atrocities on the planet. The former territory of Crimea was once populated by Crimean Tatars, but their presence was drastically reduced by the de-population policies of [[Joseph Stalin]]. |
| | To the north and east Ukraine shares a border with [[Russia]]; it shares a border with [[Belarus]] to the north and [[Poland]], [[Slovakia]] and [[Hungary]] to the west. The counties of [[Romania]] and [[Moldova]] are to the southwest. The [[Black Sea]] is to the south, offering access to the [[Mediterranean]]. The capital city is [[Kyiv]] and the main religion is [[Eastern Orthodox]] Christianity. Ukrainians pronounce Kyiv different from how Russians do (Ki-yeev, not the Russian KEY-ev).<ref>https://www.polygraph.info/a/hey-daily-mail-it-s-ky--yeev-not-keev-/30281142.html</ref> | | To the north and east Ukraine shares a border with [[Russia]]; it shares a border with [[Belarus]] to the north and [[Poland]], [[Slovakia]] and [[Hungary]] to the west. The counties of [[Romania]] and [[Moldova]] are to the southwest. The [[Black Sea]] is to the south, offering access to the [[Mediterranean]]. The capital city is [[Kyiv]] and the main religion is [[Eastern Orthodox]] Christianity. Ukrainians pronounce Kyiv different from how Russians do (Ki-yeev, not the Russian KEY-ev).<ref>https://www.polygraph.info/a/hey-daily-mail-it-s-ky--yeev-not-keev-/30281142.html</ref> |