Geography
Geographically, Kiev belongs to the Polesia ecological zone (a part of the European mixed forest). However, a unique landscape of the city distinguishes it from the surrounding region.
According to abbreviationfinder, Kiev is located on both sides of the Dnieper River, which flows south through the city towards the Black Sea. The right (west) bank of the city is represented by numerous wooded hills, ravines and small rivers. It is a part of the Dnieper Plateau along the western bank of the Dnieper in its flow. Kiev expanded to the Dnieper lowlands on the left (to the east), only in the 20th century. Important areas on the left bank of the Dnieper Valley were artificially created with deposited sand, and are protected by dams.
The Dnieper River forms a branching system of tributaries, islands, and ports within the city limits. The city is bounded by the mouth of the Desna River and the Kiev Reservoir in the north, and the Kaniv Reservoir in the south. Both the Dnieper and Desna are navigable in Kiev, despite being regulated by reservoir locks and limited by freezing in winter.
In total, there are 448 open bodies of water within the boundaries of Kiev, including the Dnieper, its reservoirs, and several small rivers, dozens of artificial lakes and ponds, occupying 7,949 hectares of territory. In addition, the city has 16 beaches and 35 recreational areas near the water (covering more than 1000 hectares). Many are used for pleasure and recreation, although some of the water bodies are not suitable for bathing.
Climate
Kiev has a humid continental climate (Koppen DFB). The hottest months are June, July and August, with average temperatures of 13.8 to 24.8 ° C. The coldest are December, January and February, with average temperatures of -4.6 to -1.1 ° C. The highest temperature ever recorded in the city was 39.4 ° C on July 31, 1936. The coldest temperature on record in the city it was -32.2 ° C on February 7 and 9, 1929. Snow is usually found from mid-November to late March, with the frost-free period of up to 180 days on average, but exceeding 200 days. in recent years.
Demography
According to the National Census of Ukraine, the population of Kiev in 2001 was 2,611,300. According to the census men represented 1,219,000 people, or 46.7%, and women 1,393,000 people, or 53.3%. Comparing the results with the previous census (1989) shows the aging trend of the population that, although prevalent throughout the country, is partially offset in Kiev by the arrival of immigrants of working age. According to the census data, more than 130 nationalities and ethnic groups reside in the territory of Kiev. Ukrainians make up the largest ethnic group in Kiev, accounting for 2,110,800 people, or 82.2% of the population. Russians comprise 337,300 (13.1%), Jews 17,900 (0.7%), Belarusians 16,500 (0.6%), Poles 6,900 (0.3%), Armenians 4,900 (0.2%), Azerbaijanis 2,600 (0.1%), Tatars 2,500 (0.1%), Georgians 2,400 (0.1%), Moldovans 1900 (0.1%). Both Ukrainian and Russian are commonly spoken in the city, with Russian more widely used in the city center despite the fact that Ukrainian is claimed as their mother tongue by nearly three times as many residents as those who speak Russian. See population of Ukraine.
Government
The Kiev City Municipality has a special legal status within Ukraine compared to other administrative subdivisions of the country. The most significant difference is that the city is directly subordinate to the national-level branches of the Government of Ukraine, bypassing the regional-level authorities of Crimea. In addition, the head of the municipal Administration (the main executive position that is held by a figure of direct election, instead of being appointed, who is also the Head of the City Council), the mayor of Kiev, and municipal institutions have a higher level of self-government than in other parts of Ukraine.
Economy
Like most capital cities, Kiev is an important administrative, cultural and scientific center of the country. It is the largest city in Ukraine both in terms of population and area and boasts the highest levels of business activity. It from the 1 of Januaryof 2010, there were about 238,000 business entities registered in Kiev.
Official figures show that between 2004 and 2008 the economy of Kiev outperformed the rest of the country, reaching an average annual growth of 11.5%. In the wake of the global financial crisis that started in 2007, Kiev’s economy suffered a serious setback in 2009 with gross regional contracting product at 13.5% in real terms. Although record, the drop in activity was 1.6 percentage points lower than for the country as a whole.
Because the city has a broad and varied economic base and does not depend on any particular industry and / or company, its unemployment rate has historically been relatively low – just 3.75% in 2005-2008 Indeed, even though The unemployment rate rose to 7.1% in 2009, remaining well below the national average of 9.6%.
Kiev is the undisputed center of trade and business in Ukraine and home to the country’s largest companies, such as Naftogaz Ukrainy, Energorynok and Kyivstar. In 2010 the city accounted for 18% of national retail sales and 23% of all construction activity. In fact, real estate is one of the main forces in Kiev’s economy. Average apartment prices are the highest in the country and among the highest in Eastern Europe. Kiev also ranks highly for commercial real estate as it is here that the tallest office buildings in the country are located, (for example, Continental and Parus) and some of the largest shopping malls in Ukraine (for example, City del Sueño and the Sky Mall) are located here.
In May 2011, the Kiev authorities presented a 15-year development strategy that seeks to attract € 82 million of foreign investment by 2025 to modernize the city’s transport and public service infrastructure and make it more attractive to tourists.
