Welcome to ukraine!
Ukraine is abundant in all tourist attractions for travelers eager to learn more about the surrounding world, peoples inhabiting it, their history and folkways.
Boundless
steppes, thick forests, serene groves, towering mountains, warm and
caressing seas, wide rivers, whimsical cave labyrinths — put
together, this cannot but attract tourists. Add to these numerous
nature preserves, dendrological parks, exotically rich museum
collections, historical and cultural landmarks, unique creations of
artisans and the picture becomes truly unforgettable.
A modern tourist industry has a wide network of hotels, camping grounds, resorts, tourist lodges. At present, Ukraine's tourist facilities can accommodate 10,000,000 visitors.
Ukrainians are a hospitable nation. One of the oldest traditions is to meet guests with bread and salt, saying "Welcome!"
The
best place to rest and to enjoy yourself the year round is
the Crimea. Here you will find comfortable hotels, restaurants,
cozy bars and cafes, tennis courts, gyms with exercisers, saunas,
movie and concert halls, casinos and variety shows, and a beautiful
beach. You can go on exciting tours of Yalta and trips across the
peninsula. You can travel by bus, by pleasure slips, by delta planes
and helicopters.
Ecology
Pollution became evident in Ukraine with industrial development in the 19th century. Ukraine contains some of the most polluted landscapes in Eastern Europe.
Air pollution is especially severe in the heavily industrialized cities of Kharkiv, Luhans'k, Donets'k, Dnipropetrovs'k and Zaporizhzhia. Coal-using industries are major sources of high levels of uncontrolled emissions of harmful substances.
Other Ukrainian cities with major chronic air pollution problems include Kyiv, Komunars'k, Makiivka and Odesa.
Over one-third of the emissions into the atmosphere originate from automobile transport. It is aggravate by the use of leaded gasoline and inefficient engines as well as a lack of catalytic converters.
Almost all surface waters of Ukraine belong to the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov basins.
The Dniester and the Danube are the most polluted bodies of water. Hundreds of small rivers supply water for villages and cities of Ukraine. Those water arteries are so polluted as to pose fatal health risk the people who depend on them. About half of the chemical fertilizers applied in the fields are washed into the river.
One of the areas suffering most from chronic coastal water pollution is the Sea of Azov. The sea salinity has increased by 40 percent since the 1950's. It has resulted in a dramatic drop in fish catches t 60-90 percent.
On April 26,1986 a horrible accident occurred at the Chornobyl' nuclear station. There was a nuclear reactor explosion, which had far reaching consequences. Contamination by various radioactive isotopes has affected the air, land and water of Ukraine. About 100,000 people were exposed to deadly levels of radiation before being evacuated. Recorded but unreported radiation levels in Kyiv the maximum levels by hundredfold. Numbers of death and children leukemia have occurred in the affected areas.
Since 1991 the Environmental Protection Law has been in force. Environmental safeguards of conservation bodies have become more stringent. Ecological monitoring has covered Ukraine's whole area. The Governmental Commission on the Problems of the Dnieper and Drinking Water has been set up.
Ukraine has joined international cooperation in the field of environmental protection. Agreements have been signed with conservation bodies of the USA. Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Germany and Latvia. The Ukrainian delegation took part in the UNO Conference on the Problems of Environment.