Main Entry: Ukraine

Pronunciation: \yü-ˈkrān, ˈyü-ˌ, also yü-ˈkrīn\

Variant(s): or Ukra·yi·na \ˌü-krä-ˈyē-nä\or chiefly formerly the Ukraine

Function: geographical name

country E Europe on N coast of Black Sea; a constituent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1923–91 ∗ Kiev area 233,089 square miles (603,701 square kilometers), population 48,457,102

usage In the past Ukraine was frequently referred to as the Ukraine; however, since Ukraine declared independence in 1991, mostnewspapers and magazines have adopted the style of referring to Ukraine without the the, and this has become the more common styling.