Ethnographic map of Ukraine.1949

The core of the Ukrainian ethnic territory has always been located in the territory of modern Ukraine. Physical (tectonic) basis Ukrainian ethnic territory is Ukrainian shield.

Earth inhabited by Ukrainian, with favorable for intensive agriculture agro-climatic conditions and large and varied mineral resources industry. This fact has repeatedly provoked aggressive appetites of strangers.


Despite significant territorial losses (mainly in the 1930s - 1940s + Crimea) Ukrainian ethnic territory continues to be the largest among all the ethnic territories of European nations (Russians, like the Turks, geographic criterion Eurasian people).

At present time, Ukrainian ethnic territory bordering areas with ethnic Russians, Belarusians, Poles, Slovaks, Hungarians, Romanians, Moldovans and ethnic Bulgarians and Gagauz islands. Most of the Ukrainian ethnic territory has clearly mono-ethnic character - Ukrainian ethnic make up over 80% of the population.

These mono-ethnic Ukrainian territories dominated in 22 regions of Ukraine, Chernivtsi region - ¾, in Odesa, they are about 2/3 of the territory, in the Luhansk region - about half, in Donetsk - more than half. On the Crimean peninsula Ukrainian are approximately 1/4 of the population.

Within the Ukrainian ethnic territory is ethnically mixed and mono-ethnic Islands (enclaves) Bulgarians, Moldovans, Romanians, Hungarians, Russians, Poles, Greeks, Roma, Albanians, Slovaks, Belarusians and other ethnic peoples.