Text 4. National Economy of Ukraine

Ukraine is a state and it is one of the largest countries in Europe. It has its own territory, constitution, higher and local bodies of state power and government. The territory of Ukraine is 603.700 sq. km. Its population equals 48 million people. There are 24 administrative regions and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Ukraine. The geographical position of Ukraine is very favorable to the development of relations with the countries of Europe, as well as with countries throughout the world. It borders on the Russian Federation, Belarus, Moldova, Poland, Slovak Republic, Hungary and Romania.

To have an idea of Ukraine's economic potential, its resources, and define the scale of reforms which must be carried out let us get acquainted with some objective data. Ukraine produces almost 5 per cent of the world output. Ukraine is the first in Europe in iron ore extraction, production of steel, cast iron, tractors, mineral fertilizers, sugar and grain; the second in coal mining and the third in producing concrete, electric energy and various equipment.

Historically the following two factors determined the development of Ukrainian lands: firstly, the presence of fertile chernozem soils and secondly remarkably convenient geographical location on the crossroads of international trade routes.

Present-day independent Ukraine has a considerable potential to quickly develop its economy - and this is explained not only by favorable natural conditions, but also by the convenient geographical position in terms of international trade exchanges.

Ukrainian industries constitute a ramified network with modern attendant branches. Heavy industries, especially ferrous metallurgy, coal and machine building are predominant in the national industrial complex. Defense industry also occupies an important place. At present, it is being restructured and converted with the emphasis on the output of consumer goods.

Together with the fact, that Ukraine's climate is mainly moderately continental it allows for considerable progress in agricultural production after the village reoriented towards the market economy.

Ukraine can be divided into three economic areas: Southwestern, Donets-Dnieper and Southern. The Southwestern Economic Area has supplies of metals and fuel, largest reserves of mineral and wood. The top position is held by the sugar industry. Sweets of the Lviv factory "Svitoch" have won great popularity. The Donets-Dnieper Economic Area has rich mineral deposits. It has major industrial base for heavy industry - the Donets Basin contains plants producing zinc, plastics, soda and dyes. The area has the greatest concentration of power stations in Ukraine.

The Southern Economic Area is close to the sea. Its key sector is shipbuilding. Local factories produce machinery for the power industry, tractors and harvesters. Southern Ukraine is a large producer of grape wines, canned fruits and vegetables. Crimea has rich recreational resources.

Ukraine has a well-developed transportation system. Ukraine's highways include about 147.000 km of paved roads. Kyiv and Kharkiv have subway systems. A large railroad network connects major cities and industrial centers.

Ukraine's chief airports are at Borispol, Kharkiv and Odessa. Major ports include Illichevsk, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol, Mykolayiv, Odessa, Sevastopol and Yalta.

Ukrainian Economy promises to become more and more attractive for foreign capital. Foreign partners are now able to evaluate correctly the market in Ukraine and work out investment strategies which would make the realization of large-scale, mutually beneficial programs possible. The Ukrainian government has designed a programme to promote foreign investments. It could facilitate industrial restructuring, increase domestic consumption level, promote export and import and encourage a new product development. This programme is targeted on fuel, machine building, electric energy, metallurgy of ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemical industry, food and food processing, paper manufacturing, agro industrial complexes, civil building and other branches of industry.

Exercise 27 . Translate into Ukrainian the following word-combinations. Make up your own sentences with some of them.

To be very favorable, to border on, to have an idea of, to define the scale of reforms, to be acquainted with, to have a considerable potential, to be explained by the convenient geographical position, to constitute a ramified network with modern attendant branches, to occupy an important place, to allow for considerable progress in agricultural production, to have rich mineral deposits, to have the greatest concentration of power stations, to be more and more attractive for foreign capital, to design a programme to promote foreign investments, to facilitate industrial restructuring, to increase domestic consumption level, to encourage a new product development.

 

Exercise 2 8 . Select the correct words from the list below to complete the sentences: connects, recreational, chief, determined, leading, key to be solved, located, famous for, produce.

1. Ukraine's _____ exports are wheat, sugar beets, coal, construction equipment. 2. The _______ sector of this economic area is shipbuilding. 3. Ukraine's heavy industries _______ iron and steel, machine tools, and mining equipment. 4. Ukraine is _______ its agricultural production. 5. The country also has hydroelectric plants _______ mainly on the Dnieper River. 6. Ukraine is a _________ producer of manganese, which is used in making steel. 7. Crimea has rich ________ resources. 8. These problems are _______ in the course of new economic reforms. 9. A railroad network _______ major cities and industrial centers. 10. Two factors ________the development of Ukrainian lands.

 

Exercise 29 . Give the names to the following definitions.

A main road, usually connecting large towns, any public road; fully independent nation or state; to make or manufacture something, especially in large quantities; the amount of something that a person, a machine or an organization produced; the small hard seeds of food plants such as wheat, rice etc.; the investing of money; having a helpful or useful effect; suiting somebody’s needs or plans, giving no trouble or difficulty, suitable; a place where two roads meet and cross; to help something to develop or increase, to stimulate something.

 

Exercise 30 . Match up the verbs with an appropriate preposition.

1. to be divided	a) with
2. to border	b) to
3. to occupy	c) by
4. to be acquainted	d) on
5. to be converted	e)of
6. to be targeted	f) into
7. to be favorable	g) for
8. to have an idea	h) out
9. to be explained
10. to allow
11. to be crossed

 

Exercise 31. Write a plan of the text in the form of statements. Get ready to retell the text according to the plan.

 

Exercise 32. Learn the following words and word combinations.

requirement	– вимога
acceptance	– схвалення, прихильність
accomplishment	– досягнення, успіх
means	– засіб
survival	– виживання
willingness	– готовність

 

Exercise 33. Read, translate and give the gist of text 5.

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