A divided Ukraine
Ukraine is in the midst of a wave of anti-government protests the likes of which it hasn't seen in 10 years. What started over a trade pact with the European Union has escalated to a demand that the President loosen his grip on power and the constitution be changed. Ukraine, the biggest frontier nation separating Russia and the EU, is sometimes considered a pawn between Russia and the West. The maps below show a couple ways in which Ukraine is divided.
The language
While Ukrainian is the official language – close to 70% of the population speaks it – Russian is also widely spoken, especially in the Eastern regions.Source: 2001 Ukraine Census
2010 presidential elections
A contentious election in 2010 saw pro-Russia candidate and former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych win with narrow margins over Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Yanukovych won with strong support in the Eastern regions, with most regions in the West favoring Tymoshenko.Source: Ukraine Central Election Commission
No comments:
Post a Comment