Take a quick lesson on Euro 2012 co-host Ukraine. It is Ukraine, not "the Ukraine."
More than half (53 percent) of the population speaks Ukrainian and 44 percent Russian.
The capital, Kyiv, is mostly a Russian-speaking city.
While the population of Ukraine is 45.6 million, at least 10 million Ukrainians live abroad. Most live in Russia (around four million), Kazakhstan, the U.S., Canada, Moldova, Poland, Argentina and Brazil.
The medieval state ofKyivan Rus, with its capital in Kyiv, was founded by the Vikings in 9th century, according to the most popular theory.
Ukraine claims to be home to the geographical center of Europe, which is near the western town of Rakhiv. Other places in Europe claim to have the center, and the definition depends on the methodology used.
During the 10th and 11thcenturies, Kyivan Rus became the largest and most powerful state in Europe, especially during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise who was married to Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden, the daughter ofSwedish King OlofSkotkonung. Their daughters became queens of Norway, France and Hungary.
Parts of Ukraine belonged to different empires for centuries: the Ottoman empire, Poland-Lithuania, Austrian-Hungarian and Russian empire. Ukraine as it is now was formed only in 1954 when the Crimean peninsula became part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
The dominant religion in the nation is Orthodoxy, followed by Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism and Islam.
Kyiv Cake, first made in 1956, became the symbol of the city across the Soviet Union and remains popular. The cake consists of layers of meringue, hazelnuts, chocolate glaze and butter cream.
The world’s heaviest aircraft, theAntonov An-225Mriyawas designed in Ukraine in 1988 and is still manufactured in Kyiv. The aircraft holds the world record for carrying the heaviest ever load.
The Carol of the Bells, the most popular Christmas carol, was originally composed by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych.
The subway station Arsenalna in the Kyiv city center is the deepest subway station in the world at 105 meters below ground. According to popular belief, Arsenalna was home to secret bunkers for the political elite of Soviet Union.
The Ukrainian currency, hryvnia, derives from the hrivna – the massive necklace of gold or silver that ancient kings once wore.
With an area of 603,628square kilometers, Ukraine is the second largest contiguous country on the European continent.
Nearly all (99.4 percent) of Ukrainians over 16 years old know how to write and 70 percent of the population has a higher education. However, the quality of education is questionable due to widespread corruption.
Local tradition is to bring an odd number of flowers for a celebration and an even number for funerals.
Bread is consumed with every meal in most Ukrainian families. Some even eat bread with dessert and fruit.
Ukrainians are the fifth-heaviest drinking nation in the world after Moldova, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Russia, according to the World Health Organization.
Some 77 percent of Ukrainians have never been abroad, while 36 percent of Ukrainians have never been outside their region, according to a Research & Branding Group survey.
Many Ukrainians believe that vodka helps treat flu, cold and stomach conditions. A folk recipe is vodka mixed with black pepper and honey or vodka mixed with hot milk and honey.
There are at least 25,000 fortune tellers, magicians and astrologists of all kinds in the country where many people are superstitious.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych served two terms in jail. The first time came when he was 17, when he spent three years in prison for robbery. When he was 20 he was convicted again and sentenced to two years in prison for assault. Both convictions were expunged from his record in 1978.
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