Ukraine in Brief

Location – in Eastern Europe, incorporates Crimea Autonomous Republic.

Area – 603,628 km2

Population – 45,888 (January 2010)

Time zone – EET (UTC+2

Summer time zone – EEST (UTC+3)

Internet TLD – .ua

Calling code – +380

Capital – Kyiv (2,8 million inhabitants).

Other big cities – Kharkiv (1, 68 million), Dnepropetrovsk (1,23 million), Donetsk (1,15 million), Odesa (1,12 million), Lviv (800 thousand).

Official language – Ukrainian

Dominant religion – Christianity (Orthodox, Greek-Catholic) 

Currency – Hryvnia =100 kopiykas ( € 1.00 – 10.27 UAH, $ 1.00 – 7.99 UAHm – May 2012)

Independence: since 24 August 1991 

Area

• Total area – 603 628 km2
• Water area (%) – 7 %

Population

• Total – 45,888 (January 2010)
• Density – 77/km2 (115th)

Government: Unitary semi-presidential republic

• President – Viktor Yanukovych
• Prime Minister – Mykola Azarov
• Speaker of the Parliament – Volodymyr Lytvyn

Politics.

Ukraine is independent country under a mixed semi-parliamentary semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The country has a constitution. The head of state is a President of Ukraine elected by the direct popular vote by Ukrainian citizens who are 18 years and over. The highest legislative body of Ukraine is unicameral parliament – Verkhovna Rada. The highest executive body of Ukraine is the Cabinet of Ministers.

Climate

Ukraine has a mostly temperate continental climate, although a more Mediterranean climate is found on the southern Crimean coast.

Economy of Ukraine

Ukraine is a country with developed scientific and industrial base, a member of the World Trade Organization (from May 16, 2008). National economy includes such industries as heavy machinery, ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, shipbuilding, production of buses, cars, trucks, tractors and other agricultural equipment, locomotives, machine tools, turbines, aircraft engines and aircraft equipment for power stations, oil and chemical industry and others. In addition, Ukraine is a powerful producer of electricity. Some sectors of economy of Ukraine are developing with high quality technologies.  On a good level are put the production of carrier rockets, satellites and equipment for space exploration. Ukraine is a major manufacturer of military equipment – tanks, military transport aircraft, anti-aircraft missile systems, optical equipment.

Date	Day
January 1	New Year’s Day
January 7	Orthodox Christmas
March 8	International Women’s Day
May 1 & 2	Labour Days
May 9	Victory Day
June 28	Constitution Day
August 24	Independence Day
Variable date	Orthodox Easter
Variable date	Holy Trinity Day (Triytsya)

Did you know that…

….Ukraine is the largest country located fully within Europe?

….geographically, Ukraine is located in Central Eastern Europe?

…..Ukraine is the fifth-ranked country in Europe (after Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and France) and the 21st in the world population-wise? Ukraine is the home to 7.3% of the population of Europe and 1% of the world population?

……in Western Ukraine between the cities Uzhhorod and Rakhiv stands a historical marker ‘Geographical centre of Europe’? The status of this place was fixed at the congress of geographers in Vienna back in the XIX century, which became the first scientific attempt in the world to determine the centre of the European continent?

….four of ten European transport corridors are running thorough Ukrainian territory?

…..Ukraine has more than a quarter of all fertile black earth in the world?

…..the longest river in Ukraine is Dnipro? Out of its total length of 2201 km, 981 km is running thorough Ukraine. Dnipro is the third river in Europe in terms of the length and basin area (after Volga and Danube). Its source is the Aksenninsky Turf Swamp in the southern part of the Valdai Hills, and the river empties into Dniprovsky Estuary of the Black Sea. 65% of the total area of Dnipro basin is located within Ukraine?

….the longest cave is Ukraine is called ‘Optimistic’ and located in gypsum rocks of Podillya, Ternopil Oblast? In that cave the scientists have found and mapped 216 kilometers of passages, galleries, and grottos located 20 meters deep, which makes the Optimistic Cave the longest cave in the Old World, the longest cave in the world in gypsum rock, and the second-longest cave in the world (behind limestone Mammoth Cave in the USA). Next to it, and also in Ternopil Oblast, is the second-longest cave in Ukraine called Ozerna: its labyrinth is 114 km long. 

…..Five Ukrainian sites representing outstanding cultural and natural landmarks and constituting historical and cultural assets of the entire mankind were included to the list of UNESCO World Heritage:

• Kiev – Saint-Sophia Cathedra
• Kiev – Related Monastic Buildings, Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
• L’viv – the Ensemble of the Historic Centre
• Struve Geodetic Arc
• Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians

… Ukraine is a large grain producers (belonging to the top three of the largest barley producer). Along with France, Germany, and the USA, Ukraine is one of the largest producers of sugar beet, ahead of the neighboring Poland and Turkey. Ukraine is one of the seven largest producers of sugar, vegetable oil, pork, and potato in the world, and the fifth-largest honey producer in the world?

… Ukraine spends US 590 million annually on its defense? Ukraine is the only country in the world which had voluntarily given up the nuclear weapons, and although the Hollywood producers like to show in their films the terrorists stealing nuclear bomb from Ukraine, it’s simply not true.

…..Ukraine is the 4th-ranked country in the world in terms of the number of citizens with higher education? Ukrainian population is one of the most educated in the world, and the per capita number of people with higher education is higher than the average European index.

… Ukraine has 5 sectoral state academies: Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, Academy of Legal Sciences, and Academy of Arts?

… The majority of Ukrainian population (about 70 %) speaks Ukrainian language? It differs substantially from Russian. Our language is more beautiful and melodious. Ukrainian language is considered the third lovely-sounding language in the world after the French and Japanese languages, and the World Conference of Linguists held in Rome in the middle of the 1920’s recognized Ukrainian the second-melodious language in the world after Italian. Ukrainian language belongs to the most widely used languages in the world and is ranked 26th in terms of the number of speakers. It is also the second most-spoken among the Slavic languages after Russian. About 31 million people in Ukraine can speak Ukrainian. About 4.1 million Ukrainians living in the Russian Federation speak Ukrainian language.

… The person to whom the most number of monuments was erected in the world is our Taras Shevchenko, a genial Ukrainian poet, artist, and thinker?

… First kerosene lamp was invented in 1853 in Lviv by pharmacists Ihnatiy Lukasevych and Jan Zech who worked in the pharmacy ‘Under the Golden Star’? The same year, the first surgery was performed in a Lviv hospital under the light of a kerosene lamp. Soon, kerosene lamp was exhibited at the international fair in Munich where the invention was awarded a special diploma?

….The first frame hive was invented in 1814 by PI Prokopovych

… In the 1950’s the first computer in continental Europe was built by S. Lebedev, and the digital automata theory was developed by V. Glushkov, based on which new-generation computers were created in Ukraine (‘Ukraine’, МІР)?

… The 1920s – 1940s witnessed creation of the largest charged particle accelerator in Europe, development and implementation of the theory of welding under the layer of flux (by Y. Paton)?

… Trembita used by Hutsuls in the Ukrainian Carpathians is the longest wind musical instrument in the world?

APIMONDIA INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF BEEKEEPERS’ ASSOCIATIONS

Apimondia is the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations and other organizations working within the apiculture sector that integrates leading specialists, scientists, businessmen and public figures of beekeeping industry.

The headquarters of the Federation is located  in Rome. The head of the organization is the President of Apimondia – Gilles Ratia. The Secretary General of Apimondia is Riccardo Jannoni-Sebastianini.

Today members of Apimondia are represented by different beekeepers association from more than 115 countries. Every two years since 1897, Apimondia is holding in different countries International Apicultural Congresses that are the largest events in the world of beekeeping.

Apimondia facilitates scientific, technical, environmental, social and economic development of beekeeping in different world’s countries.

International Apimondia Congresses have an aim to give an opportunity of exchanging of information, personal experience and achievements among beekeepers, scientist, honey-traders and equipment manufacturers, agents for development, technicians and legislators. The right to host the Congress has to be won in competition among the other applicants by the clamming country.

For the effective solutions of the most important tasks Apimondia closely cooperates with:

1. FAO and other UN agencies (PNUD, UNIDO, etc.)
2. Regional associations such as:
   • Apislavia
   • AAA (Asian Apicultural Association)
   • Balkan Beekeeping Federation
   • FILAPI (Iberico-Latino-Americano)
   • Nordic Beekeeper Association
   • EBPA (European Professional Beekeepers Association)
   • ACBO (Association of Caribbean Beekeepers Organizations)
   • Arab Beekeepers’ Union
   • ApiTrade Africa
   • Etc.
3. Other beekeeping association such as:
   • CoLoss (Colony Losses Scientific Network)
   • IBRA (International Bee Research Association)
   • IHC (International Honey Commission)
   • HIPA (Association of Honey Importers)
   • FEEDM (Fédération Européenne Des Emballeurs Et Distributeurs De Miel European Federation of Honey Packers and Distributors)
   • Etc.

Nowadays, the Apimondia structure includes apiarianassociations frommore than115 countries.The total number ofbeekeepers, worldwide apiarian association members that are a part of Apimondia, encounters3,548,863 people.

The total number of professionals who are not  beekeepers,  but  their  work is closely related to beekeeping  (scientists,  apitherapists, educators,  traders, equipment and medicinal products manufacturers, veterinary drugs manufacturers, representatives of tourist  companies, government  agencies and others),  and who are considered to be a part of Apimondia,  encounters about 15% of the number of beekeepers – worldwide  beekeepers  associations  members. 

ХХХХІІІ INTERNATIONAL APIMONDIA CONGRESS

• Time – 29 September – 4 October 2013
• Location – International Exhibition Centre, Brovarsky Ave 15, Kyiv.
• Motto – “Discover the European Honeyland”
• Main advantages – the most prestigious, massive and comprehensive event in beekeeping, both on domestic and global level.
• Size of event – the third in scope, after the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 and the European Football Championship 2012 event in Ukraine.
• Organizers – The Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII Apimondia International Congress (formed by the signing of the Letter of Agreement on September 16, 2009 in Montpellier (France) and implemented on September 19, 2009) consists of the representatives of the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations Apimondia, and Ukrainian representatives –  members of the national beekeeping organizations “Beekeepers’ Brotherhood of Ukraine” and the “Beekeepers Union of Ukraine”, also Director of Ukrainian Agricultural Products Quality and Safety Laboratory, Director of the International Exhibition Center and Director of Tourism agency “Terra Incognita.
• Official support in 2009 – The official Support is provided by the governmental organizations. The official letters were sent to the President of Apimondia from: Prime Minister of Ukraine, Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Ukraine, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine, Kiev City Administration, Ukrainian National University of bio-resources and nature exploitation, Ukrainian Agricultural Products Quality and Safety Laboratory, P.I. Prokopovych Institute of Beekeeping” National Scientific Center, Ukrainian International Airlines. “Terra Incognita” travel agency and the exhibition company, International Exhibition Centre, etc.
• Official support in 2011 – On June 6, 2011, the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych signed the order “On supporting of the International Congress Apimondia by the President of Ukraine” in order to promote the development of domestic beekeeping, to strengthen the image of Ukraine in the world and consolidate  the international affairs. Also the Organizing Committee of the 43^rd International Apimondia Congress received a letter of support from the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov. On July 14, 2011, the Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII International Apimondia Congress members and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Ukraine representatives signed the protocol of Intentions and the program of mutual cooperation in the preparation and holding the 43^rd International Apimondia Congress in 2013. The Organizing Committee of the Apimondia Congress received an official support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of the Autonomous Republic of Crime.
• Participants – more than 12 000 beekeeping industry representatives, from over 100 countries – the leading industry experts and specialists, scientists, international and national organizations representatives, public figures, manufacturers of beekeeping equipment and , veterinary products and other products related with beekeeping; exporters and importers of beekeeping products and also beekeepers both amateurs and professionals.
• Scientific program – the scientific direction of Apimondia Congress will be carried under the title: Beyond the Hive: Beekeeping and Global Challenges, and will be dedicated to studying of the potential of beekeeping industry in solving of the global problems facing humanity today. We believe that in today’s dynamic and globalized world the beekeeping science have to reach beyond the narrow field of specialization and take an active position in finding solutions to such important issues as environmental pollution and exhaustion of natural resources, poverty and social inequality, cultural barriers, pandemics, and diseases of human civilization. Having discovered one of the greatest wonders of nature, bee family and its products, we have to think how we can use their miraculous power to make our world better.
• Scientific program consists of: 7 plenary sessions of the Apimondia standing commissions; 5 plenary sessions of the Regional Apimondia commissions that will represent main achievements of the experts from five parts of the world; 16 thematic symposia within the seven Scientific Committees and the section of social and cultural aspects of beekeeping, proposed by the Ukrainian Organizing Committee; 4 Round Tables on the most important issues and problems of beekeeping. 
• The scientific conferences are going to be held with the participation of over 800 scientists from around the world that represent about 400 scientific papers and over 800 poster presentations.The official language of the scientific program is going to be English. Also is going to be provided the simultaneous translation into Ukrainian and Russian languages. 
  
• Working languages are : main (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, German) and additional (Korean, Chinese, Japanese). All informational materials will be prepared in these languages, as well as simultaneous translation will be held in these languages during the scientific program of the Congress and live broadcasting. Additional languages will be fully or partially involved in case of sufficient applications clearance for these. 
• ApiEXPO-2013 – International Exhibition ApiEXPO-2013 will be held with the participation of at least 300 participants from around the world. International Exhibition Centre has 58 000 square meters for beekeeping companies from all over the world, so they can offer their products for thousands of beekeepers who want to find the best and latest in terms of sanitation, nutrition, veterinary medicine, apitherapy, tools, equipment, clothing, machinery, services materials, technology and other products associated with boost of productivity and innovation.
• Honey World Championship – more than 100 nominations for honey, beeswax, honey drinks and other beekeeping products with new, harmonized quality standards, as well as for innovations, inventions, collections, printing etc.
• Cultural and Social Program – There are going to be organized a lot of different events such as: the grand Opening and Closing Ceremony of the Congress, the national parties, flash mobs, promotions and contests for visitors, new records setting for Ukraine and Guinness book of records and etc. Also a number of priority Social and Cultural projects such as “Show Room”, “Video room”, “Apimondia open to the public”, “Apimondia for Children”, “Gallery of Contemporary Art”, “International Museum of Beekeeping” and this is not the whole list of events that will be provided to attract more people to participate in the Apimondia Congress.
• Contest Program (for Ukrainian participants) – The Contest program has an aim to find and show the most interesting, creative, informative and modern topics in Ukrainian beekeeping. It will have a lot of activities such as photography contest, contest of literary works, scientific popular and reference informative articles contest; contests for children and young audiences, etc. The winners will be awarded with the Certificate of the Full Delegate of the XXXXIII International Apimondia Congress. In addition, the best exhibits will be selected to be shown during the Apimondia Congress. And the smallest winners in the competitions for the children will receive special sweet and interesting prizes.
• Apimondia Sessions – Two scheduled General Assembly sessions of the Apimondia International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations will be held within Congress, during which major issues concerning the functioning and existence of organization will be examined and approved, such as: charter changes, Apimondia Executive Board members and Science Commissions Presidents shifting, work planning for the upcoming years, forums and conferences planning, prior years financial statements and planning for the upcoming years, new members adoption and old members exclusion for violation or failure to pay the contribution, the election of the country that will host the next International Apimondia Congress in four years etc.
• Tourist program – several sightseeing tours over the most prominent monuments and attractions of Kyiv, one-day technical tours over beekeepers facilities in Kyiv and Kyiv region, many pre- and post-tours over the beekeeping and tourist sights of Ukraine – all that is proposed for delegates and everyone interested to meet and share experience with beekeepers and their apiaries, apiarian products manufacturers and their enterprises, to visit beekeeping museums and scientific institutions, Ukrainian nature and significant historical and cultural monuments of Ukraine in within the Tourist program of the Congress.
• Internet broadcasting of all events and activities (except for pre-and post-tour) of the XXXXIII International Apimondia congress will be available for beekeeping world audience on the Internet.

Such event as XXXXIII International Apimondia Congress is going to have a great influence not only over the development of the beekeeping industry in Ukraine, but also will strengthen the image and prestige of Ukraine in the world, and help to establish many important international relations that will significantly enrich the world’s apiculture.