Ukraine

UKRAINE

A. THE COUNTRY

The Ukraine, in Eastern Europe, is an Unitary semi-presidential
republic.  The country is deeply divided between those wanting to
reassert links with Russia and those looking westward for the future.
The market economy has been blighted by deeply embedded corruption and
uneven progress (cities grow, while smaller towns get smaller).  Many
Ukrainians hover on the edge of poverty.  The land is rich in mineral
deposits (especially coal and iron ore) and is highly arable.  Ukraine
has great economic potential, while it is dependent upon Russia’s oil
and gas.

B. THE PEOPLE

The population is ~45,434,000 and the official language Ukrainian, but
Russian is widely spoken.  Intermingling of Ukrainians and Russians
blurs ethnic divisions.  ~97.1% are Eurasian (mostly Slavic), ~1%
Turkic/Altaic, ~1.9% Other (Gypsy, Jew).
Post-Communist freedom led to rapidly increasing rates of alcoholism and
AIDS.

C. RELIGIONS AND CHRISTIANITY/PENTECOSTALISM

Freedom of religion is vastly improved but not yet enshrined in both law
and practice.  Ukrainian religious life is marred by strife among and
inside all major groups (Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism).
~79.01% claim to be Christian, ~19.48% Non-religious, ~1.05% Muslim,
~0.3% Jewish, ~0.14% Other, ~0.02 Ethnoreligionist.
In the Christian category:
~61.15% are Orthodox, ~10.14% Catholic, ~3.76% Protestant, ~2.02%
Independent, ~1.8% Unaffiliated.  Groups considered ‘marginal’ are
~0.72% and are having sustained growth.
Evangelicals represent ~3.8% of the population.
Charismatics represent ~2.6% and of those ~1.9% are Pentecostals.

Donna Siemens

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org

Operation World, Jason Mandryk. Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing, 2010.