Wednesday, March 12, 2014

UKRAINE, A FAILED STATE

If the economy of Ukraine was doing well, we wouldn't be having all these problems there, but it isn't.  This should be a relatively rich country with marvelous farmlands* plus iron ore, important manganese ore, coal, plus some oil, and natural gas.**  Perhaps the best remaining oil is in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.  The Ukraine is not just a producer of raw materials., but is a major manufacturing country.***  It is a leading producer of steel, transportation equipment (locomotives, agricultural equipment, cars, trucks, freight cars, and ocean-going ships), heavy machinery, and a variety of chemicals and food plus other products.

Unfortunately, a corrupt political system, seemingly in constant turmoil, has squandered the GDP of Ukraine until today they are in need of an infusion of capital.

The word Ukraine has long been in use.  I find it difficult to determine what it means.  So far as I can tell, it is a large group of people who speak the Ukrainian language, as a first or second language, though most are more or less conversant in Russian also.

I'm also not sure what the title of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea means.  If it is autonomous, it would seem to mean that it is a part of Ukraine as a matter of choice, but the constant political turmoil and corruption are such, that the Crimea may well choose to join Russia, which in my view is escaping the frying pan for the fire.

*  http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/30095/Soils
** http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/30105/Resources-and-power  (In addition to coal-fired power plants, Ukraine has nuclear power and, unfortunately, was the home of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident.)
*** http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/30107/Manufacturing

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