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| | Encyclopedia: Regions of Ukraine (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-07) |
 | | The territory of present-day Ukraine was a key centre of East Slavic culture in the Middle Ages before being divided between a variety of powers, notably Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Austria, Romania and the Ottoman Empire. |
 | | In central Ukraine, Russian is usually the main language of cities (including Kiev), while Surzhyk (a certain kind of dialect or mixed language with mainly Russian vocabulary and Ukrainian grammar and phonetics) is widespread in the rural areas (15% to 20%, according to some surveys). |
 | | Ukraine is subdivided into twenty-four oblasts (oblasti, provinces), one autonomous republic (avtonomna respublika), and two cities (mista, singular misto) with special legal status. |
| www.nationmaster.com /encyclopedia/Regions-of-Ukraine (249 words) |
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