Ukraine

Ukraine is one of the largest countries in Europe and in the west rise the Carpathian Mountains. The highest peak found there is Hoverla, measuring 2,061 m.

The north of the country is covered by Polesia's wet lowlands. The other lowlands in the country are to be found around some of its important water features, the Dnieper River and the Black Sea, which forms the country's southern border. In the south the Crimean Peninsula is bordered by the Black Sea to the southwest and the Sea of Akov to the northeast.

Ukraine signed the Bern Convention on 17 August 1998, which entered into force in 1999. As part of its commitment to preserving the country's biological diversity, Ukraine works on the setting-up of the Emerald Network since 2008.

Ukraine has listed nearly as many threatened habitats for protection as its neighbour Russia. These include dunes, pine forests and cypress, juniperus and yew forests. Examples of Ukraine's precious biodiversity include the wolf, Canis lupus, the great bustard, Otis tarda, the largest game bird in Europe and the Crimean orchid, Steveniella satyrioides.

194 sites have been identified as suitable to join the Emerald Network in the country (by February 2016), 159 of which have already been officially nominated as candidate Emerald sites by the Standing Committee to the Bern Convention in December 2015.

The 194 potential Emerald sites cover 53612.55 km², 8.88 % of the country territory.