The Ukrainian climate is of a continental character, assuming an entirely_ independent character. The central European climatic zone ends at the western borders of the Ukraine, while the more rigorous eastern European con tinental climate, which obtains over all of White Russia and Great Russia, covers only a small area in the northern Ukrainian territory. Win ter is severe in the entire country, but far less variable than in central Europe or Russia. It is followed by a very short spring of about three weeks except in the northwest, where it is a little longer. The summer heat is consid erable; May is as warm as July in England. Autumn is regularly very beautiful and com paratively warm, though as early as October warm, sunny days are followed by, night frosts. In the Crimea, the sub-Caucasian country, southerly location and the proximity of the sea are apparent; winters are short and compara tively mild; the summer of five months with high temperature is followed by "a long autumn. Mediterranean climatic conditions are found south of the Yaila and Caucasus Mountains. Here, on a narrow strip of land on the Black Sea the winter lasts less than a month; after a long spring follows a six months' summer, passing imperceptibly into a mild autumn. The dreariest climate is that of the Beskids and the Gorgani in the Ukrainian Carpathians, where a five months' winter and long periods of rainy weather in the spring and autumn encroach upon a short summer. Prevailing west winds bring Atlantic air into northern Ukraine; east winds in the south bear the influences of the Asiatic steppe climate, and sometimes increase to terrific snowstorms, causing great destruction to human and cattle life. Yet in November and December moist, warm south winds fre quently come up from the Pontus, but the freez ing east winds referred to predominate and are responsible for the severe winters in that re gion. East and south winds in the spring fre quently bring heavy sandstorms which in jure the crops. In the summer, however, west, southwest and northwest winds prevail, carrying moist Atlantic air and rain into the entire coun try. Rainfall is less than in central or western Europe, being greatest in the mountain districts. The heaviest falls occur in June.
Consult the invaluable works of Prof. Stephen Rudnitsky, the eminent geographer of the University of Lemberg, Prof. M. Hrushev sky, president of the Ukrainian Rada and the publications of the Ukrainian National Associa tion and of the Ruthenian National Union, both of hew York, for material not elsewhere ac cessible.
Flora and The plant and animal geography of Ukrainia is more varied than that of Russia, for within its borders the three main divisions of European plant geography meet the Mediterranean division, the steppe region and the forest region, and three mountain re gions. Forests cover barely one-fifth of the country — only the northern and northwestern borderlands, where many swamp forests are to be found. In the forest region are also luxu rious meadows with thick grass and tree clus ters, stretching through wide, flat river valleys. In the swamps regular moors, made up of peat mosses, alternate with meadow moors in which swamp grass and herb vegetation predominate.
Practically all the rest of the Ukraine is occu pied by the steppe region, down to the foothills of the Yaila and the Caucasus. The 'fertile black region extends longitudinally through the country, over three-fourths of its area. On the Sea of Azov and in southern Crimea the brown dry steppe soil, with islands of saline soil and a peculiar vegetation, inclined to absorb salt, prevails. These also occur else where along the rivers and the seashore. Grasses and herbs predominate on the meadow steppes, the former of the stippa species and the other of a lily-like growth. Grass is luxuriant and abundant in the northern part of the steppe region, while high weeds and thistles form dense thickets. In spring the steppe presents the appearance of a gorgeous flower carpet, but the colors soon fade into brown and yellow under heat and drought. This type of vegetation is thinner in the south. Terraces of trees are found along river valleys, and forests of oak, maple, poplar, white beech, wild apple and pear trees are studded over the steppes. The Ukrainians of the Kiev state rooted out great areas of forest and reclaimed the land for civil ization. Greater variety of vegetation is found in the Carpathians, though in regard to flora the country possesses but few endemic species. The fauna differs slightly from that of the rest of Europe. Many species which were danger ous as beasts of prey or useful for food or skins have either been entirely exterminated by man or greatly limited, in their multiplication. In the 16th century the Ukraine was so rich in bison, wild horses and deer that these were hunted merely for the sake of their skins, and only the choicest of the flesh retained. The wild horses that once roamed over the steppes in great herds are extinct; the Sagai antelopes have retreated to the Caspian steppe; the once ubiquitous bear is now confined to the Carpa thians, Caucasus and the Polissye country, in which regions the lynx and wildcat are also found. Throughout the country all sorts of smaller predatory animals have survived, such as wolves, foxes, badgers, martens, polecats. Of the large herbivora the bison has survived in the forest of Biloveza under government protection; the stag only in the Carpathians and the Caucasus, and the moose-deer only in Pol issye. In the woods are still many boars and roes. The beaver, formerly found on every river in the country, has now retreated to the most inaccessible swamps. Eagles and hawks exist only in the two great ranges; grouse and heath fowl hide in the dense thickets; cranes and herons are rare; water fowl, wild ducks, geese, coot and diving birds are still very nu merous. Owing to the absence of scientific pisciculture the former wealth of fish has greatly diminished. Yet much fish is still taken — mainly pike, tench, carp, crucian, shad, etc. Sturgeon, sterlet and other sea fish which for merly came in great swarms up the Dnieper, Dniester and Boh rivers are seldom found to-day.