The economic potential of Ukraine is great. It possesses a considerable economic, industrial and agricultural potential; it has gained a wide and positive experience in such industries as metallurgical, mining, energy production, chemical and metal-working. Grain harvests can be up to 50 million metric tons a year (Ukraine has long been known as the bread basket of Europe ).
Ukraine has developed a varied industry concentrated mostly in and around big cities, such as Kiev, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk, Dneprodzerzhinsk, Odessa, Kharkov, Lvov, Nickolayev and other. It produces planes and ships, Lorries and buses, motorcars and locomotives, computer and electronic equipment, precision instruments and agricultural machines, TV and radio sets, chemicals and textiles and various consumer goods. Odessa, Sebastopol, Nickolayev, Kherson and Kerch are main Ukrainian ports. Ukraine is a country with high scientific potential. Ukrainian scientific institutions are known for unique achievements in development of new materials, investigations in low temperature physics, electric welding, information science and many other spheres.
Ukraine is criss-crossed by railroads and highways, oil and gas pipelines. It has close economic ties with Eastern and Western Europe.
National monetary unit of Ukraine is grivna (gryvnia). To exchange foreign currency for grivnas is possible in banks and in many exchange offices. The most widespread foreign currencies in Ukraine are the American Dollar and Euro. Exchange in the street at private persons is illegal and may be dangerous. Grivna banknotes currently in circulation include those in amounts 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 grivna, as well as 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 kopeck and 1 and 2 grivna coins. Credit cards are used in Ukraine, but not all organizations accept them for payment. The majority of hotels, restaurants and shops accept cards for payment.