It occupies an area of 603 700 km2. It has
state borders with Russia, Belarus and Moldova. It also borders on Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.In the south it is washed by the Black and the Azov Seas. The major rivers are the Dnieper, the Dniester, the Donets and others.The Ukrainian climate has considerable fluctuation in weather conditions from year to year. Alongside very wet years there can be droughts, and alongside cold years there are warm years.