Ukraine Geography Conundrum Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mountains

Mount Hoverla, the highest mountain in the Ukraine, reaches the height of 2,061 meters. It is located in the area of Chornohora and is part of the Eastern Carpathians. It is covered mostly with spruce and beech trees. In 2007, the mountain was featured in the news when some Russia-affiliated youths vandalized Ukrainian symbols erected on it.

Answer: Rivers

The Irpin is a tributary of the Dnieper (Dnipro) river. It flows through the heartland of the old Kyivan realm, crossing through the Kyiv oblast. It was on that river's banks that a historic battle was fought in the 14th century, when the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas defeated the Mongols and extended the influence of Lithuania over central Ukraine, freeing the local principalities from the so-called "Tatar yoke".

The river and the nearby town with the same name were the scene of a contest between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the earliest stage of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, when Russian forces attempted to seize the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Answer: Rivers

The Dniester rises near the border separating Ukraine from Poland. Its name is Sarmatian, probably meaning "close river", in contrast to the Dnieper, whose name means "faraway river". Herodotus and other ancient Greeks referred to the river with the name Tyras, which derives from the Scythian (akin to Sarmatian) "tyra", meaning "rapid, quck-flowing".

The name Dniester (in the form Danaster) is first attested in Jordanes (6th century AD), who probably found it in Cassiodorus.

Answer: Rivers

The Southern Bug must not be confused with the (Western) Bug, which is a tributary of the Vistula, flowing in both Poland and Ukraine. The Southern Bug, flowing mainly through the Mykolaiv Oblast, was first attested with the ancient Greek designation Hypanis.

The name Big is either a Germanic (Gothic) name, like the one of the Bug, or a local Ukrainian word, "Boh", meaning "rich" ("bahata" in modern Ukrainian). In Turkic languages, the Southern Buh is also nicknamed "the white river".

Answer: Rivers

Another tributary of the Dnieper, the Tiasmyn's origins lie in Kirovohrad oblast, near the north-central part of the Dnieper hills. It was an important waterway in prehistoric times, especially in the Bronze Age. The most important of those findings lies in the village of Subotiv, giving us tremendous insight in the Chernoles culture, flourishing in the Late Bronze Age and the early Iron Age, namely between the twelfth and the eighth century BC.

Answer: Mountains

Mount Kobila can be found in the Transcarpathian region, more specifically in Rakhiv Raion, lying close to the border between Ukraine and Romania. It reaches the height of 1,177 meters. One of the villages found in the foot of the mountain has an intriguing foundation legend including two local heroes, a Hungarian excursion aiming for plunder and a mare who hid bags of gold in the caves of the mountain, never to appear again.

Answer: Lakes

Lake Kurukove is found in the Poltava oblast. Near it lies the big industrial city of Kremenchuk. In the seventeenth century, the Cossacks fought a battle on the shores of the lake against the Poles, which resulted in a treaty, which improved the status of the Ukrainians in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Answer: Lakes

Although the name of Lake Bile sounds rather odd in English, it derives, in fact, from a Ukrainian word meaning "white", ergo it is simply "white lake". The lake can be found near the delta of the Dnieper, being in connection both with the great river and its tributary Turunchuk. It is home to a special biotope, including species like the white water lily and the water caltrop.

Answer: Lakes

The name "Svitiaz" means "holy, sacred, respected". The lake is the deepest one in Ukraine, being located in the Volyn region, taking its name from the old principality of Galicia-Volhynia. In order for the natural environment to be maintained, the lake has been included in Shatsky National Natural Park. Due to both the relatively high water temperature and the clarity of the water, it is very popular for tourists.

Answer: Mountains

The Dzhvynuv mountain is a part of the Outer Eastern Carpathian range, being located close to the border between Ukraine and Romania. It has historically been known also with its German name, Zwinin. Its height reaches 1,107 meters. It is not without some historical significance, being the site of a battle during World War One.

The battle was fought in 1915 and it was a victory for German general Felix von Bothmer against Russian forces.