Ukraine is an urbanized society, with more than two-thirds of the population living in cities and towns. Kyyiv, the capital, is the largest city in Ukraine, with an estimated population of 2,616,000 in 1990. Population growth, however, is low. Health standards, such as life expectancy, are generally positive. Economy Ukraine's economy is highly industrialized.
Industry is based largely on the republic's vast mineral resources.
The Donets'k Basin contains huge reserves of coal, and the nearby iron-ore reserves of Kryvyy Rih are equally rich. Among Ukraine's other mineral resources are manganese, bauxite, titanium, and salt. Coal and nuclear fission are the leading sources of energy, with each accounting for roughly 30 percent of Ukraine's domestic energy production. Despite these domestic sources, the economy is highly dependent on other former Soviet republics for oil and natural gas, the price of which has risen sharply in the early 1990s. A decline in domestic energy production during this same period made the country even more reliant on foreign sources.