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Maps
Ukraine is relatively flat. It countains an abundant amount of fertile soil, which made it the primary food producer for the Soviet Union. Notice the capital, Kyiv, sits in the middle of the country, almost directly betwen the West and East.
Ukraine is the largest fully European country, which adds to the difficulty of a unified state. It is caught between two worlds: Russia on one side and Europe on the other. Both areas exact a pull on Ukrainian culture and media.
The large descrepancy in wealth in Ukraine contributes to political and media corruption. The media is largely controlled by wealthy oligarchs living in the captial, Kyiv, and the Eastern part of the country. This means that poorer regions of Western Ukraine are often underrepresented or ignored.
A major controversey that has plagued Ukraine is discussion to what extent Russian should be used. The East, which borders Russia and has more Soviet ties, contains a larger number of Russian speakers. The West tends to be more nationalistic and pushes for only Ukrainian to be spoken. The bilingualism of the country is reflected across media platforms.
Election runoff from the most recent presidential election, in 2010, show the extent to which the country is divided, both politcally and ideologically. The inequalities in wealth distribution, language, and Soviet affiliation are major factors in the West/East differences. Ukraine has seen enormous political development since gaining independence in 1991, but is still working towards developing a unified democracy.