Ukraine is situated in the south-eastern part of Central Europe. It occupies an area of 603.700 sq. kilometers (by comparison, France and Spain have respectively 551.600 and 507.600 sq.km). The longest west-east distance: 1,316 km, and from north to south, 893 km. In the south Ukraine is washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. In the north Ukraine borders on Belarus; in the east and north-east, on Russia; in the southwest, on Hungary, Romania and Moldova; in the west, on Poland and Slovakia. The total length of the frontiers is 6,500 km, including 1,050 km of sea frontiers. 
Ukraine includes 24 administrative regions among which is the Zaporizhzhya region. The Zaporizhzhya region is located in the south-east of Ukraine. It was founded on January 10, 1939 and its area is 27,2 thousand sq. km., which is 4,5 % of the territory of Ukraine. The third largest river in Europe, the Dnieper River, flows on the territory of the region, which is an important transport waterway. The administrative centre of the region is Zaporizhzhya, which became a city in 1806. The population of the city is 855,5 thousand people. The Zaporizhzhya region — is one of the most developed regions in Ukraine. More than 90 % of the industrial production make up the branches of heavy industry, electric power industry and mechanical engineering. There are more than 160 large industrial enterprises in the region. The metallurgical complex of the region is represented by such world known enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy as: “Zaporizhstal” JSC — the leading producer of steel and pig iron, “Dnieprospetsstal” — special stainless steel producer, the “Zaporizhzhya integrated aluminum plant” — the only producer of aluminum in Ukraine, and many others. “Zaporizhstal” JSC is the only producer of rolled sheets of stainless and alloy steel and tinplates in Ukraine. | 
