Zaporizhia is a city in south-central Ukraine, which rests on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative center of the Zaporizhia Oblast (province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Zaporizkyi Raion (district) within the oblast. The city itself is directly subordinate to the oblast, and is located approximately 70 km from the city of Dnipropetrovsk.
Zaporizhia was formerly referred to as Aleksandrovsk, after the commander of the first Russian Army, Prince Alexander Golitsyn, but was renamed in 1921 to Zaporizhia (literally, "behind the cataracts", referring to the Dnieper cataracts near Khortytsia). It is currently the sixth largest city in Ukraine and has a current estimated population of 790,000 (as of 2007).
Zaporizhia is an important industrial center of Ukraine, particularly a home for:
* famous hydroelectric power plant known as "DnieproGES";
* ZAZ, the country's main car manufacturing company;
* Motor-Sich design-bureau and production company, the world-famous aircraft engine manufacturer.
The city was very much an 'engineering city' during Soviet times, with all the consequences in terms of pollution that might be expected. The move to market economy since the independence of Ukraine has seen the demise of some of these concerns. This has improved the air quality. Although Zaporizhia is not regarded as a particularly attractive city, Dnieper River cruise ships make it one of their scheduled stops in order to visit Khortytsia Island.
Zaporizhia also has a big electricity generating complex fueled by industrial demand. The biggest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as well as the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station are located near the city, in addition to fossil fuel power plants.
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