Languages spoken in Ukraine

[StormAU]

Originally Posted by bm-21Lemko

Eastern Ukrainians tend to speak russian and Western ukrainians tend to speak Ukrainian.

Please anyone post your thought on the issue.

By the first map you posted only far Eastern Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula tends to speak Russian. The rest have a slight or larger majority of Ukrainian speakers. The second map it totally different.What ar the sources and how old are they? I hope they aren't from the same source otherwise someone doesn't know how to do statistics very well.

[stepanstas]

Storm,

Thanks for that comment.

And that was my confusion about the first map.

[bm-21Lemko]

storm, the sources are listed on both maps.

The second map is more compacted statistical information making it more general while the first is a breakdown of percentage of what is spoken in Ukraine in each province instead of regions.

Both show russian as being dominant in the east. There should be no confusion.

[StormAU]

The confusion is that to make Russian look more dominant than it really is the second map adds alot of areas together, if you took it as it is shown in the first map Ukrainian is the dominant language in Ukraine and it is only 3 areas that it has nearly complete domination. not 1/2 of Ukraine which the second map is trying to show.

[bm-21Lemko]

You are right Storm,

The first is a russian source in 2001 claiming what people feel is their native tongue.

the second source is what is widely spoken in the region.

Thank you

my apologies Stepan and Storm.

[stepanstas]

Lemko,

Okay, I think both maps make sence now.

People may feel that Ukrainian is their native tongue because they were born there or because of their family. That does not mean they speak the language. The second map shows what language they actually choose to use.

[bm-21Lemko]

Yes, you are correct. The first is what they feel is the native language.

Unfornantely, i don't know how many people they interviewed so it could be misleading