Kyiv is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnipro River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Following the declaration of Ukraine's independence, the official English spelling of the capital became "Kyiv", replacing the outdated "Kiev" spelling based on Russian transliteration. Choosing the correct way to spell Kyiv is an integral part of asserting the Ukrainian identity as distinct from the relics of the Soviet Union and Russian Empire.
