Lvov is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centers of today`s Ukraine and historically had also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center; as Poles and Jews comprised a demographic majority of the city for a period leading up to the outbreak of World War II, the Holocaust, and Polish population transfers (1944–1946) that followed. The historical heart of Lvov with its old buildings and cobblestone roads has survived World War II and ensuing Soviet presence largely unscathed. The city has many industries and institutions of higher education such as the Lvov University and the Lvov Polytechnic. Lvov is also a home to many world-class cultural institutions, including a philharmonic orchestra and the famous Lvov Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The historic city center is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the city remained a part of the now independent Ukraine, for which it currently serves as the administrative center of Lvov Oblast, and is designated as its own rajon (district) within that oblast.
Lvov`s climate is humid continental with cold winters and mild summers.