Yuzhne

Yuzhne (Южне, ; formerly Южний, romanized: Yuzhnyi,    lit.  'southern' n. adj. in Russian) is a port city in Odesa Raion, Odesa Oblast (province) of south-western Ukraine. Yuzhne hosts the administration of Yuzhne urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It is situated on the country's Black Sea coast. Population:

Initially created as a settlement of the Odesa Portside Plant in the Small Adzhalyk Estuary, since 1981 it was transformed into a suburb of Odesa within the Suvorovsky District of the city. From the Southern Marine Terminal of the city port, the Odesa–Brody pipeline takes its beginning towards the Western Ukraine.

Until 18 July 2020, Yuzhne was incorporated as a city of oblast significance. In July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Odesa Oblast to seven, the city of Yuzhne was merged into newly established Odesa Raion.

The city's port Pivdennyi (formerly Yuzhnyi) is an internationally important oil terminal, and one of Ukraine's top three ports, with Odesa and Chornomorsk. These three nearby port cities have grown into a single conurbation, and Yuzhne is considered a satellite of Odesa.

Name
11 May 1978 by the order of the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of the Ukrainian SSR the newly built populated place was given the name of the village Yuzhne. Although it sounds awkward in Ukrainian, the city's name is the Russian word for "Southern". The Ukrainian term for "Southern" would be Pivdenne. The city is located about 32 km east of Odesa.

The name has not changed since Ukraine obtained its independence in 1991.

In February 1993 the Verkhovna Rada declared to give the urbanized village a special status in the Odesa Oblast as a city of oblast significance. In 2000 the declaration of Verkhovna Rada #1914-III confirmed the city limits.

In April 2023 the city council of Yuzhne decided to rename the city since the city name was not in accordance with the requirements of the law "On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language". It was stated that the name of the city did not meet the spelling norms and standards of Ukrainian (the state language). On 20 March 2024, the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada on issues of organization of state power, local self-government, regional development and urban planning decided to propose the name Port-Anental. The ultimate decision on the renaming will be made only after a vote.

Climate
Yuzhne has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa).

Sport
Yuzhne is home to the team BC Khimik in the Ukrainian Basketball Superleague, league champions in the 2014/15 season. Yuzhne is also home to the "BK Khimik" women's volleyball team, Ukrainian champions in 2010/11 and 2011/12. The handball team named HC Portovik plays in the highest men's League.