Ukraine gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and has since veered between seeking closer integration with Western Europe and reconciliation with Russia, which supplies most of the country's energy. Europe's second largest country, Ukraine is a land of wide, fertile agricultural plains, with large pockets of heavy industry in the east. Ukraine, the “breadbasket of the Soviet Union” is known as a major producer of wheat. Important crops in Ukraine include rye, flax, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflowers and potatoes. Ukraine also has a large industrial concentration due to the many raw materials in the country as well as power resources.