Odessa or Odesa (Ukrainian:Оде́са, [oˈdɛsɐ]; Russian:Оде́сса;IPA:[ɐˈdʲesə]) is a city in Ukraine and a major seaport and transportation hub located on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. Odessa is also an administrative center of the Odessa Oblast and a multiethnic major cultural center. Odessa is the third biggest city in Ukraine and known in Ukraine as Black Sea Pearl or Southern Palmyra.