Zaporizhia was formerly referred to as Aleksandrovsk after the commander of the first Russian Army, Prince Alexander Golitsyn, but was renamed in 1921 to Zaporizhia (literally, "after the rapids", referring to the Dnieper rapids near Khortytsia island). It is currently the sixth largest city in Ukraine and has a current estimated population of 776,918 (as of 2010).

Zaporizhia is an important industrial center of Ukraine, particularly a home for the hydroelectric power plant known as "DnieproGES," the ZAZ, the country's main car manufacturing company, and the Motor-Sich design-bureau and production company, the world-famous aircraft engine manufacturer.

The city was very much an 'engineering city' during Soviet times, with all the consequences in terms of pollution that might be expected. The move to a market economy since the independence of Ukraine has seen the demise of some of these concerns. This has improved the air quality. The Dnieper River cruise ships make it one of their scheduled stops in order to visit Khortytsia Island.