Russia is the largest country in the world with an area of 17 million square kilometers. It covers one in eight of the world and is spread across Asia and Europe.
Russia, a multi-national country, is a Russian ethnic country with 80% of the population of 143 million. But it has more than 150 ethnic groups.
The official language of the country is Russian. Commonly spoken foreign languages are English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. The official currency of Russia is the Ruble. The largest city and capital is Moscow with a population of 11 million.
There are more than 1000 cities in Russia. The biggest cities are Moscow, St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, Rostov, Astrakhan, Veliky Novgorod, and Saratovdur.
Map of Russia
Russia: Overview
- Population: 146,745,098 (As of March 2020)
- Capital: Moscow
- Language: Russian
- Bordering Countries: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, South Korea
- Land Area: 16,377,742 square km [1]
- Coastline: 37,653 km
- Highest Point: Mount Elbrus at 5,642m
- Latitude & Longitude: 61.5240 Degrees North, 105.3188 Degrees East
Important Sites
Russia has 29 important locations currently listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites [2] – this includes 18 cultural sites, and 11 natural sites (we have listed 10 cultural, and 5 natural, for a full list see the UNESCO link in the sources):
- Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow
- Kizhi Pogost
- White Monuments of Vladimir Suzdal
- Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings
- Curonian Spit
- Struve Geodetic Arc
- Ensemble of Ferapontov Monastery
- Historical and Architectural Complex of the Kazan Kremlin
- Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex
- Church of the the Ascension, Kolomenskoye
- Lake Baikal
- Western Caucasus
- Golden Mountains of Altai
- Virgin Komi Forests
- Volcanoes of Kamchatka
Other important sites include the Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands, and the Landscapes of Dauria.
Transport Systems
Transport in Russia is one of the most extensive systems in the world. The logistics of transporting goods and people across such a vast distance is mind-boggling as seen on the Russia map. National transport is overseen by the Russian Ministry of Transport.
Rail Transport – The railway system in Russia is the third-largest in the world. Russian Railways is the state-owned operator and employs over 900,000 people. Due to the large size of the country, the rail network is highly effective at long-distance travel.
Road Transport – Road maintenance and upkeep is generally poor in Russia once outside the main cities. It is ranked extremely low in worldwide road system ranking. The main motorways are maintained as part of the Russian Federal Motorway system.
Waterways – Russia has a myriad of huge ports and has a well-developed waterway system. The country operates numerous water transport systems in the Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific Ocean, and Caspian Sea.
Famous Tourist Attractions
Russia is a vast country with a mind-boggling array of natural sites and tourist attractions [4]. The main Cities of Russia – Moscow and St. Petersburg offer some of the best architecture in the world. From the iconic Red Square, to the beautiful St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Aside from this, the different regions of Russia are bursting with historical sites and epic landscapes like the top attractions listed below:
- Mount Elbrus
- Kizhi Island
- Lake Baikal
- Suzdal
- The Kremlin
- The Red Square
- St. Basil’s Cathedral
- State Hermitage Museum
- St. Isaac’s Cathedral
- Moscow Metro
- Trans-Siberian Railway
Whether you love Orthodox architecture, or the harsh but stunning landscapes of Siberia, Russia has something for everyone. It provides an eclectic mix of culture, nature, heritage, and history.
Beautiful architecture of St. Basil’s Cathedral
Currency
The official currency of Russia is the Russian Ruble (also spelled Rouble) – this is also the national currency for Belarus. The current version of the currency denoted RUB was established in 1998 after the Russian financial crisis of the same year. Whilst the main unit of currency is the Ruble, the subunit is the Kopeyka – 100 Kopeyka for 1 Ruble.
All Russian currency is currently printed at the state-owned mints in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Control of inflation rates and the currency is overseen by the Central Bank of Russia based in Moscow.
Political System & Economy
In the last 100 years, the political system of Russia has changed greatly. Russia is classed as a federation, and gained independence from the now-defunct Soviet Union in 1991. The current governmental structure [6] includes a President, and the Federal Assembly. The Federal Assembly consists of the upper Federation Council, and the lower State Duma.
In terms of administrative divisions, Russia has a complex system owing to the large geographical size of the country. The following are the main types of administrative division:
- Oblasts (similar to provinces)
- Krais (similar to Oblasts)
- Okrug (located within Oblasts or Krais)
- Federal Cities – Moscow & St. Petersburg
In addition to this, Russia has three major subdivisions that are in place to help specific government branches. These include Federal Districts, Economic Regions, and Military Districts.
The Russian economy is varied according to the vast size of the country as seen in the Political map of Russia. It’s main economies include machine building, fishing, forestry, agriculture, mining, and the export of natural resources. Mining in particular plays an important role as does the extraction of minerals and chemicals. In addition to this, Russia has an extensive and well-developed military manufacturing industry – it supplies equipment, missiles, and electronic components worldwide.
Geography
The geography of Russia is varied [5] – from the freezing expanse of the Siberian Tundra, to the shores of Lake Baikal; it is a diverse country. This is the largest country in the world and spans both Europe and Asia – to give perspective, it has double the landmass of the second largest country – Canada. In addition to this, it spans a staggering 11 time zones – from St. Petersburg in the west, to Vladivostok in the east.
Russia has a wide variety of different landforms including:
- Caucasus Mountains
- Ural Mountains
- Kamchatka Peninsula
- Siberian Plains
- Siberian Plateau
- Stanovoy Mountains
In addition to this, it has some of the largest rivers, and bodies of water in the world. For example, it has borders on the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and the Sea if Japan. In terms of climate, Russia has an extreme climate again with great variation. Temperatures in the winter plumet below zero, particularly in the northern regions of the Taiga forest and Siberia. Alternatively, temperatures in the southern regions bordering the Black Sea and Caspian Sea can be pleasant.
Climate
In Central Russia, the central continental climate is dominant. There are 4 seasons; summer, winter, spring, and autumn. Each season lasts an average of 3 months. In Russia the average temperature in summer is +25 degrees, in the fall +10, +15 degrees; in winter temperatures can fall to -15.
Religion
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism are traditional religions of Russia, all of which are part of the historical heritage of Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church is the state religion of Russia before the revolution and it is the biggest religious institution of the country.
Industry and Tourism
Russia has a market economy with tremendous natural resources, especially oil and natural gas. Russia is the 9th country in terms of GDP (nominal) and the 6th largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity. Since the beginning of the 21st century, high domestic consumption and greater political stability have supported economic growth in Russia. As of 2010, approximately 12.7% of the people in Russia live below the national poverty line. Unemployment in Russia, which was 12.4% in 1999, fell to 6% in 2007. The middle class, which was only 8 million in 2000, rose to 108 million in 2013.
More than 80% of Russia’s exports are oil, natural gas, metals, and timber. Since 2003, the economic significance of exporting natural resources has been diminishing significantly by strengthening the domestic market.
Art
Early Russian painting was represented by Byzantine icons and live frescoes. As Moscow rose in power, Feofan Grek, Dionysius and Andrey Rublev became important figures of Russian art of the period.
During the Soviet times during and after the Great Patriotic War, very patriotic and anti-fascist works of art were made. Important sculptor artists such as Vera Muhina, Yevgeni Vučetic, and Ernst Neizvestni have used socialist realism and innovation together.
Sports
Russia is a country that has been successful in many kinds of sports. In terms of the total number of medals of the Soviet Union and Russia, it is ranked second among all countries according to the number of gold medals in both Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. The 1980 Summer Olympics were held in Moscow, while the 2014 Winter Olympics were held in Sochi.
Soviet gymnasts, track and field athletes, weightlifters, wrestlers, boxers, fencers, throwers, ski runners, biathlonists, speed skaters and figure skaters are among the best in the world. Soccer, basketball, and volleyball are the most popular sports branches of Russia. At the same time, Russia will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In the ice hockey, the Soviet Union and Russia managed to win gold medals in almost all Olympics and world championships.
From the last days of the Soviet, the popularity of tennis has increased and a number of famous tennis players such as Mariya Sharapova, the most winning female tennis player in the world, have emerged in Russia.
- Population: 143,924,531
- Population Density: 9 per Km2
- Land Area: 16,376,870 Km ²
Sources
- https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/ru.htm
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/ru
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/ruble
- https://www.planetware.com/russia/best-places-to-visit-in-russia-r-1-2.htm
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia/Government-and-society
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia/Economy
Russia FAQs
How many countries are in Russia?
Russia is a single country spanning a large land-mass. Historically, during the Soviet Union, Russia incorporated other countries including Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Latvia.
What countries borders Russia?
Russia borders with 11 other countries – Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, South Korea.
Where is Russia in the world?
Russia is the largest country in the world – it is located to the east of mainland Europe, and to the north of Asia and China.
Is Russian in Europe or Asia?
Russia is classed as a transcontinental country – it spans both Europe and Asia. 77% of Russia’s land mass is in Asia, and 23% is in Europe.