Russia

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
Russia is a very large country, it has an immense expanse of territory, which spans both Europe and Asia. The traditional dividing line between the two continents runs through the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea. The land and seas contain a wealth of natural resources. However, much of the territory has harsh climatic conditions and is almost uninhabited. Russia is well-known for its cold winters, but hot summers are equally common there.

The capital of Russia is Moscow. Other important cities include St Petersburg, Ekaterinburg?, [Nizhny Novgorod]?, Khabarovsk?, Vladivostok?, Novosibirsk?, Krasnoyarsk?, and Omsk?.

The main body of Russia borders on (counter-clockwise): Norway, Finland, Baltic Sea, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Black Sea, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, China again, North Korea, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean.

The enclave at Kaliningrad borders on Baltic Sea, Poland, Lithuania.

• Extended information on Russian geography

POPULATION
The densest population is in the European part of Russia, in the Ural Mountains area, and in the south-eastern part of Asia. Cities with a population of over a million are not uncommon, especially in European part.

There are quite a lot of different ethnic groups in Russia (Russians?, Chuvashes?, Yakuts?, Bashkirs?, Mordvins?, Tatars?, Jews, Kalmyks?, Koreans?, and others), though Russians are still most numerous, and the Russian language is understood ubiquitously enough.

• Extended information on the Russian people

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• Transnational issues

HISTORY