Russia
Russia, or as it is officially known as the Russian Federation, is a country located in the north of Eurasia, overlooking the Arctic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean.
Russia occupies a very large area of the globe; It is the largest country in the world in terms of area.
The capital of Russia is Moscow.
In 2021, its population reached 143,185,000, making it the tenth-largest country in the world in terms of population.
The majority of the population of Russia is descended from Russians, in addition to minorities from Tatars, Ukrainians, Bashkirs, Chuvash, Chechens, and others.
The official language of Russia is the Russian language, and other languages are spread such as Tatar, Chechen, and the official religions recognized by Russia are Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism.
Russia was called Muscovy in the past until 1721 AD when Peter I announced the founding of the Russian Empire and chose the name Russia after the state of Rus, which was established in the Middle Ages.
The Russian Federation was established in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union and its division into 14 independent states.
Russia's area
The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world in terms of area; Its total area is 17,098,242 km², its land area is 16,377,742 km², and its water area is 720,500 km².
The horizontal width of Russia from Moscow to Perm in the southeast is 1,186.96 km, and from Perm to Yakutsk in the northeast is 3,887.67 km, while the vertical length of Russia from Saint Petersburg in the north, to Astrakhan in the south, is 1,953.3 km.
regions of Russia
The area of Russia is divided into eight main federal regions, comprising 83 federal entities.
The divisions of these entities vary as follows:
- 46 regions (oblasts).
- 21 republics, each with autonomy to manage its internal affairs.
- 9 districts (Krayat).
- 4 Autonomous Regions (Okrugs).
- Two federal cities.
- Autonomous region (oblast).
geography of Russia
Location
Russia is located in the northern part of Eurasia, that is, between the continents of Asia and Europe, and astronomically, Russia's coordinates extend between longitudes 60° 00' north and latitudes 100° 00' east.
Russia's coastline is 37,653 km long and overlooks the Arctic Ocean, the North Pacific Ocean, the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, and the East Siberian Sea.
Russia's land borders are 22,408 km long, shared with 14 countries, namely:
- The northwest borders: Norway (191 km), Finland (1,309 km), Lithuania (261 km), Estonia (324 km), and Latvia (332 km).
- The southern borders: China (4,179 km), Mongolia (3,452 km), North Korea (18 km), and Kazakhstan (7,644 km).
- The southwestern borders: Georgia (894 km) and Azerbaijan (338 km).
- Western borders: Poland (210 km), Belarus (1,312 km), Ukraine (1,944).
the climate
Because of the vast area that Russia extends over, the climate varies according to the region it occupies. In general, Russia enjoys a continental climate, with warm and hot summers, very cold winters, and high snowfall.
It is also affected by very cold eastern winds called "Buran" and causes great snowfall and very cold winds. Other regions in Russia are described as:
- Northern and Central European Russia: This region has the most diverse climate, the summer is sunny and hot during the day, and local rains fall at night, while the winter is very cold, with snowfall and the appearance of frost, and the first snowfall begins in these areas in October, The spring and autumn seasons are characterized by unstable weather, and sometimes they witness rain and snow.
- Siberia/Northern Russia: This region is known for its very cold climate, where the winter extends for a long period of time, and snow covers the areas from the end of October until mid-March, and temperatures drop sometimes to less than -35 degrees Celsius, Siberia has the coldest region In Russia and almost in the world, it is Oymyakon; Where temperatures reach below -50 in January, the summer in Siberia is short and rainy, but warm.
- Southern European Russia: The climate in this region is influenced by the Mediterranean climate; The southeastern regions of this climatic region enjoy hot and warm summers and very cold winters, while the northern and northeastern regions around the Black Sea enjoy mild winters and experience rainfall throughout the year, but they are the driest regions in terms of rainfall; Where the average annual rainfall is less than 200 mm.