Russian Geography
A look at the population, landscapes, and climate, of Russia.
Geographical Statistics of Russia
Russia is the largest nation by land area in the world. Stretching across Northern Asia into Europe, it borders nations as diverse as Poland, China, Finland, and Azerbaijan. In total, it covers 6,323,482 square miles, or 16,377,742 square kilometers. The majority of its population is clustered in the western half of the country. To the east, populations tend to be more scattered and include several distinct ethnic groups. Major urban centers include Moscow (approx. population 12.2 million), St. Petersburg (5 million), Novosibirsk (1.5 million), and Yekaterinburg (1.4 million). Kaliningrad Oblast, home to the city of Kaliningrad, is a Russian exclave along the Baltic. In addition, the nation is currently involved in a territorial dispute with Ukraine after its annexation of Crimea.
Landscapes and Climates of Russia
The geography of Russia varies widely by region. Its western half, the European side of the Ural Mountains, is home to the fertile Volga River Plain. This stretches down to the Caucasus Mountains bordering the Black and Caspian Seas. East of the Ural Mountains is dominated by the cold, vast plains of Siberia. At high northern latitudes, much of the nation sees long nights in winter and long days in summer. In general, Russia experiences short, mild summers and cold, icy winters. Its forests consist mainly of pine, birch, fir, spruce, oak, and larch. Its most famous wildlife include bears, lynx, seals, wolverines, foxes, lemmings, walruses, deer, tigers, and leopards, among many other species.
Russia, from the CIA World Factbook.
References
Bushkovitch, Paul. A Concise History of Russia. Cambridge University Press. 2012.
Moon, David. The Russian Peasantry 1600-1930: The World the Peasants Made. Routledge. 2014.
Rowland, Daniel Bruce. Medieval Russian Culture. University of California Press. 1984.
“The World Factbook: Russia.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 29 May 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html.
Vernadsky, George. Kievan Russia. Yale University Press. 1973.
Ziegler, Charles. The History of Russia. ABC-CLIO. 2009.
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