Russia is the largest of the independent republics that were part of the vast territory known as the Soviet Union. Even though the Soviet Union is gone, Russia is still an enormous country.

Statistics - Russia

The eastern mass of Russia is located in Northern Asia (that part west of the Urals is included with Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean (Russia, 2005). Its geographic coordinates are 60 00 N, 100 00 E; it has a total area of 17,075,200 square kilometers of which 16,995,800 are land and 79,400 are water; it is roughly 1.8 times the size of the United States (Russia, 2005). It has a total land boundary of 20,017 kilometers, and is bordered by the following: "Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 294 km, Finland 1,340 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km, Latvia 217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,485 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Ukraine 1,576 km" (Russia, 2005).

It has a 37,653 kilometer coastline and claims 12 nautical miles for its territorial limits (Russia, 2005). Its "exclusive economic zone" extends for 200 nautical miles (Russia, 2005).

Its climate is varied, ranging from steppes in the south, through "humid continental" climate in "much of European Russia" to subarctic in Siberia to a "tundra climate in the polar north" (Russia, 2005). "Winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast" (Russia, 2005).

Russia's terrain is also varied, consisting of a "broad plain with low hills west of the Urals"; "vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia"; and "uplands and mountains along southern border regions" (Russia, 2005).

The lowest point in the country is the Caspian Sea, which is 28 meters below sea level; the highest is Gora El'Brus ( Mount Elbrus in the Caucusus Mountains bordering Georgia), at 5,633 meters.

Statistics – Soviet Union

The former Soviet Union was the largest country in the world, with 8.6 million square miles (6.6 square miles comprised Russia, as compared to 3.6 for the U.S.) (The Former Soviet Socialist Union). 1991 population estimates for the various Soviet states are as follows: Total population 294,500,000 (Russia 145.4, Ukraine 49.7, Belarus 10.1, Uzbekistan 25.1, and Kazakstan 15.8) (The Former Soviet Socialist Union); the population of the U.S.A. for comparison was 273.5 at the same period) (The Former Soviet Socialist Union). The population density for the two countries shows how crowded it is in the U.S.: In the Soviet Union population density was 22.2 per square mile but in the U.S. it's 77.3.

The Soviet Union overall, like Russia, shows a negative growth rate of -0.5% as of 2000, with 9 births and 14 deaths per 1,000 persons (The Former Soviet Socialist Union).

Conclusion

Russia is a vast country with numerous climatic zones and varied weather patterns. From the beautiful resorts of the Black Sea to the harsh winters of Siberia, it remains a mysterious and beautiful land.

REFERENCE
The Former Soviet Socialist Union. (n.d.) Retrieved March 20, 2005 from http://www.newark.osu.edu/rklingensmith/ussr/

Russia. (2005). Retrieved March 20, 2005 from http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rs.html