Map of Russia

Where is Russia? • Russian Travel and Tourism

Russia, officially known as the Russian Federation, is the largest nation in the world, and spans the northern parts of the Eurasian continental land mass. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the Bering Strait, the Pacific Ocean, and Alaska, on the southeast by Mongolia and China, on the southwest by Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and on the west by Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland. Russia occupies an area of 6,592,771 square miles, and its capital city, Moscow, is situated in the western part of the country.

Russia Map > Relief Map of Russia • Russia Travel Destinations

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Geography of Russia

About 80% of the country lives in what is called European Russia, an area that lies west of the Ural Mountains. The land, which is mostly flat, rises to the Caucasus Mountains in the south with Russia's highest peak, Elbrus. Siberia has quite a different landscape, and while it is mostly made up of plains and plateaus, it does have mountains in the east and south. Russia has many active volcanoes in the far east, particularly in the Kamchatka peninsula.

Russia is not only the largest nation in the world, it also has some of the world's longest rivers, including the Yenisey-Angara and Ob-Irtysh. One of the world's largest seas, the Caspian, is within Russia's borders, as is the world's deepest lake, Lake Baikal. Baikal is also known for harboring the world's only freshwater seal species, although the lake's ecology has recently been threatened by pollution.

The Moscow area and much of western Russia enjoys warm summers and cold, snowy winters. South central Siberia has a colder, harsher, and drier climate, while northern Siberia has the harshest, coldest environment in all of Russia.

Leading Russian Cities

Russia's primary cities are Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Moscow is the hub of the dramatic changes sweeping through the country. Wealthy capitalists of the New Russia and poor pensioners share the sidewalks, and modern office buildings adjoin medieval monasteries. The Kremlin, at the center of the city, is where the country's administration lives. Surrounding the Kremlin are Red Square, the Lenin Mausoleum, and the cathedral of Basil the Beatified.

Saint Petersburg, sometimes called the Venice of the North, reminds visitors of the days of the czars, with its palace-lined waterways and grand architectural elegance. Located on the delta of the River Neva, St. Petersburg is a major Gulf of Finland seaport. In addition to being an important cultural and historical hub, St. Petersburg is the second-largest city in Russia.

Russia Travel Information

Popular tourist attractions in Russia include the Kremlin and the Red Square in Moscow as well as several fine arts museums, most notably the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. For a tour of the countryside, visitors may travel across central and eastern Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Gora El'brus, Russia's highest point, towers at 18,481 feet / 5,633 meters. For more information about Russia and its government, visit the President of Russia website.

Russia Tourism

Russian National Group - Russian visas, tours, cruises and excursions.

Russia Resources

CIA - The World Factbook - Russia - US Government almanac offers Russian geography, statistics and maps.
Russia in the Yahoo! Directory - Features government, tourist, art and other sites from Russia.
Wikipedia - Russia - This free online encyclopedia includes information about regions in Russia, Russian history and the geography of Russia.

Russia News

Iran’s Nuclear Plans Prompt New Calls for Sanctions
After Iran notified the U.N. nuclear agency of plans to enrich its uranium, officials from the U.S., France and Russia called for stronger measures against Tehran.
By Alan Cowell and Thom Shanker. International Herald Tribune. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:44:03 GMT.
France and Russia in warship deal
France is to sell Russia an advanced helicopter assault ship, and is considering a request for three others, officials say.
BBC News. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:53:34 GMT.
Yanukovych claims Ukraine election victory
Pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych appears to have won a narrow victory in the Ukrainian presidential election, but Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko refuses to concede defeat.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:40:32 EST.
Kremlin to buy Paris govt building
PARIS - THE Russian presidency is to buy the Paris headquarters of the French state meteorological service Meteo France and turn it into a religious and cultural centre, officials said on Monday.
Straits Times. 8 Feb 2010 14:15 GMT.
Nazi conscript salutes Dublin youth for sparing him horrors of Russian front
THE only Dubliner known to have served in the Nazi army has revealed how his Irish background saved his life.
Irish Independent. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT.

Related European and Asian Sites

Russia straddles the northern part of the Eurasian continental land mass; these maps of Europe and maps of Asia will provide some visual, geographical context for understanding Russia's location.