Russia

   The Russian federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about 1/7 of the Earth's surface. Russia covers the Eastern part of Europe and the Northern part of Asia. Its total area is about 17 mln square km. The country is washed by 12 seas over 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. In the South Russia borders on Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan. In the West it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic states, Belarus and the Ukraine.

The population of Russia is 145,5 mln people.

There are about 1030 towns and cities in Russia.

Moscow is the capital and the biggest city with the population of about 9 mln people.

We have steppes in the south, plains and forest in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north. Highlands and deserts in the east. 

Russia is located on two plains. They are the Great Russian Planes and the West-Siberian Lowland. There are several mountain chains: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia. 

Russia is a land of long rivers and deep lakes. The broad Volga river system is of great historical, economic and culture importance to the country. It runs in to the Caspian sea.

The main Siberian rivers the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena. The worlds deepest lake is lake Baikal, water in it is very clear.

Russia has 1/6 of the world's forests. The animal world in the north includes the seal, the polar bear and the polar fox. In the central zone there are a lot of wolves and foxes, hares, squirrels. 

Russia is very reach in oil, coal, iron ore, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.

Russian federation is a presidential republic. The federal government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial.