Russia is a rich and intriguing country that spans a large portion of Europe and Asia. It is well-known for its fascinating history and politics, as well as for its thriving culture and literature. This list of 18 amazing Russia facts will assist you in becoming acquainted with this fascinating country.
Russia Facts
1. Russia spans from Eastern Europe to Northern Asia. Thus, the country is positioned on both the European and Asian continents.
2. Russia has a population of 144,384,244 people, according to Russian Federal State Statistics Service predictions for 2020.
3. Moscow is Russia’s capital city.
4. Russia’s national currency is the ruble (RUB).
5. Azerbaijan, Estonia, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Georgia, Latvia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Norway, Mongolia, China, and North Korea are the 14 countries that border Russia.
6. Russia shares the longest border with China.
7. With 3,530 kilometers/2,190 miles of length, the Volga is Russia’s and Europe’s longest river. The Volga River empties into the Caspian Sea at its mouth.
8. Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest lake. The Russians refer to it as Siberia’s ‘Blue Eye’. Lake Baikal is the world’s largest reservoir, accounting for approximately one-fifth of the world’s freshwater reserves. Lake Baikal contains more water than the Great Lakes of North America combined!
9. The Ural Mountain range is more than 2,000 kilometers long and stretches through western Russia from north to south. Narodnaja Gora, Ural’s tallest peak, is 1,894 meters/6,217 feet tall.
10. Did you know that the distance between Russia and the United States of America is minuscule? The Bering Strait separates Russia from the United States of America and the continent of North America. Both countries are only 82 kilometers (51 miles) apart!
11. Russia is, to put it mildly, massive. Not only does it straddle two continents – Europe and Asia – but it also boasts a 17.13 million square kilometer surface area. This makes it even larger than the eponymous ex-planet Pluto, which measures only 16.7 million square kilometers.
12. In the late sixteenth century, the majority of European countries abandoned the Julian calendar. However, it was not until February 1918 that Russia adopted the Gregorian calendar, which it today utilizes to commemorate the country’s numerous holidays and anniversaries. According to reports, the Russian Empire was 12 days late for the 1908 Olympic Games in London due to the use of the Julian calendar.
13. In 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made his historic voyage into space. If you’re not sure what an astronaut and a cosmonaut are, you’re not alone. The Russian Space Agency trains cosmonauts, while NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency train astronauts.
14. The Russian population, according to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, speaks at least 270 languages and dialects.
15. According to legend, Empress Elisabeth invited the cats in 1745. While museum employees look after the cats, there is now a website where prospective feline parents can adopt a Hermitage Cat.
16. The Kalmyk people live in the Republic of Kalmykia in southwest Russia. They are a former nomadic tribe who moved to the region from Asia. Stalin ordered their deportation to Siberia, but after his death, they were let to return. The Republic has been home to spectacular temples, religious shrines, and Buddhist ceremonies since the 1990s.
17. Lake Karachay, located in the Southern Ural Mountains, is one of the most contaminated locations on Earth. Apparently, radioactive waste, including weapons and pollution from the adjacent Mayak nuclear power facility, was dumped here in the 1950s.
18. In Russia, drivers are required to drive on the right-hand side of the road.
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