Russia (Capital: Moscow)
Recently, pro-Putin ruling United Russia Party won the Parliamentary election in Russia.
Political Features
- Location: Russia is world’s largest country, spanning the continents of both Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.
- Times Zones: 11, equal to the USA and 2nd highest after France.
- Land Border: Shares land borders with 14 countries (highest, alongside China): Lithuania, Poland (via Kaliningrad exclave); Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and North Korea.
- Maritime Boundaries: The United States (in the Bering Strait) and Japan.
- Neighbouring Water Bodies: Coasts on three major oceans—the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic (via the Baltic and Black Seas).
- Other border seas: include the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Chukchi seas in the north; the Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan in the east; and the Caspian Sea.
Physical Features
- Climate: Highly continental: long, severe winters; short, warm summers (extreme swings in Siberia).
- Key Mountains: Urals, Caucasus (includes Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak).
- Key Rivers & Lakes: Volga (Europe’s longest river); Lake Baikal (World’s deepest and oldest freshwater lake).
- Resources: World’s largest proven natural gas reserves; major oil and coal producer.
