Russia¶
- Area
- Europe
- Coins
- 15
With over 17 million square kilometers of territory, the Russian Federation is the largest country on earth by a wide margin. (Canada, the second largest country, has just under 10 million square kilometers.) And with over 142 million people (2010 est.), it is in the top ten countries for population.Russia's history starts between the 3rd to 8th centuries with the Vikings and charts a colourful course to the Russian Empire of the 18th century -- the third largest empire in history. Russia was the main member of the USSR (Soviet Union) until its collapse in 1991. Lots of problems, including numerous armed conflicts, plagued Russia in the final years of the 20th century, but the start of the 21st century saw a return to stability and renewed progress. Russia has an extremely strong history of excellence in arts and the sciences, as well as technology.
Is Russia in Europe or Asia? Well, both. Sort of. Most of its landmass is east of the Ural mountains, which would be considered Northern Asia. But most of its population, and capital city Moscow, are in Europe. And culturally, Russia is European rather than Asian. Therefore, it is listed under Europe.
