ü

Here are some fascinating facts about Russia:

·         The official name for Russia is the Russian Federation.

·          Russia shares borders with many countries, including China, Ukraine, North Korea and Norway.

·         In terms of land area, Russia is the largest country in the world.

·         Russia is located across 9 time zones.

·         At the beginning of 2013, Russia was estimated to have a population of around 143 million.

·         Russian is the official language of Russia but there are many other languages used in various parts of the country.

·         The capital and largest city in Russia is Moscow. Other major cities in Russia include Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk.

·         Russians drive on the right-hand side of the road.

·         The currency used in Russia is the ruble.

·         Russia has a wide range of natural resources and is one of the world’s largest producers of oil.

·         The world’s first satellite, named Sputnik, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

·         The Soviet Union (USSR) was a socialist state that occupied much of northern Asia and eastern Europe from 1922 until it was dissolved in 1991. Former Soviet states include Lithuania, Georgia, Latvia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and others.

·         The official residence of the Russian president is the Kremlin in Moscow. The name Kremlin means fortress.

·         Russia is one of 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with the US, UK, China and France.

·         Russia has over 40 national parks and 100 wildlife reserves.

·         Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world. It reaches 1642 metres (5,387 feet) in depth and contains around 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water.

·         Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Russia (and Europe), it reaches a height of 5642 metres (18,510 feet).

·         Russia’s Volga River is the longest in Europe, with a length of around 3690 kilometres (2293 miles).

·         Russia has the world’s largest area of forests.

·         Russia produces a large amount of renewable energy thanks to its well developed hydropower stations.

·         Moscow hosted the 1980 Summer Olympic Games.

·         Basketball, ice hockey and football (soccer) are popular sports in Russia.