Hello there! So I bet you’ve heard all about the FIFA world cup this summer, right? Today we will be exploring the country that hosted this event. That’s right; we will be learning about Russia. Being the biggest country on earth, Russia is a vibrant nation filled with onion-shaped like domes and is considered to be highly cultured as reading is dominantly valued. The state also encompasses a vast amount of heritage, and it is home to the largest river and cat in the world. Here are some more fascinating facts about Russia.

 

Basic facts:-

Official Name: Russian Federation

Form of Government: Federation

Capital: Moscow

Population: 142,470,272

Official Language: Russian

Money: Ruble

 

Geographical features:-

-Russia is the largest country in the world that occupies one-tenth of all the land on Earth.

-It crosses 11 time zones across two continents (Europe and Asia) and has coasts on three oceans (the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic).

-The total area of Russia is 6,592,772 square miles (17,075,200 square kilometers).

– Some of the Major Mountain Ranges are Ural, Altay and main rivers are Amur, Irtysh, Lena, Ob, Volga, Yenisey.

 

 

Nature

-Russian panorama diversifies from desert to frozen coastline, tall mountains to vast marshes. Significant parts of Russia are made up of rolling, treeless plains called steppes.

-Siberia, which occupies three-quarters of Russia, is dominated by sprawling pine forests called taigas.

– The country has about 100,000 rivers; some of them are the longest and the most powerful in the world.

– Russia also has many lakes, including Europe’s two largest: Ladoga and Onega. Lake Baikal in Siberia carries more water than any other lake on Earth.

– Russia’s forests, steppes, and tundras provide habitat for many rare animals, including Asiatic black bears, snow leopards, polar bears, and small, rabbit-like mammals called pikas.

– 1% of Russia’s land area is protected in preserves known as zapovedniks.

-The most popular animal species is the Siberian tiger, the largest cat in the world. Indigenous to the forests of eastern Russia, this endangered creature can be 10 feet (3 meters) long, not including its tail, and weigh up to 600 pounds (300 kilograms).

 

People and culture

– 120 different ethnic groups who speak more than a hundred languages reside in Russia.

– 80 % of Russians trace their heritage to the Slavs who settled in the country 1,500 years ago.

– Major groups other than Slavs include Tatars, who came with the Mongol invaders, and Ukrainians.

-Russia is well known for its world-famous intellectuals and artists, including writers like Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and ballet dancers including Rudolf Nureyev.

 

 

 

Places to visit

– Moscow- This vibrant location is perfect for art enthusiasts. It is home to the Red Square, which is the largest square in the world. Other well-known statues found in Moscow include that of Lenin and Stalin, controversial leaders of the 20th century.

-Saint Petersburg:- Second largest city in Russia and home to Neva River, which feeds into the Gulf of Finland and then into the Baltic Sea.

– Golden Ring- Onion-shaped domes, cherry orchards, and picturesque cottages are visible in this scenic location.

-. Irkutsk- Home to Lake Baikal; the deepest lake in the world.

 

FOOD

Russia promises to deliver mouthwatering dishes such as:

-Borscht- Deliciously warm beet and red cabbage soup.

-Blini- Russian version of crepes, buckwheat for savory contents and white flour for sweet toppings.

-Shashlik /Shashlyi- Juicy, mouthwatering meats roasted like kebabs accompanied with Russian pickles.

– Stroganoff- The famous dish which includes meat, mushrooms, and sour cream.

 

Reference

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/russia