Russia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Russian Federation
Российская Федерация (Russian)
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Anthem:
Государственный гимн Российской Федерации Gosudarstvennyy gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii "State Anthem of the Russian Federation" |
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_-_All_Territorial_Disputes.svg)
Recognised territory of Russia is shown in dark green; claimed but internationally unrecognised territory is shown in light green.
Show globe Show region with labels Show map of Europe |
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| Capital and largest city
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Moscow 55°45′21″N 37°37′02″E / 55.75583°N 37.61722°E |
| Official and national language | Russian |
| Recognised regional languages | 35 regional official languages |
| Ethnic groups
(2021; including Crimea)
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| Religion
(2024)
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| Demonym(s) | Russian |
| Government | Federal semi-presidential republic under an authoritarian dictatorship |
| Vladimir Putin | |
| Mikhail Mishustin | |
| Legislature | Federal Assembly |
| Federation Council | |
| State Duma | |
| Formation | |
| 882 | |
| 1157 | |
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• Principality of Moscow
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1282 |
| 16 January 1547 | |
| 2 November 1721 | |
| 15 March 1917 | |
| 30 December 1922 | |
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• Declaration of State
Sovereignty |
12 June 1990 |
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• Russian Federation
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12 December 1991 |
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• Current constitution
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12 December 1993 |
| 8 December 1999 | |
| Area | |
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• Total
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17,098,246 km2 (6,601,670 sq mi)(within internationally recognised borders) |
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• Water (%)
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13 (including swamps) |
| Population | |
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• 2024 estimate
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• Density
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8.4/km2 (21.8/sq mi) (187th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2024 estimate |
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• Total
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 $6.909 trillion (4th) |
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• Per capita
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$47,299 (43rd) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2024 estimate |
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• Total
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$2.184 trillion (11th) |
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• Per capita
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$14,953 (65th) |
| Gini (2020) | ▼ 36.0 medium |
| HDI (2022) | 0.821 very high · 56th |
| Currency | Ruble (₽) (RUB) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 to +12 |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +7 |
| ISO 3166 code | RU |
| Internet TLD | |
146,150,789
Russia (Russian: Россия), officially called the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация), is a huge country. It is located in Eastern Europe and North Asia. Russia is the largest country in the world by land area.
About 146.7 million people live in Russia, based on a 2019 count. The capital city is Moscow, and the main language is Russian.
Russia shares land borders with many countries. These include Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has water borders with Japan and the United States.
From 1922 to 1991, Russia was the biggest part of the Soviet Union. This was a country based on Communism. Today, Russia has a federal semi-presidential republic government. The President is chosen by direct election. The current President is Vladimir Putin. The President leads the country, and the Russian Parliament also plays a role.
Contents
Russia's Size and Resources
Russia is the largest country in the world. It covers over 17 million square kilometers (6.6 million square miles). This is more than one-eighth of all the land where people live on Earth.
Russia is also the world's ninth most populated country. It has about 146.7 million people as of 2021. Russia produces a lot of energy from oil and natural gas.
The country stretches from eastern Europe across all of northern Asia. It spans eleven time zones. Russia has many different environments and landforms. It holds the world's largest amounts of minerals and energy resources. It is the biggest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia also has the world's largest forest areas. Its lakes contain about one-quarter of the world's fresh water.
How Russia is Governed
Russia is a federal semi-presidential republic. This means the President is the head of state. The Prime Minister is the head of government. The government has three main parts:
- Legislative: This part makes the laws. It is called the Federal Assembly. It has two parts: the 450-member State Duma and the 170-member Federation Council. They create federal laws, declare war, and approve treaties. They can also remove the President from office.
- Executive: The President leads the Armed Forces. The President can stop proposed laws before they become official. The President also chooses the Government of Russia (Cabinet) and other officials. These officials carry out federal laws and policies.
- Judiciary: This part interprets the laws. It includes the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, and other federal courts. Judges are chosen by the Federation Council based on the President's suggestion. They make sure laws follow the constitution.
The president is chosen by popular vote for a six-year term. They can serve a second term, but not a third right after. The government ministries are made up of the Prime Minister, their helpers, and other ministers. The President appoints them, but the State Duma must agree to the Prime Minister's appointment.
Russia's History
Russia's history started with the East Slavs in Europe. They formed a group between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Later, Vikings and their families founded the first East Slavic state called Kievan Rus' in the 9th century. They became Christian in 988. This greatly shaped Russian culture.
Kievan Rus' later split into many small states. The strongest of these was the Grand Duchy of Moscow. This area helped unite Russia and fight against the Golden Horde. Moscow slowly gained control of nearby regions. It became the main cultural and political center.
In the 18th century, Russia grew into the Russian Empire. It became the third-largest empire in history. It stretched from Poland to the Pacific Ocean and Alaska. An emperor called the Tsar ruled the empire.
Peter the Great ruled Russia from 1689 to 1725. He moved the capital from Moscow to a new city, Saint Petersburg. Peter modernized Russia in many ways. The government started building ships for the Russian navy.
The Russo-Japanese War happened from 1904 to 1905. Japan won this war. This defeat was one reason for later revolutions in Russia.
In October 1917, the Bolsheviks took control. They were inspired by Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, created the first Communist state.
From the 1920s to the 1950s, Joseph Stalin ruled as a strong leader of Soviet Russia. He took control of farms and shops. Many people faced hardship and died during this time. Stalin also removed military leaders who were not loyal to him. Many were killed or sent to prison camps called gulags.
In 1939, Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany agreed not to attack each other. But in June 1941, Germany broke this agreement and attacked Russia in Operation Barbarossa. This was part of World War II. The war in Europe ended in May 1945. Russia lost over 20 million people. Despite these losses, Russia was a winner of the war. It became a world superpower.
From 1922 to 1991, Russia was the biggest part of the Soviet Union. This was also known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). People sometimes called the whole Soviet Union "Russia." But Russia was just one of 15 republics. Its full name was the "Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic" (RSFSR).
The Soviet Union broke apart in the early 1990s. Russia then took its place in the United Nations (UN).
Modern Russian History
Boris Yeltsin became the first elected President of Russia in June 1991. Many big changes happened, like allowing private businesses and free trade. These changes were suggested by the United States and the International Monetary Fund.
A major economic crisis followed. The country's GDP and factory output dropped a lot between 1990 and 1995. Many businesses moved from state control to private individuals. Some wealthy businesspeople moved large amounts of money and assets out of the country. This led to social services struggling. Millions of people became poor.
The 1990s also saw many conflicts in the North Caucasus. There were local ethnic fights and separatist groups. The Chechen separatists declared independence. This led to a war between rebel groups and the Russian military. There were also terrorist attacks against regular people. These attacks caused hundreds of deaths. Two famous examples were the Moscow theater hostage crisis and the Beslan school siege.
Russia took on the responsibility for the Soviet Union's debts. This was despite Russia having only half of the USSR's population. Large budget problems led to the 1998 Russian financial crisis. This caused the GDP to drop even more.
On December 31, 1999, President Yeltsin stepped down. The job of president went to Vladimir Putin, who was Prime Minister. Putin then won the 2000 presidential election. Putin quickly ended the Chechen rebellion.
High oil prices and growing demand helped the economy grow for nine years. This improved people's lives and increased Russia's influence in the world. While some of Putin's changes were criticized by Western countries, his leadership brought stability and progress. This made him very popular in Russia.
On March 2, 2008, Dmitry Medvedev was elected President. Putin became Prime Minister. Putin returned to the presidency after the 2012 elections.
Russia's Geography
Russia is the largest country in the world. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometers (6.6 million square miles). This makes it bigger than the continents of Oceania, Europe, and Antarctica. It is located between 41° and 82° N latitude, and 19° E and 169° W longitude.
Russia grew largely in the late 16th century. This happened under the Cossack Yermak Timofeyevich during the rule of Ivan the Terrible. At that time, many city-states in western Russia joined together. Yermak gathered an army and moved eastward. He conquered lands that once belonged to the Mongols. He defeated their ruler, Khan Kuchum.
Russia has many natural resources. These include large amounts of timber, petroleum, natural gas, coal, and other minerals.
Cities in Russia with over one million people include:
- Moscow
- Saint Petersburg
- Novosibirsk
- Yekaterinburg
- Nizhniy Novgorod
- Samara
- Omsk
- Kazan
- Ufa
- Chelyabinsk
- Rostov on Don
- Krasnoyarsk
- Volgograd
The westernmost point of Russia is near Kaliningrad. The easternmost point is Diomede Island, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Alaska. The southernmost point is in the Caucasus mountains, near Azerbaijan. The northernmost point is on the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. This is about 900 kilometers (560 miles) from the North Pole.
Land Features
Most of Russia is made up of huge plains. To the south, these are mostly steppe (grasslands). To the north, they are heavily forested (taiga). Along the northern coast, there is tundra. Russia has 10% of the world's land that can be farmed.
Mountain ranges are found along the southern borders. These include the Caucasus (with Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Russia and Europe at 5,642 meters or 18,510 feet). Also, the Altai range has Mount Belukha, the highest point in Siberia outside the Russian Far East. In the eastern parts, there are ranges like the Verkhoyansk Range and volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the highest active volcano in Asia, at 4,750 meters (15,584 feet). The Ural Mountains are rich in minerals. They form a north-south range that divides Europe and Asia.
Russia has a very long coastline, over 37,000 kilometers (23,000 miles). It borders the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. It also borders the Baltic Sea, Sea of Azov, Black Sea, and Caspian Sea. Many seas are connected to Russia, like the Barents Sea and the Sea of Japan. Russia's major islands include Novaya Zemlya and Sakhalin. The Diomede Islands are only 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) apart. One is Russian, the other is American.
Russia has thousands of rivers and inland water bodies. Its lakes hold about one-quarter of the world's liquid fresh water. Lake Baikal is the largest and most famous. It is the world's deepest, purest, and oldest freshwater lake. Baikal alone holds over one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water. Other big lakes include Ladoga and Onega, two of the largest lakes in Europe.
The Volga is the most famous Russian river. It is the longest river in Europe. It has played a big role in Russian history. Siberian rivers like the Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Amur are among the longest rivers in the world.
Climate in Russia
Russia's huge size and distance from the sea mean it mostly has a humid continental climate. This is true for most of the country, except for the tundra and the far southwest. Mountains in the south block warm air from the Indian Ocean. The open plains in the west and north allow cold air from the Arctic and Atlantic to enter.
Most of northern European Russia and Siberia have a subarctic climate. Winters are very cold in inner Northeast Siberia. For example, the Sakha Republic has recorded temperatures as low as −71.2°C (−96.2°F). Winters are milder in other areas. The coast along the Arctic Ocean and the Russian Arctic islands have a polar climate.
The coastal part of Krasnodar Krai on the Black Sea, especially Sochi, has a humid subtropical climate. This means mild and wet winters. In many parts of East Siberia and the Far East, winter is dry compared to summer. In other areas, rain and snow are more even throughout the year. Winter precipitation usually falls as snow. The region along the Lower Volga and Caspian Sea coast has a semi-arid climate.
In most of Russia, there are only two main seasons: winter and summer. Spring and autumn are short periods of change between very cold and very hot temperatures. January is usually the coldest month (February on the coast). July is usually the warmest. Temperatures can change a lot. In winter, it gets colder from south to north and from west to east. Summers can be quite hot, even in Siberia. The driest areas are in the middle of the continent.
Russia's Wildlife
From north to south, the East European Plain has different types of plant life. It goes from Arctic tundra to coniferous forest (taiga), then mixed and broad-leaf forests, then grassland (steppe), and finally semi-desert near the Caspian Sea. These changes in plants show how the climate changes. Siberia has a similar pattern but is mostly taiga. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves. These are called "the lungs of Europe" because they absorb a lot of carbon dioxide.
Russia is home to 266 types of mammals and 780 types of birds. As of 1997, 415 animal species are protected in Russia. There are 28 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 40 UNESCO biosphere reserves, 41 national parks, and 101 nature reserves. Many of Russia's ecosystems are still untouched by humans. These are mainly in the northern taiga and subarctic tundra of Siberia. Russia has been working to improve its environmental laws. It also studies and protects rare plants and animals.
People and Population
Russia is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. It also has many people living in cities. According to the 2010 census, Russia had 142.8 million people. This number grew to 146.7 million by 2021. It is the most populous country in Europe. It is also the ninth-most populous country in the world. The population density is about 9 people per square kilometer (23 per square mile).
Russia is a multinational state. This means it is home to over 193 different ethnic groups. In the 2010 Census, about 81% of the people were ethnic Russians. The other 19% were minority groups. About 84.93% of Russia's population is of European descent. Most of these are Slavs, with smaller groups of Germanic and Baltic-Finns.
Russia has 22 republics. These are areas meant for their own ethnic groups, cultures, and languages. In 13 of these republics, ethnic Russians are a minority. The United Nations says Russia has the third-largest immigrant population in the world, with over 11.6 million people. Most of these immigrants come from countries that were once part of the Soviet Union, especially Ukrainians.
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Largest cities or towns in Russia
2024 estimate |
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| Rank | Pop. | |
| 1 | Moscow | 13,149,803 |
| 2 | Saint Petersburg | 5,597,763 |
| 3 | Novosibirsk | 1,633,851 |
| 4 | Yekaterinburg | 1,536,183 |
| 5 | Kazan | 1,318,604 |
| 6 | Krasnoyarsk | 1,205,473 |
| 7 | Nizhny Novgorod | 1,204,985 |
| 8 | Chelyabinsk | 1,177,058 |
| 9 | Ufa | 1,163,304 |
| 10 | Samara | 1,158,952 |
Culture and Religion
Music and Ballet
Many world-famous composers came from Russia in the 20th century. These include Alexander Scriabin, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei Prokofiev, and Dmitri Shostakovich. Russia has also produced some of the greatest pianists. Anton Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz, and Vladimir Ashkenazy are among the best ever.
Russian composer Tchaikovsky created famous ballets. These include The Nutcracker. Sergei Diaghilev helped ballet grow in the early 20th century with his Ballets Russes company. Dance companies at the Mariinsky Theatre and the Bolshoi Ballet have produced many famous dancers.
Literature
Russians have written many famous books and poems. Alexander Pushkin is seen as the founder of modern Russian literature. He was a poet in the 19th century.
Other famous writers from the 19th century include Anton Chekhov, Mikhail Lermontov, Leo Tolstoy, Nikolai Gogol, Ivan Turgenev, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Many people think Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky are two of the greatest novelists ever. Three Russians won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the 20th century: Boris Pasternak (1958), Mikhail Sholokhov (1965), and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1980). Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita is also a very important novel.
Sports
Soccer, ice hockey, and basketball are very popular sports in Russia. Boxing, gymnastics, weightlifting, and tennis are also well-liked. Tracksuits are common clothing for many Russians. Famous athletes include former tennis world number one Maria Sharapova. She has won three Grand Slam titles. In 2008, she was the highest-paid female athlete in the world.
Since the 1952 Olympic Games, Soviet and later Russian athletes have been among the top three in gold medals at the Summer Olympics. The 1980 Summer Olympic Games were held in Moscow. The 2014 Winter Olympics were hosted by Sochi.
Chess in Russia
Chess is a very important intellectual sport in Russia. In the 20th century, there were nine Russian World Chess Champions. This is more than all other countries combined.
Religion in Russia
The main religion in Russia is the Russian Orthodox Church. It is part of the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Related Pages
Images for kids
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The Kurgan hypothesis suggests the Volga-Dnieper region of southern Russia was where Proto-Indo-Europeans came from.
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Kievan Rus' in the 11th century.
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Sergius of Radonezh blessing Dmitry Donskoy before the Battle of Kulikovo.
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Tsar Ivan the Terrible, painted by Viktor Vasnetsov, 1897.
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Napoleon's retreat from Moscow by Albrecht Adam (1851).
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Emperor Nicholas II of Russia and the Romanovs were executed in 1918.
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Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky during a 1920 speech in Moscow.
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The Battle of Stalingrad ended in 1943 with a Soviet victory.
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The "Big Three" at the Yalta Conference in February 1945.
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Mikhail Gorbachev meeting with Ronald Reagan in 1986.
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Vladimir Putin taking the oath as president in 2000, with Boris Yeltsin.
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Topographic map of Russia.
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The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway line in the world.
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Wheat fields in Tomsk Oblast, Siberia.
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Mikhail Lomonosov (1711–1765), a famous Russian scientist and artist.
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Mir, a Soviet and Russian space station.
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Peterhof Palace in Saint Petersburg, a World Heritage Site.
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Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.
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Moscow State University, a top educational institution.
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The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow at night.
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The Scarlet Sails celebration in Saint Petersburg.
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893), a famous composer.
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Kvass is a traditional Russian drink.
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Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Europe's tallest freestanding structure.
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Maria Sharapova, a former world No. 1 tennis player.
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See also
In Spanish: Rusia para niños
