Russia is BIG and Diverse
in climate and terrain |
|
Location |
Northern Asia (that part west of the
Urals is included with Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between
Europe and the North Pacific Ocean |
Geographic coordinates: |
60
00 N, 100 00 E |
Map references: |
|
Area: |
total: 17,075,200
sq km land: 16,995,800 sq km water: 79,400 sq km |
Area - comparative: |
approximately
1.8 times the size of the US |
Land boundaries: |
total: 20,017
km border countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China
(southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 294 km, Finland
1,340 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km, Latvia
217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,485 km, Norway
196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Ukraine 1,576 km |
Coastline: |
37,653
km |
Maritime claims: |
territorial
sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental
shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Climate: |
ranges
from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European
Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north;
winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia;
summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast |
Terrain: |
broad
plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra
in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions |
Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point: Caspian Sea -28m(84ft) highest point: Gora El'brus 5,633 m 16,899ft |
Natural resources: |
wide
natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas,
coal, and many strategic minerals, timber note: formidable
obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of
natural resources |
Land use: |
arable
land: 7.33% permanent crops: 0.11% other: 92.56%
(2001) |
Irrigated land: |
46,630
sq km (1998 est.) |
Natural hazards: |
permafrost
over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic
activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka
Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout
Siberia and parts of European Russia |
Environment - international
agreements: |
party
to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur
85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling signed,
but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 |
Geography - note: |
largest
country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation
to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country
lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture;
Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak |