View source for Geography of Russia

{{Short description|none}}<!-- This short description is INTENTIONALLY "none" - please see WP:SDNONE before you consider changing it! -->
{{Multiple issues|
{{update|date=September 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2024}}
}}
{{Country geography
|name = Russia
|map = Russland Relief.png
|map size = 300
|continent = [[Europe]] and [[Asia]]
|region = [[Eastern Europe]] ([[European Russia]])<br />[[North Asia|Northern Asia]] ([[Siberia]])
|coordinates = {{Coord|60|00|N|100|00|E|type:country}}
|percent land = 95.78
|percent water = 4.22
|km coastline = 37,654 
|borders = <!-- Arranged anti-clockwise from west to east -->
[[Poland]] {{convert|204.1|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Lithuania]] {{convert|266|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Norway]] {{convert|195.8|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Finland]] {{convert|1,271.8|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Estonia]] {{convert|138|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Latvia]] {{convert|270.5|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Belarus]] {{convert|1,239|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Ukraine]] {{convert|1,925.8|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] {{convert|875.5|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Azerbaijan]] {{convert|372.6|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Kazakhstan]] {{convert|7,512.8|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[China]] {{convert|4,209.3|km|mi|abbr=on}}{{efn|Russia shares [[China–Russia border|two separate land borders]] with China, the much shorter western section is further west than its [[Mongolia–Russia border|land border with Mongolia]].}}<br />
[[Mongolia]] {{convert|3485|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[North Korea]] {{convert|17|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />
[[Japan]]<br />
[[United States]]
|highest point = [[Mount Elbrus]]<br />{{convert|5,642|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|lowest point = [[Caspian Sea]],<br />{{convert|−28|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|longest river = [[Yenisei River|Yenisei]]–[[Angara River|Angara]]–[[Selenge River|Selenge]],<br />{{convert|5,539|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|largest lake = [[Lake Baikal]]<br />{{convert|31,722|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}
|climate = European Russia and Siberia: mostly cool climate<br />Extreme north: tundra<br />Extreme southeast: temperate continental
|terrain = Most of Russia consists of two plains (the East European Plain and the West Siberian Plain), two lowlands (the North Siberian and the Kolyma, in far northeastern Siberia), two plateaus (the Central Siberian Plateau and the Lena Plateau to its east), and a series of mountainous areas mainly concentrated in the extreme northeast or extending intermittently along the southern border.
|natural resources = Oil, gas, coal, timber, metals, diamonds, copper, lead, zinc, bauxite, nickel, tin, mercury, gold, silver, platinum, titanium, manganese, potash, uranium, cobalt, molybdenum, tungsten, aluminum, polymetals, chromium, phosphates, apatites, talc, asbestos, mica, salt, amber, precious and semiprecious stones, sand, clay, limestone, marble, granite, iron ore, arable land, tobacco, tea, citrus fruit, hydroelectricity, fresh water, fruits, and vegetables.
|natural hazards = Earthquakes, landslides, storms, hurricanes, forest fires, and floods.
|environmental issues = [[Deforestation in Russia|Deforestation]], energy irresponsibility, [[Pollution in Russia|pollution]], and nuclear waste.
|exclusive economic zone = {{convert|7,566,673|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
}}

[[Russia]] ({{langx|ru|link=no|Россия}}) is the largest [[list of countries and dependencies by area|country in the world]], covering over {{convert|17,125,191|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},encompassing more than one-eighth of Earth's inhabited land area (excludes Antarctica). [[Russia]] extends across [[time in Russia|eleven time zones]], and has the [[list of countries and territories by land borders|most borders of any country]] in the world, with [[borders of Russia|sixteen sovereign nations]].{{efn|Russia shares land borders with fourteen [[sovereign nation]]s: [[Norway]] and [[Finland]] to the northwest;  [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Belarus]] and [[Ukraine]] to the west, as well as [[Lithuania]] and [[Poland]] (with [[Kaliningrad Oblast|Kaliningrad]]); [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] and [[Azerbaijan]] to the southwest; [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Mongolia]] to the south; [[China]] and [[North Korea]] to the southeast—while having [[Maritime boundary|maritime boundaries]] with [[Japan]] and the [[United States]]. 
----
Russia also shares borders with the two [[partially recognized states|partially recognized]] breakaway states of [[South Ossetia]] and [[Abkhazia]].}}

[[Russia]] is a [[List of transcontinental countries|transcontinental country]], stretching vastly over two continents, [[Europe]] and [[Asia]].<ref name="natgeo">{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/russia|title=Russia|encyclopedia=[[National Geographic Kids]]|date=21 March 2014|publisher=[[National Geographic]]|access-date=26 May 2021}}</ref> It spans the northernmost edge of [[Eurasia]], and has the world's [[list of countries by length of coastline|fourth-longest coastline]], at {{convert|comma=5|37653|km|mi|abbr=on}}.{{efn|Russia has an additional {{convert|comma=5|850|km|mi|abbr=on}} of coastline along the [[Caspian Sea]], which is the world's largest inland body of water, and has been variously classified as a sea or a lake.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2018/08/16/is-the-caspian-a-sea-or-a-lake|title=Is the Caspian a sea or a lake?|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|quote="Like many lakes, it does not feed into an ocean, but it is sea-like in its size and depth."|date=16 August 2018|access-date=27 June 2021}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/coastline/|title=Coastline - The World Factbook|work=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]|access-date=27 June 2021}}</ref> [[Russia]], alongside [[Canada]] and the United States, is one of only three [[list of countries bordering on two or more oceans|countries with a coast along three oceans]] (however connection to the Atlantic Ocean is extremely remote),<ref name="natgeo"/> due to which it has links with over thirteen marginal seas.{{efn|Russia borders, clockwise, to its southwest: the [[Black Sea]] and the [[Sea of Azov]]; to its west: the [[Baltic Sea]]; to its north: the [[Barents Sea]], the [[Kara Sea]], the [[Laptev Sea]], the [[Pechora Sea]], the [[White Sea]], and the [[East Siberian Sea]]; to its northeast: the [[Chukchi Sea]] and the [[Bering Sea]]; and to its southeast: the [[Sea of Okhotsk]] and the [[Sea of Japan]].}}<ref name="Geo"/> It lies between latitudes [[41st parallel north|41°]] and [[82nd parallel north|82° N]], and longitudes [[19th meridian east|19° E]] and [[169th meridian west|169° W]]. Russia is larger than three continents of the world{{efn|Russia, by land area, is larger than the continents of [[Australia (continent)|Australia]], [[Antarctica]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://medium.com/@callummtaylor/russia-is-huge-and-thats-about-the-size-of-it-180d99ab4a81 |title=Russia is huge, and that's about the size of it. |work=[[Medium (website)|Medium]] |first=Callum |last=Taylor |quote="Russia takes up 17,098,250 square kilometres, roughly one-eighth of the world's total land mass. That's larger than the entire continent of Antarctica..." |date=2 April 2018 |access-date=6 July 2021}}</ref> and Europe; although it covers a large part of the latter itself.}} and has about the same surface area as [[Pluto]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2015/jul/28/pluto-ten-things-we-now-know-about-the-dwarf-planet |title=Pluto: ten things we now know about the dwarf planet |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Stuart |last=Clark |quote="Pluto's diameter is larger than expected at 2,370 kilometres across. This is about two-thirds the size of Earth's moon, giving Pluto a surface area comparable to Russia." |date=28 July 2015 |access-date=20 June 2021}}</ref> Russia encompasses, by far, the largest  forest area of any country in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fao.org/3/ca9825en/CA9825EN.pdf |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment |access-date=30 March 2024}}</ref>

==Global position and boundaries==
[[File: Russia on the globe (+claims hatched) (Russia centered).svg|thumb|Russia on the globe]]

[[Kaliningrad Oblast]], westernmost part of [[Russia]] along the [[Baltic Sea]], is about {{convert|9000|km|mi|-2|abbr=on}} apart from its easternmost part, [[Big Diomede|Big Diomede Island]] in the [[Bering Strait]].<ref name="Geo">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/russia/22.htm|title=Global Position and Boundaries|editor=Glenn E. Curtis |year=1998|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|publisher=Federal Research Division of the [[Library of Congress]]|access-date=8 July 2021}}</ref> From north to south, the country ranges from the northern tip of the [[Russian Arctic islands]] at [[Franz Josef Land]] to the southern tip of the [[Dagestan|Republic of Dagestan]] on the [[Caspian Sea]], spanning about {{convert|4500|km|mi}} of extremely varied, often inhospitable terrain.

Extending for {{convert|57,792|km|mi}}, the Russian [[border]] is the world's longest. Along the {{Convert|20139|km|adj=on}} land frontier, [[Russia]] has boundaries with 14 countries: [[Poland]] and [[Lithuania]] (both via [[Kaliningrad Oblast]]), [[Norway]], [[Finland]], [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Belarus]], [[Ukraine]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[China]], [[Mongolia]], and [[North Korea]].

Approximately two-thirds of the frontier is bounded by seawater. Virtually all of the lengthy northern coast is well above the [[Arctic Circle]]; except for the port of [[Murmansk]]—which receives currents that are somewhat warmer than would be expected at that latitude, due to the effects of the [[Gulf Stream]]—that coast is locked in ice much of the year. Thirteen seas and parts of two oceans—the [[Arctic Ocean|Arctic]] and [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]]—wash Russian shores. It is separated by close sea, making it a [[maritime boundary]]. It also shares one with [[Japan]].

==Administrative and territorial divisions==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2021}}
{{Main|Political divisions of Russia}}

With a few changes of status, most of the Soviet Union's administrative and territorial divisions of the Russian Republic were retained in constituting the Russian Federation. As of 2014, there were eighty-five administrative territorial divisions (called [[federal subjects of Russia|federal subjects]]): twenty-two [[republics]], nine [[krai]]s (territories), forty-six [[oblast]]s (provinces), one [[autonomous oblast]], four autonomous [[okrug]]s, and three [[federal cities of Russia|cities with federal status]], namely the cities of [[Moscow]], [[Saint Petersburg]], and [[Sevastopol]].

The republics include a wide variety of peoples, including northern [[Europeans]], [[Tatars]], [[Caucasus]] peoples, and indigenous [[Demographics of Siberia|Siberians]]. The [[List of federal subjects of Russia by area|largest federal subjects]] are in Siberia. Located in east-central Siberia, the [[Sakha Republic]] (Yakutia) is the largest federal subject in the country (and the [[List of the largest country subdivisions by area|largest country subdivision]] in the world), twice the size of Alaska. Second in size is [[Krasnoyarsk Krai]], located west of Sakha in Siberia. [[Kaliningrad Oblast]], which is a noncontiguous constituent entity of Russia, is the smallest oblast. The is both the smallest republic and the smallest federal subject of Russia except for the three federal cities. The two [[List of federal subjects of Russia by population|most populous]] federal subjects, [[Moscow Oblast]] (with Moscow) and [[Krasnodar Krai]], are in European Russia.

==Human geography==
=== Demographics ===
{{main|Demographics of Russia}}{{See also|List of cities and towns in Russia by population}}
Russia had a population of 141.18 million according to the [[Russian Census (2010)|2010 census]],<ref name="2010Census">{{ru-pop-ref|2010Census}}</ref> which rose to 146.2 million as of 2021 following the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexation of Crimea]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gks.ru/storage/mediabank/Popul2020.xls|title=Оценка численности постоянного населения на 1 января 2020 года и в среднем за 2019 год|author=[[Russian Federal State Statistics Service|Rosstat]]|website=gks.ru|date=2020}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=October 2024|reason=The population has not "rose". Annexation needs to be described using secondary independent source.}} It is the [[List of European countries by population|most populous country]] in Europe, and the [[List of countries and dependencies by population|ninth-most populous country]] in the world; with a [[list of countries by population density|population density]] of {{convert|9|/km2|/mi2|disp=preunit|inhabitants&nbsp;|inhabitants|}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST|title=Population density (people per sq. km of land area)|work=[[The World Bank]]|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref>

=== Urban areas ===
{{See also|List of cities and towns in Russia by population|List of cities and towns in Russia}}
<gallery>
File:Business Centre of Moscow 2.jpg|[[Moscow]], the capital and largest city of Russia
File:Spb 06-2017 img01 Spit of Vasilievsky Island.jpg|[[Saint Petersburg]], the cultural capital and the second-largest city
File:E-burg asv2019-05 img46 view from VysotSky.jpg|[[Yekaterinburg]], the fourth-largest city in the country.
</gallery>
Russia is one of the world's [[Urbanization by country|most urbanized countries]], with roughly 75% of its total population living in urban areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/russia/|title=Russia - The World Factbook|work=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]|access-date=26 December 2007}}</ref> [[Moscow]], the [[capital city|capital]] and largest city, has a population estimated at 12.4 million residents within the city limits,<ref name=est.2020>{{cite web|title=RUSSIA: Central'nyj Federal'nyj Okrug – Central Federal District|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/russia/cities/central/|publisher=City Population.de|date=August 8, 2020|access-date=September 1, 2020}}</ref> while over 17 million residents in the urban area,<ref name="Urban">{{cite web|url=http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf|title=Demographia World Urban Areas|publisher=Demographia|access-date=July 22, 2020}}</ref> and over 20 million residents in the [[Moscow metropolitan area|metropolitan area]].<ref name="Megapolis">{{cite web|url=https://strelkamag.com/en/article/moscow-agglomeration|title=A 3-Hour Commute: A Close Look At Moscow The Megapolis|work=Strelka Mag|author=Alexander Akishin|date=August 17, 2017|access-date=May 23, 2020|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417121056/https://strelkamag.com/en/article/moscow-agglomeration|url-status=dead}}</ref> Moscow is among the [[List of largest cities|world's largest cities]], being the [[List of European cities by population within city limits|most populous city]] entirely within [[Europe]], the [[List of urban areas in Europe|most populous urban area]] in Europe,<ref name="Urban"/> the [[List of metropolitan areas in Europe|most populous metropolitan area]] in Europe,<ref name="Megapolis"/> and also the largest city by land area on the European continent.<ref name="Planète Énergies">{{cite web|url=https://www.planete-energies.com/en/medias/close/moscow-city-undergoing-transformation|title=Moscow, a City Undergoing Transformation|work=Planète Énergies|date=September 11, 2017|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref> [[Saint Petersburg]], the cultural capital, is the second-largest city, with a population of roughly 5.4 million inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web|title=RUSSIA: Severo-Zapadnyj Federal'nyj Okrug: Northwestern Federal District|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/russia/cities/northwestern/|publisher=City Population.de|date=8 August 2020|access-date=October 24, 2020}}</ref> Other major urban areas are [[Yekaterinburg]], [[Novosibirsk]], [[Kazan]], [[Nizhny Novgorod]], and [[Chelyabinsk]].
{{Map of largest cities of Russia}}
{{Largest cities of Russia}}

==Physiography and hydrography==
{{See also|Great Russian Regions}}

Geographers traditionally divide the vast territory of Russia into five natural zones: the [[tundra]] zone; the [[Taiga]], or forest, zone; the [[steppe]], or plains, zone; the [[desert|arid zone]]; and the [[mountain]] zone. Most of Russia consists of two [[plain]]s (the [[East European Plain]] and the [[West Siberian Plain]]), three [[lowland]]s (the [[North Siberian Lowland|North Siberian]], the [[Central Yakutian Lowland|Central Yakutian]] and the [[East Siberian Lowland|East Siberian]]), two [[plateau]]s (the [[Central Siberian Plateau]] and the [[Lena Plateau]]), and two systems of mountainous areas (the [[East Siberian Mountains]] in far northeastern Siberia and the [[South Siberian Mountains]] along the southern border).

===Ecoregions===
{{See also|List of ecoregions in Russia}}
<gallery mode="packed" heights="180px">
File:Pontic Caspian climate.png|The wider area of the [[Urals]], showing the transition of [[temperate forest]], [[taiga]], [[steppe]] and [[semi-desert]]
File:Russia vegetation.png|{{div col|colwidth=10vw|small=yes|style=text-align: left;text-indent: -1em; padding-left: 1em;}}{{legend|#c0c0c0|Ice sheet and polar desert}}{{legend|#9fd6c9|Tundra}}{{legend|#a7bddb|Alpine tundra}}{{legend|#006d64|Taiga}}{{legend|#3c9798|Montane forest}}{{legend|#a4e05d|Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest}}{{legend|#f7ec6f|Temperate steppe}}{{legend|#9b8447|Dry steppe}}{{div col end}}|alt=Ice sheet and polar desert  Tundra  Alpine tundra  Taiga  Montane forest  Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest  Temperate steppe  Dry steppe
</gallery>

{{multiple image|total_width = 800
 | align = center
 | background color = black
 | width = 1000
 | height = 10000
 | image1 = Western palearctic biomes.svg
 | alt1 = The western Palearctic biomes
 | image2 = Eastern palearctic biomes.svg
 | alt2 = The eastern Palearctic biomes
 | footer_background = 
 | footer_align = center
 | footer = Russia's 49 outlined terrestrial [[List of ecoregions in Russia|ecoregions]], each of a colored [[biome]], stretch across the [[Palearctic realm]] of [[Eurasia]]. Russia contains 8 of [[Biome#Olson_&_Dinerstein_(1998)_biomes_for_WWF_/_Global_200|14 terrestrial biomes]], or major habitat types, as defined by Olson & Dinerstein, et al. (2001).<ref name="Olson2001">Olson, D. M., Dinerstein, E., Wikramanayake, E. D., Burgess, N. D., Powell, G. V. N., Underwood, E. C., D'Amico, J. A., Itoua, I., Strand, H. E., Morrison, J. C., Loucks, C. J., Allnutt, T. F., Ricketts, T. H., Kura, Y., Lamoreux, J. F., Wettengel, W. W., Hedao, P., Kassem, K. R. (2001). Terrestrial ecoregions of the world: a new map of life on Earth. ''Bioscience'' 51(11):933–938, [http://wolfweb.unr.edu/~ldyer/classes/396/olsonetal.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917072415/http://wolfweb.unr.edu/~ldyer/classes/396/olsonetal.pdf|date=2012-09-17}}.</ref>

{{div col|colwidth=12vw|small=yes|style=text-align: left;text-indent: -1em; padding-left: 1em;}}
{{Legend|#447821|01. [[Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests]]}}
{{Legend|#D4AA00|02. [[Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests]]}}
{{Legend|#66FF00|03. [[Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests]]}}
{{Legend|#71C837|04. [[Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests]]}}
{{Legend|#005500|05. [[Temperate coniferous forests]]}}
{{Legend|#2CA05A|06. [[Taiga|Taiga and Boreal forest]]}}
{{Legend|#FFDD55|07. [[Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands]]}}
{{Legend|#CDDE87|08. [[Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands]]}}
{{Legend|#80B3FF|09. [[Flooded grasslands and savannas]]}}
{{Legend|#C6AFE9|10. [[Montane grasslands and shrublands]]}}
{{Legend|#87DECD|11. [[Tundra]]}}
{{Legend|#C87137|12. [[Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub]]}}
{{Legend|#FFF6D5|13. [[Deserts and xeric shrublands]]}}
{{Legend|#D400AA|14. [[Mangrove forest|Mangroves]]}}
{{Legend|#ECECEC|Rock and Ice, or Abiotic Land Zones}}
{{div col end}}
}}

====East European plain====
The [[East European Plain]] encompasses most of [[European Russia]]. The [[West Siberian Plain]], which is the world's largest, extends east from the [[Ural Mountains|Urals]] to the [[Yenisei River]]. Because the terrain and vegetation are relatively uniform in each of the natural zones, Russia presents an illusion of uniformity. Nevertheless, Russian territory contains all the major vegetation zones of the world except a [[Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests|tropical rain forest]]. 

====Icecaps====
{{Further|Arctic}}

[[Image:800px-Map-Tundra.png|thumb|upright=1.25|Map of arctic tundra.]]
[[Image:Laptev Sea map.png|thumb|upright=1.25|Map of the Russian Arctic.]]

The Russian Arctic stretches for close to {{convert|7000|km|mi}} west to east, from [[Karelia]] and the [[Kola Peninsula]] to [[Nenetsia]], the [[Gulf of Ob]], the [[Taymyr Peninsula]] and the [[Chukchi Peninsula]] ([[Kolyma]], [[Anadyr River]], [[Cape Dezhnev]]). Russian islands and archipelagos in the [[Arctic Sea]] include [[Novaya Zemlya]], [[Severnaya Zemlya]], and the [[New Siberian Islands]].

About 10 percent of Russia is [[tundra]]<ref>{{cite web |author1=Joint Global Change Research Institute and Battelle Memorial Institute, Pacific Northwest Division |title=Russia: Impact of Climate Change to 2030 |url=https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/climate2030_russia.pdf |publisher=National Intelligence Council |access-date=5 July 2025 |format=PDF |date=April 2009}}</ref>—a treeless, marshy plain. The tundra is Russia's northernmost zone, stretching from the Finnish border in the west to the [[Bering Strait]] in the east, then running south along the Pacific coast to the northern [[Kamchatka Peninsula]]. The zone is known for its herds of wild [[reindeer]], for so-called [[White night (astronomy)|white nights]] (dusk at midnight, dawn shortly thereafter) in summer, and for days of total darkness in winter. The long, harsh winters and lack of sunshine allow only [[moss]]es, [[lichen]]s, and [[Dwarf Willow|dwarf willows]] and shrubs to sprout low above the barren [[permafrost]]. Although several powerful Siberian rivers traverse this zone as they flow northward to the Arctic Ocean, partial and intermittent thawing hamper drainage of the numerous lakes, ponds, and swamps of the tundra. Frost weathering is the most important physical process here, gradually shaping a landscape that was severely modified by [[glaciation]] in the [[Quaternary glaciation|last ice age]]. Less than one percent of Russia's population lives in this zone. The fishing and port industries of the northwestern Kola Peninsula and the huge [[petroleum|oil]] and [[natural gas|gas]] fields of northwestern Siberia are the largest employers in the tundra. With a population of 180,000, the industrial frontier city of [[Norilsk]] is third in population to [[Murmansk]]  and [[Arkhangelsk]] among Russia's settlements above the Arctic Circle. From here you can also see the auroras ([[Aurora (astronomy)|northern lights]]).

====Taiga====
Taiga, the most extensive natural area of Russia, stretches from the western borders of Russia to the Pacific. It occupies the territory of the Eastern Europe and West Siberian plains to the north of  ° N and most of the territory east of [[Yenisei River]] taiga forests reach the southern borders of Russia in Siberia taiga only accounts for over 60% of Russia. In the north–south direction the eastern taiga is divided (east of the Yenisei River), with a continental climate, and west, with a milder climate, in general, the climate zone is moist, moderately warm (cool in the north) in the summer and harsh winter, there is a steady [[snow]] cover in the winter. In the latitudinal direction, the taiga is divided into three subzones - northern, middle and southern taiga. In the western taiga dense spruce and [[fir]] forests on wetlands alternate with [[pine]] forests, shrubs, and meadows on the lighter soils. Such vegetation is typical of the eastern taiga, but it plays an important role not fir and larch. Coniferous forest, however, does not form a continuous array and sparse areas of birch, [[alder]], [[willow]] (mainly in river valleys), the wetlands - marshes. Within the taiga are widespread fur-bearing animals - [[sable]], [[marten]], [[Stoat|ermine]], [[moose]], [[brown bear]], [[Wolverine]], [[wolf]], and [[muskrat]].<ref name="NRE">{{rp|84&ndash;109}}</ref>
[[File:Moose in lake.jpg|thumb|left|Moose]]

In the taiga is dominated by [[podzolic]] and cryogenic taiga soils, characterized by clearly defined horizontal structure (only in the southern taiga there is sod-podzolic soil). Formed in a leaching regime and in poor [[humus]]. Groundwater is normally found in the forest close to the surface, washing [[calcium]] from the upper layers, resulting in the top layer of soil of the taiga being discolored and oxidized. Few areas of the taiga, suitable for farming, are located mainly in the European part of Russia. Large areas are occupied by [[sphagnum]] marshes (here is dominated by podzolic-boggy soil). To enrich the soil for agricultural purposes [[Lime (material)|lime]] and other [[fertilizer]]s should be used.

Russian Taiga has the world's largest reserves of coniferous wood, but from year to year - as a result of intensive logging - they decrease. Development of hunting, farming (mainly in river valleys).

====Mixed and deciduous forests====
[[File:Birches near Novosibirsk in Autumn.jpg|thumb|right|A [[birch]] forest in [[Novosibirsk]]. Birch is a [[national tree]] of Russia.]]

The mixed and [[deciduous forest]] belt is triangular, widest along the western border and narrower towards the [[Ural Mountains]]. The main trees are [[oak]] and [[spruce]], but many other growths of vegetation such as [[Ash tree|ash]], [[aspen]], [[birch]], [[hornbeam]], [[maple]], and [[pine]] reside there. Separating the taiga from the wooded steppe is a narrow belt of birch and aspen woodland located east of the Urals as far as the [[Altay Mountains]]. Much of the forested zone has been cleared for [[agriculture]], especially in [[European Russia]]. Wildlife is more scarce as a result of this, but the [[roe deer]], [[wolf]], [[fox]], and [[squirrel]] are very common.

====Steppe====
{{Further|Eurasian Steppe|Pontic–Caspian steppe}}

The [[steppe]] has long been depicted as the typical Russian landscape. It is a broad band of treeless, grassy plains, interrupted by mountain ranges, extending from [[Hungary]] across [[Ukraine]], southern Russia, and [[Kazakhstan]] before ending in [[Manchuria]]. In a country of extremes, the steppe zone provides the most favorable conditions for human settlement and agriculture because of its moderate temperatures and normally adequate levels of sunshine and moisture. Even here, however, agricultural yields are sometimes adversely affected by unpredictable levels of [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] and occasional catastrophic [[drought]]s. The soil is very dry.

===Topography===
[[File:Kamchatka Volcano Koryaksky (24231533812).jpg|thumb|[[Koryaksky]] volcano towering over [[Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky]]]]

Russia's mountain ranges are located principally along its continental dip (the Ural Mountains), along the southwestern border (the [[Caucasus Mountains|Caucasus]]), along the border with [[Mongolia]] (the eastern and western [[Sayan Mountains]] and the western extremity of the [[Altay Mountains]]), and in eastern Siberia (a complex system of ranges in the northeastern corner of the country and forming the spine of the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]], and lesser mountains extending along the [[Sea of Okhotsk]] and the [[Sea of Japan]]). Russia has nine major mountain ranges. In general, the eastern half of the country is much more mountainous than the western half, the interior of which is dominated by low plains. The traditional dividing line between the east and the west is the [[Yenisei River]] valley. In delineating the western edge of the [[Central Siberian Plateau]] from the West Siberian Plain, the Yenisey runs from near the Mongolian border northward into the Arctic Ocean west of the [[Taymyr Peninsula]].

====Ural Mountains====
{{Main|Ural Mountains}}

[[File:Саблинский хребет.jpg|thumb|[[Yugyd Va National Park]].]]

The [[Ural Mountains]] form the natural boundary between [[Europe]] and [[Asia]]; the range extends about {{convert|2100|km|mi}} from the [[Arctic Ocean]] to the northern border of [[Kazakhstan]]. Several low passes provide major transportation routes through the Urals eastward from Europe. The highest 
peak, [[Mount Narodnaya]], is {{convert|1894|m|ft}}. The Urals also contain valuable deposits of minerals.

====West Siberian Plain====
{{Main|West Siberian Plain}}

[[File:Vasyugan.jpg|thumb|[[Vasyugan River]]]]

To the east of the Urals is the [[West Siberian Plain]], stretching about {{Convert|1,900|km}} from west to east and about {{Convert|2400|km}} from north to south. With more than half its territory below {{Convert|200|m}} in elevation, the plain contains some of the world's largest [[swamp]]s and [[floodplain]]s. The plain is largely flat and featureless. The only slightly elevated areas are the [[Siberian Uvaly]] across the central part and the [[Ob Plateau]] in the south.<ref name="GSEb">[https://www.booksite.ru/fulltext/1/001/008/092/860.htm Приобское плато]; ''[[Great Soviet Encyclopedia]]'' in 30 vols.  — Ch. ed. [[A.M. Prokhorov]]. - 3rd ed. - M. Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978. (in Russian)</ref> There are steppe areas in the southern part reaching into Kazakhstan, such as the [[Ishim Steppe]] with the [[Kamyshlov Log]] trench. Most of the plain's population lives in the drier section south of 77 degrees north [[latitude]].

====Central Siberian plateau====
{{Main|Central Siberian Plateau}}

The region directly east of the West Siberian Plain is the [[Central Siberian Plateau]], which extends eastward from the Yenisei River valley to the [[Lena River]] valley. The region is divided into several [[plateaus]], with elevations ranging between {{Convert|320 and 740|m}}; the highest elevation is about {{Convert|1,800|m}}, in the northern [[Putoran Mountains]]. The plain is bounded on the south by the [[Primorsky Range]] and the [[Baikal Mountains]], and on the north by the North Siberian Lowland, an extension of the West Siberian Plain extending into the Taymyr Peninsula on the Arctic Ocean.

====Sayan and Stanovoy Mountains====
[[File:Шавлинские озёра.jpg|right|thumb|[[Altay Mountains]]]]

In the mountain system west of [[Lake Baikal]] in south-central Siberia, the highest elevations are {{Convert|3300|m}} in the Western [[Sayan Mountains|Sayan]], {{Convert|3200|m}} in the Eastern Sayan, and {{Convert|4500|m}} at [[Belukha Mountain]] in the [[Altay Mountains]]. The Eastern Sayan reach nearly to the southern shore of [[Lake Baikal]]; at the lake, there is an elevation difference of more than {{Convert|4500|m}} between the nearest mountain, {{Convert|2840|m}} high, and the deepest part of the lake, which is {{Convert|1700|m}} below sea level. The mountain systems east of Lake Baikal are lower, forming a complex of minor ranges and valleys that reaches from the lake to the Pacific coast. The maximum height of the [[Stanovoy Range]], which runs west to east from northern Lake Baikal to the Sea of Okhotsk, is {{Convert|2550|m}}. To the south of that range is southeastern Siberia, whose mountains reach {{Convert|800|m}}. Across the [[Strait of Tartary]] from that region is [[Sakhalin|Sakhalin Island]], Russia's largest island, where the highest elevation is about {{Convert|1700|m}}. The small [[Moneron Island]], the site of the shootdown of [[Korean Air Lines Flight 007]], is found to its west.

====Caucasus Mountains====
[[File:Tsmity2.jpg|thumb|Caucasus Mountains]]

Truly alpine terrain appears in the southern mountain ranges. Between the Black and Caspian seas, the [[Caucasus Mountains]] rise to impressive heights, forming a boundary between Europe and Asia. One of the peaks, [[Mount Elbrus]], is the highest point in Europe, at {{Convert|5642|m}}. The geological structure of the Caucasus extends to the northwest as the [[Crimea]]n and [[Carpathian Mountains]] and southeastward into [[Central Asia]] as the [[Tian Shan]] and [[Pamir Mountains|Pamirs]]. The Caucasus Mountains create an imposing natural barrier between Russia and its neighbors to the southwest, [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] and [[Azerbaijan]].

====Northeast Siberia and Kamchatka====
Northeastern Siberia, north of the Stanovoy Range, is an extremely mountainous region. The long [[Kamchatka Peninsula]], which juts southward into the Sea of Okhotsk, includes many [[volcano|volcanic peaks]], some of which are still active. The highest is the {{Convert|4750|m|adj=on}} [[Klyuchevskaya Sopka]], the highest point in the [[Russian Far East]]. The volcanic chain continues from the southern tip of Kamchatka southward through the [[Kuril Islands]] chain and into [[Japan]]. Kamchatka also is one of Russia's two centers of seismic activity (the other is the Caucasus). In 1995, a major earthquake largely destroyed the oil-processing town of [[Neftegorsk, Sakhalin Oblast|Neftegorsk]]. Also located in this region is the very large [[Beyenchime-Salaatin crater]].

===Drainage===
[[File:Lake Baikal in winter.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|A frozen [[Lake Baikal]], near [[Olkhon Island]].]]

Russia, home to over 100,000 rivers,<ref name="natgeo"/> is divided into [[Watershed district (Russia)|twenty watershed districts]]. It has one of the world's largest surface water resources, with its lakes containing approximately one-quarter of the world's liquid [[fresh water]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/russia/23.htm|title=Topography and Drainage|editor=Glenn E. Curtis |year=1998|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|publisher=Federal Research Division of the [[Library of Congress]]|access-date=8 July 2021}}</ref> Russia is second only to [[Brazil]] by [[List of countries by total renewable water resources|total renewable water resources]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/total-renewable-water-resources/|title=Total renewable water resources|website=[[The World Factbook]]|publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]|access-date=9 July 2021}}</ref>

Forty of Russia's rivers longer than {{Convert|1000|km}} are east of the Ural Mountains, including the three major rivers that drain Siberia as they flow northward to the Arctic Ocean: the [[Irtysh]]-[[Ob River|Ob]] system (totaling {{Convert|5380|km|disp=or}}), the [[Yenisey]] ({{Convert|5075|km|disp=or}}), and the [[Lena River|Lena]] ({{Convert|4294|km|disp=or}}), they are among the [[world's longest rivers]].<ref name="rivers"/> The basins of those river systems cover about {{Convert|8|e6km2|abbr=off|spell=in}}, discharging nearly 50,000 cubic meters of water per second ({{Convert|50,000|m3/s|e6cuft/s|abbr=unit|disp=out}}) into the Arctic Ocean. The northward flow of these rivers means that source areas thaw before the areas downstream, creating vast swamps such as the {{Convert|48,000|km2|adj=on}} [[Vasyugan Swamp]] in the center of the West Siberian Plain. The same is true of other river systems, including the [[Pechora River|Pechora]] and the [[Northern Dvina]] in western Russia, and the [[Kolyma River|Kolyma]] and the [[Indigirka]] in Siberia. Approximately 10 percent of Russian territory is classified as swampland.

Russia's inland bodies of water are chiefly a legacy of extensive [[glaciation]]. [[Lake Ladoga|Ladoga]] and [[Lake Onega|Onega]] in northwestern Russia are two of the [[largest lakes in Europe]].<ref name="natgeo"/> However, [[Lake Baikal]] is the largest and most prominent among Russia's fresh water bodies, is the world's deepest, purest, oldest and most capacious fresh water lake, containing over one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lake Baikal—A Touchstone for Global Change and Rift Studies|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/baikal/|access-date=26 December 2007}}</ref> Numerous smaller lakes dot northern Russia and Siberian plains. The largest of these are lakes [[Belozero]], [[Topozero]], [[Vygozero]], and [[Lake Ilmen|Ilmen]] in the country's northwest and [[Lake Chany]] in southwestern Siberia.

A number of other rivers drain Siberia from eastern mountain ranges into the [[Pacific Ocean]]. The [[Amur River]] and its main tributary, the [[Ussuri River|Ussuri]], form a long stretch of the winding boundary between Russia and China. The Amur system drains most of southeastern Siberia. Three basins drain European Russia. The [[Dnieper River|Dnieper]], which flows mainly through Belarus and Ukraine, has its headwaters in the hills west of Moscow. The {{Convert|1860|km|adj=on}} [[Don (river)|Don]], which is the fifth-longest river in Europe, originates in the [[Central Russian Upland]] south of Moscow and then flows into the [[Sea of Azov]] at [[Rostov-on-Don]]. The [[Volga]], widely seen as Russia's national river due to its historical and cultural importance, is the [[List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length|longest river]] in Europe,<ref name="rivers">{{cite web|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/05/15/russias-largest-rivers-from-the-amur-to-the-volga-a65593|title=Russia's Largest Rivers From the Amur to the Volga|work=[[The Moscow Times]]|date=15 May 2019|access-date=26 May 2021}}</ref> it rises in the [[Valdai Hills]] west of Moscow and meandering southeastward for {{Convert|3,510|km}} before emptying into the [[Caspian Sea]]. Altogether, the Volga system drains about {{Convert|1.4|e6km2|mi2}}. Linked by several canals, western Russia's rivers long have been a vital transportation system; the Volga remains the country's most commercial river, and carries about two-thirds of Russia's inland water traffic.

== Agriculture geography ==
One billion acres of land is arable in Russia, but only about 0.1 percent is permanent agriculture. The landscapes of region have extremely varied environments because of the following:

*Tundra landscapes cover most of the region, where conditions are harsh because of the cold climates, and plant life is not very well supported to grow because of the harsh conditions. This has become a problem, as the unfavorable conditions make agriculture more difficult.
*Mountain ranges are spread through the region, such as the Ural Mountains, which have become the dividing line between European Russia and Eurasian Russia. 
*European Russia also has the European plains which extend about {{Convert|2000|mi|order=flip}}.

The workforce involved in agriculture workforce was reported to be about 9.4% of the population in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2048.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613005003/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2048.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 13, 2007|title=The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-11-01}}</ref>

The main export of Russia is grain, which is about 6% of the world trade. Other exported products include fish and oil with 3%, meals with 2%, and meat which accounts for less than 1%.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/in-2017-the-export-of-agricultural-products-from-russia-will-exceed-20-5-billion|title=In 2017 the export of agricultural products from Russia will exceed $20.5 billion|work=UkrAgroConsult|access-date=2018-11-01|language=ru-UA|archive-date=2018-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130155059/http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/in-2017-the-export-of-agricultural-products-from-russia-will-exceed-20-5-billion|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Pre-industrial agriculture ===
Agriculture has always been important for Russia. The land was worked by its peasant class.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/russia-1900-to-1939/russia-and-agriculture/|title=Russia and Agriculture - History Learning Site|work=History Learning Site|access-date=2018-10-16|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Climate==
[[File:Russia Köppen.svg|thumb|upright=1.38|[[Köppen climate classification]] of Russia.<ref name="climate1">{{cite journal|last1=Beck|first1=Hylke E.|last2=Zimmermann|first2=Niklaus E.|last3=McVicar|first3=Tim R.|last4=Vergopolan|first4=Noemi|last5=Berg|first5=Alexis|author6-link=Eric Franklin Wood|last6=Wood|first6=Eric F.|title=Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution|publisher=[[United States National Library of Medicine]]|journal=Scientific Data|date=30 October 2018|volume=5|page=180214|doi=10.1038/sdata.2018.214|pmid=30375988|pmc=6207062|issn=2052-4463|bibcode=2018NatSD...580214B}}</ref>]]
{{main|Climate of Russia}}
{{multiple image
| direction     = vertical
| caption_align = center
| align         = right
| title         = Average temperatures in Russia
| width         = 300
| image1        = Russia Average January Temperature.png
| caption1      = Map of Russia showing the average air temperature in January
| image2        = Russia Average July Temperature.png
| caption2      = Map of Russia showing the average air temperature in July
}}
The sheer size of Russia and the remoteness of many areas from the sea result in the dominance of the [[humid continental climate]], which is prevalent in all parts of the country except for the tundra and the extreme southwest. Mountains in the south and east obstruct the flow of warm air masses from the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] and Pacific oceans, while the plain of the west and north makes the country open to Arctic and Atlantic influences.
Most of [[Northwest Russia]] and Siberia has a [[subarctic climate]], with extremely severe winters in the inner regions of Northeast Siberia (mostly [[Sakha Republic|Sakha]], where the Northern [[Pole of Cold]] is located with the record low temperature of {{convert|-71.2|°C|°F|1|disp=or}}),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/countries/russia/|title=Russia|work=[[The Arctic Institute – Center for Circumpolar Security Studies]]|access-date=27 June 2021}}</ref> and more moderate winters elsewhere. Russia's vast stretch of land along the Arctic Ocean and the [[Russian Arctic islands]] have a [[polar climate]].<ref name="Climate">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/russia/24.htm|title=Climate|editor=Glenn E. Curtis |year=1998|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|publisher=Federal Research Division of the [[Library of Congress]]|access-date=10 July 2021}}</ref>

The coastal part of [[Krasnodar Krai]] on the Black Sea, most notably [[Sochi]], and some coastal and interior strips of the [[North Caucasus]] possess a [[humid subtropical climate]] with mild and wet winters. In many regions of East Siberia and the Russian Far East, winter is dry compared to summer; while other parts of the country experience more even precipitation across seasons. Winter precipitation in most parts of the country usually falls as snow. The westernmost parts of Kaliningrad Oblast on the [[Vistula Spit]], and some parts in the south of Krasnodar Krai and the North Caucasus have an [[oceanic climate]]. The region along the Lower Volga and Caspian Sea coast, as well as some southernmost silvers of Siberia, possess a [[semi-arid climate]] and an [[arid climate]].<ref name="climate1"/>

Throughout much of the territory, there are only two distinct seasons—winter and summer—as spring and autumn are usually brief periods of change between extremely low and extremely high temperatures.<ref name="Climate"/> The coldest month is January (February on the coastline); the warmest is usually July. Great ranges of temperature are typical. In winter, temperatures get colder both from south to north and from west to east. Summers can be quite hot, even in Siberia.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Drozdov|first1=V. A.|title=Ecological and Geographical Characteristics of the Coastal Zone of the Black Sea|journal=GeoJournal|year=1992|doi=10.1007/BF00717701|volume=27|page=169|issue=2|last2=Glezer|first2=O. B.|last3=Nefedova|first3=T. G.|last4=Shabdurasulov|first4=I. V.|bibcode=1992GeoJo..27..169D |s2cid=128960702}}</ref>

==Area and boundaries==
'''Area (excluding Crimea):'''
*Total: {{Convert|17,098,242|km2|abbr=on}}
*Land: {{Convert|17,021,900|km2|abbr=on}}
*Water: {{Convert|79400|km2|abbr=on}}
'''Area - comparative:'''<br /> Slightly larger than twice the size of [[Brazil]]

'''Land boundaries:'''
*Total (excluding Crimea): {{Convert|19917|km|abbr=on}}

[[Kaliningrad]] forms the westernmost part of Russia, having no land connection to the rest of the country. It is bounded by Poland, Lithuania, and the Baltic Sea.

[[Crimea]], a peninsula on the Black Sea, is claimed and de facto administered by the Russian Federation since Russia [[Russian occupation of Crimea|occupied]] and [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexed it]] from neighboring [[Ukraine]] in March 2014. It is recognized as a territory of Ukraine by most of the international community.

'''Border countries:'''
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="min-width:30em; float:left; margin-right:1em;"
|+ Table of countries with a land border with Russia<br /> (listed anti-clockwise around Russia).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rosgranitsa.ru/node/2636 |title=Сопредельные страны &#124; Росграница |access-date=2016-09-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011002449/http://www.rosgranitsa.ru/node/2636 |archive-date=2016-10-11 }}</ref>
!rowspan=2|Country 
!colspan=2|Length
|-
!km!!mi
|-
|Norway||{{convert|195.8|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Finland||{{convert|1,271.8|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Estonia||{{convert|138|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Latvia||{{convert|270.5|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Lithuania||{{convert|266|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Poland||{{convert|204.1|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Belarus||{{convert|1,239|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Ukraine||{{convert|1,925.8|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Georgia||{{convert|875.5|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Azerbaijan||{{convert|372.6|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Kazakhstan||{{convert|7,512.8|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|Mongolia||{{convert|3,485|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|China||{{convert|4,209.3|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|North Korea||{{convert|17|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|''Japan''||colspan=2| water
|-
|''US''||colspan=2| water
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="min-width:30em; float:left; margin-right:1em;"
|+ If Abkhazia and South Ossetia are counted as sovereign states:<ref name="Partially">Georgia and the majority of the world does not recognize the independence of [[Abkhazia]] and [[South Ossetia]], considering the Russian border with these countries as part of the Russian–Georgian border.</ref>
!rowspan=2|Country 
!colspan=2|Length
|-
!km!!mi
|-
|Abkhazia||{{convert|255.4|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|South Ossetia||{{convert|70|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|-
|remaining border with Georgia||{{convert|365|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
|}{{clear left}}

'''Coastline excluding Crimea:''' {{convert|37,653|km|mi|abbr=on}}

'''Maritime claims:'''
*[[Russian continental shelf]]: {{Convert|200|m|abbr=on}} depth or to the depth of exploitation
*Exclusive economic zone: {{convert|7,566,673|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} with {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}}
*Territorial sea: {{convert|12|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}}

'''Elevation extremes:'''
{{See also|Extreme points of Russia}}
*Lowest point: [[Caspian Sea]]: {{Convert|−28|m|abbr=on}}
*Highest point: [[Mount Elbrus]]: {{Convert|5,642|m|abbr=on}}

==Natural resources and land use==
{{further|Siberian natural resources}}
Russia holds the greatest reserves of mineral resources of any country in the world. Though they are abundant, they are in remote areas with extreme climates, making them expensive to mine. The country is the most abundant in mineral fuels. It may hold as much as half of the world's [[coal]] reserves and even larger reserves of [[petroleum]]. Deposits of coal are scattered throughout the region, but the largest are located in central and eastern [[Siberia]]. The most developed fields lie in western Siberia, in the northeastern European region, in the area around [[Moscow]], and in the [[Ural Mountains|Urals]]. The major petroleum deposits are located in western Siberia and in the Volga-Urals. Smaller deposits are found throughout the country. [[Natural gas]], a resource of which Russia holds around forty percent of the world's reserves, can be found along Siberia's [[Arctic]] coast, in the [[North Caucasus]], and in northwestern Russia. Major [[iron-ore]] deposits are located south of Moscow, near the [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] border in the [[Kursk Magnetic Anomaly]]; this area contains vast deposits of iron ore that have caused a deviation in the Earth's magnetic field. There are smaller deposits in other parts of the country. The Ural mountains hold small deposits of [[manganese]]. [[nickel]], [[tungsten]], [[cobalt]], [[molybdenum]] and other iron alloying elements occur in adequate quantities.

Russia also contains most of the nonferrous metals. [[Aluminium]] ores are scarce and are found primarily in the Ural region, northwestern European Russia, and south-central Siberia. [[Copper]] is more abundant and major reserves are located in the Urals, the [[Norilsk]] area near the mouth of the [[Yenisei River|Yenisey]] in eastern Siberia, and the [[Kola Peninsula]]. Another vast deposit located east of [[Lake Baikal]] only became exploited when the [[Baikal-Amur Mainline]] (BAM) railroad was finished in 1989.

The North Caucasus, far eastern Russia, and the western edge of the [[Kuznetsk Basin]] in southern Siberia contain an abundance of [[lead]] and [[zinc]] ores. These are commonly found along with copper, [[gold]], [[silver]], and a large amount of other rare metals. The country has one of the largest gold reserves in the world; mostly in Siberia and the Urals. [[Mercury (element)|Mercury]] deposits can be found in the central and southern Urals and in south-central Siberia.

Raw materials are abundant as well, including [[potassium]] and [[magnesium]] [[salt (chemistry)|salt]] deposits in the [[Kama River]] region of the western Urals. Russia also contains one of the world's largest deposits of [[apatite]] found in the central Kola Peninsula. Rock salt is located in the southwestern Urals and the southwest of Lake Baikal. Surface deposits of salt are found in salt lakes along the lower Volga Valley. [[Sulfur]] can be found in the Urals and the middle Volga Valley.

Eight percent of the land is used for [[agronomy|arable farming]], four percent—for permanent [[pasture]]s, forty-six percent of the land is forests and woodland, and forty-two percent is used for other purposes.

A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were {{Convert|1,002|km2|abbr=on}} of tidal flats in Russia, making it the 33rd ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=N.J. |last2=Phinn |first2=S.R. |last3=DeWitt |first3=M. |last4=Ferrari |first4=R. |last5=Johnston |first5=R. |last6=Lyons |first6=M.B. |last7=Clinton |first7=N. |last8=Thau |first8=D. |last9=Fuller |first9=R.A. |title=The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats |journal=Nature |date=2019 |volume=565 |issue=7738 |pages=222–225 |doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0805-8 |pmid=30568300 |s2cid=56481043 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0805-8|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Natural hazards==
Volcanic activity in the [[Kuril Islands]] and volcanoes and earthquakes on the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]] are other natural hazards.
<!--===Geography — Note===
Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area but lacks warm-water seaports and is unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world. Despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates for agriculture, being either too cold or too dry.-->

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|Russia}}
* [[Geography of the Soviet Union]]
* [[Geology of Russia]]
* [[History of Russia]]
* [[List of Russian explorers]]
* [[Territorial evolution of Russia]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
* {{country study|country=Russia|abbr=ru}}
* {{CIA World Factbook}}

==Further reading==
* Blinnikov, Mikhail S. ''A geography of Russia and its neighbors'' (Guilford Press, 2011)
* Catchpole, Brian. ''A map history of Russia'' (1983)
* Chew, Allen F. ''An Atlas of Russian History: Eleven Centuries of Changing Borders'' (2nd ed. 1967)
* Gilbert, Martin. ''Routledge Atlas of Russian History'' (4th ed. 2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Routledge-Russian-History-Historical-Atlases/dp/0415394848/ excerpt and text search]
* Henry, Laura A. ''Red to green: environmental activism in post-Soviet Russia'' (2010)
* Kaiser, Robert J. ''The Geography of Nationalism in Russia and the USSR'' (1994).
* Medvedev, Andrei. ''Economic Geography of the Russian Federation'' (2000)
* Parker, William Henry. ''An historical geography of Russia'' (University of London Press, 1968)
* Shaw, Denis J.B. ''Russia in the modern world: A new geography'' (Blackwell, 1998)

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://getrussia.com/photogalleries/planet_russia/ Great Russian landscape places (20 photo)]

{{Geography of Asia}}
{{Geography of Europe}}
{{Russia topics}}

[[Category:Geography of Russia| ]]