The climate in Russia is influenced by three main factors: water availability, altitudinal position, and topography. The western region of Russia is predominantly inhabited by Russians, while most cities on the southern and eastern frontiers were founded for resource extraction or manufacturing. The country’s longest river, the Volga, is a major transportation artery. In the eastern part of the country, however, most cities are located in the Caucasus Mountain region. In the south, the Caucasus Mountains are home to a variety of ethnic, religious, and national groups.
The Russian Empire was the third largest empire in history, stretching from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to Alaska. The Russian Empire was ruled by Peter the Great, who moved the capital from Moscow to Saint Petersburg and introduced many modern reforms. The government began building ships for its navy. In 1812, Russia joins the European alliance against France and defeated Napoleon’s invasion of the Ottoman Empire, which led to the collapse of that empire.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s government turned to a market economy. After the collapse, former Soviet officials gained control of state-owned industries. This resulted in a wealthy class of individuals, known as the Russian oligarchy. But there was also a resurgence of populism. In fact, the Communist Party is now the largest political party in Russia, and many Russians consider this their home.
Following the collapse of the USSR, Russia’s population declined and its economy took a downturn. However, the country’s political history is filled with events that have contributed to its decline. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was governed by a Marxist political party. The last dictator, Josef Stalin, had a history of murdering his opponents to gain power. The Bolsheviks were also responsible for the death of thirty million people, as well as the suppression of organized religion.
While most of Russia’s landmass is part of Asia, the western part of the country has a more temperate climate and more connections to Eastern Europe. Because of this, Russia is extremely urbanized; over seventy percent of the country’s population lives in its cities. The capital, Moscow, is the largest city in the country and ranks second in the world in terms of population density. Among other large cities in the western part of the country are St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, and Rostov-on-Don.
The western region of Russia has a varied landscape, with the Ural Mountains separating Europe from Asia. It also includes the volcanic highlands of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The western region is mountainous, with the eastern portion being a vast expanse of low-lying plains. There is also a mountain range in the west, which divides the country from its neighboring countries, the Caucasus Mountains. One might say that the country is truly multi-cultural, but in reality, the country is a fusion of cultures.
Transcaucasia, which consists of the independent countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, has more ties to Russia than does Southwest Asia. These countries were annexed by the Russian Empire in the late 1800s. Then, they became former Soviet Union republics. When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, they declared independence. Today, there are only about one percent of Jews in the country. This region of Russia has been a thorn in the side of the Russian government.