Russia

The vast territory of Russia lies in the Eastern part of Europe and in the northern part of Asia. In area, it is one of the largest countries in the world. Airlines service many cities throughout the country. A flight from Moscow to Magadan takes eight hours. Russia is washed by twelwe seas and three oceans. The oceans are: tha Atlantic, the Arctic, the Pacific. The northern and eastern coasts of Russia are washed by the White Sea, the Barents Sea and by the Okhotsk Sea. The land of Russia waries a lot from heavy forests to barren deserts, from high peaked mountains to deep valleys. Russia is located on two plains. They are: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Plain. There are three main mountain chains in Russia. The Urals, the longest mountain chain, separates Europe from Asia. There are various types of climate on the territory of Russia. But the temperate zone with four distinct seasons prevails. Russia is a land of long rivers and deep lakes. The broad Volga River system has a great historic, economic and cultural importance to Russia. It became the cradle of such ancient towns as Vladimir, Tver, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod. Numerous canals join all the rivers in the European part of Russia, making it the largest inland water transportation route in Europe. The Volga River runs into the Caspian Sea, which is in reality, the largest lake in the world. The Baikal is the deepest lake in the world. The European part of Russia is densely populated. There are a lot of cities, towns and villages there. Russia is rich in natural resources. It has deposits of coal, oil, natural gas, iron ore, gold, nickel, etc. Russia borders on fourteen countries, including the former Republics of the USSR, which are now independent states. The history of Russia dates back to the year 862. Now Russia is a Presidental Republic. Russia has always played an important role in the world. It is one of its leading Powers.