Russia

Russia is a country of vast dimensions in northern Eurasia, made up of 85 federal subjects. With 17,098,246 km² it is the largest country on the planet, covering more than an eighth of the world’s inhabited land. Its capital and largest city is magnificent, metropolitan Moscow; the official language is Russian and the currency the rouble. Its size truly seems endless: it spans 11 time zones on two continents (Europe and Asia) and has coastlines on three oceans (the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Arctic)!

Russia’s natural environment is extremely varied, from deserts to frozen coasts, from high mountains to giant marshes. Much of the country consists of vast treeless plains called steppes. Siberia, which makes up three quarters of Russia, is dominated by huge green pine forests called taiga. Its forests, steppes and tundra are home to many rare animals, including Asian black bears, snow leopards and polar bears. Russia has some 100,000 rivers, among them some of the longest and most powerful in the world, and many lakes, including Europe’s two largest, Ladoga and Onega. Majestic Lake Baikal in Siberia holds more water than any other lake on Earth and, with the untouched nature around it, is a feast for the eyes in every season. The country has 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 40 UNESCO Man and the Biosphere reserves, 41 national parks and 101 nature reserves.

The climate matters a lot when planning a trip to Russia, as the contrasts are so strong that Russia in winter and Russia in summer feel like completely different places with completely different people! In Moscow, for example, the temperature can swing by 60 degrees or more over the year, from about -25 °C in winter to +35 °C in summer. Spring and autumn tend to be short, with fast-changing weather. The climate varies from polar in the far north to subtropical in Sochi. With such a range, you are sure to find somewhere that suits you!