1961
52,194,600
Flockulation (1961-2021)
2021
19,785,390
Change
-32,409,210
Overview
Russia is the world's largest country — so vast even the most adventurous sheep would need a passport and a nap to cross it! Spanning eleven time zones, this woolly giant stretches from Eastern Europe deep into northern Asia.
Geography
Russia covers 17 million square kilometres, featuring the Ural Mountains, Siberian taiga, Volga and Lena rivers, Lake Baikal, Arctic tundra, and Pacific and Arctic coastlines. Its terrain ranges from frozen plains to volcanic Kamchatka.
History
Founded as Kievan Rus in the 9th century, Russia grew through tsarist empires, survived Napoleon and Hitler, became the Soviet Union in 1922, and re-emerged as the Russian Federation in 1991 after the USSR's dissolution.
Culture
Russia boasts Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, and the Bolshoi Ballet. The Russian language uses the Cyrillic alphabet. Maslenitsa (Butter Week) and Orthodox Christmas are beloved traditions, alongside deep folk art and matryoshka doll craftsmanship.
Economy
Russia's economy is driven by oil, natural gas, and mineral exports. It also has significant agriculture, steel, arms manufacturing, and space industries. The Romanov sheep breed supports wool and meat farming across southern and Siberian pastoral regions.
Food
Borscht, beef stroganoff, pelmeni dumplings, blini, and black bread are staples. Sour cream (smetana) tops almost everything. Lamb features prominently in Caucasian and Central Asian-influenced dishes like shashlik and plov.
Tourism
Moscow's Red Square, the Kremlin, and St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum draw millions. Lake Baikal, the Trans-Siberian Railway, Kamchatka's volcanoes, and the Golden Ring of ancient cities are must-see destinations.
People
Russia's 144 million people include over 190 ethnic groups. Russians are the majority, alongside Tatars, Bashkirs, Chechens, and many others. Notable figures include Yuri Gagarin, Leo Tolstoy, Anna Pavlova, and Dmitri Mendeleev.
Nature
Russia shelters brown bears, Amur tigers, snow leopards, and reindeer. It holds the world's largest forest (taiga), Lake Baikal (deepest lake on Earth), and protected areas like Kronotsky Reserve in Kamchatka.
Fun Facts
Russia has 11 time zones — more than any other country. Lake Baikal holds 20% of Earth's unfrozen fresh water. The Trans-Siberian Railway is the world's longest at 9,289 km. Russia also breeds Romanov sheep, prized globally for their prolific lambing.
