The official name for Russia is the Russian Federation.

Russia shares borders with many countries, including China, Ukraine, North Korea and Norway.

In terms of land area, Russia is the largest country in the world.

Russia is located across 9 time zones.

At the beginning of 2023, Russia was estimated to have a population of around 146 million.

Russian is the official language of Russia but there are many other languages used in various parts of the country.

The capital and largest city in Russia is Moscow. Other major cities in Russia include Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk.

Russians drive on the right-hand side of the road.

The currency used in Russia is the ruble.

Russia has a wide range of natural resources and is one of the world’s largest producers of oil.

The world’s first satellite, named Sputnik, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

The Soviet Union (USSR) was a socialist state that occupied much of northern Asia and eastern Europe from 1922 until it was dissolved in 1991. Former Soviet states include Lithuania, Georgia, Latvia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and others.

The official residence of the Russian president is the Kremlin in Moscow. The name Kremlin means fortress.

Russia is one of 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with the US, UK, China and France.

Russia has over 40 national parks and 100 wildlife reserves.

Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world. It reaches 1642 metres (5,387 feet) in depth and contains around 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water.

Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Russia (and Europe), it reaches a height of 5642 metres (18,510 feet).

Russia’s Volga River is the longest in Europe, with a length of around 3690 kilometres (2293 miles).

Russia has the world’s largest area of forests.

Russia produces a large amount of renewable energy thanks to its well developed hydropower stations.

Moscow hosted the 1980 Summer Olympic Games while Sochi hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Basketball, ice hockey and football (soccer) are popular sports in Russia.

Russians drive on the right-hand side of the road.

For more information, check out maps of Russia or take a closer look at the Russian flag.