Jack Goldstein - 101 Amazing Facts about Russia

Title Page

101 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT RUSSIA

Jack Goldstein

Publisher Information

Published in 2013 by

Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

The right of Jack Goldstein to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998

Copyright 2013 Jack Goldstein

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Disclaimer: All facts presented in this title were gained from common and reputable sources in print and on the internet. If any detail within this title is found to be incorrect, the author will be happy to publish a corrected version.

Introduction

In this amazing eBook you can find more than one hundred facts about the country of Russia. Separated into sections such as its geography, its people, famous Russian figures from history and many more, you will find some fascinating information inside!

Whether you are planning on visiting Russia, working on a geography project or just want to know more about the biggest country (by landmass) in the world, this is an excellent addition to your bookshelf. Find the information you need, fast!

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Key Facts

1. Russia is the largest country in the world by area, covering over six and a half million square miles.
2. In fact, Russia is bigger even than the planet of Pluto!
3. The countrys official name is the Russian Federation.
4. Russia is classed as being in two continents - Europe and Asia - and is so large that its land covers 11 different time zones.
5. The country shares land borders with Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, North Korea, Norway, Poland and Ukraine.
6. It has a coast on three different oceans - the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic.
7. Russia has the ninth largest population of any country in the world, with a 2013 official estimate of 143.5 million.
8. The capital of Russia is Moscow
9. The government of Russia is a constitutional republic, and has both a president and a prime minister.
10. Russia as the independent country we know today was formed on the 25 th of December 1991 as a result of the break-up of the Soviet Union.

A view of Moscow from the river Moskva

General Facts

1. Russia is home to the Siberian Tiger - the largest cat in the world. The largest males of the species can grow to an impressive three metres long!
2. The average Russian consumes 18 litres of alcohol each year; this is double what American medical experts consider safe.
3. Life expectancy in Russia for the average male is just 63 years. Thats 16 years less than the United Kingdom!
4. The Russian alphabet uses 33 letters from the Cyrillic script - some are similar to the letters you will see here, others may look backwards to your eyes, and some are completely different!
5. The currency used in Russia is the Ruble.
6. The first satellite launched into space was called Sputnik; it was 58cm in diameter and was launched by the Russians on the 4 th of October 1957.
7. The Russians were also the first to send a dog into space - she was called Laika.
8. Before the Russian revolution, the country was ruled by tsars, the last of whom was Nicholas II, executed in 1918.
9. The Moscow State Circus is one of the best known entertainment troupes in the entire world. They were heavily funded by the communist government during the 20 th century - proving that they loved having fun just as much as the next man...!
10. Russia is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, alongside the USA, UK, France and China.

A replica of Sputnik 1, the first ever satellite sent into space

Landmarks to Visit

1. The Trans-Siberian Railway - built between 1891 and 1916 it is known as the route of the tsars.
2. The Valley of Geysers - an astounding four-mile long basin featuring around ninety geysers and numerous hot springs.
3. Kizhi Island - incredible architecture showing a combination of eastern and western influences. Look out for the Church of the Transfiguration of Our Savior which has twenty-two domes!
4. Saint Basils Cathedral - designed to resemble a bonfire in full flame, the structure is unique in style and design.
5. The Hermitage Museum - fantastic collection founded by Catherine the Great in 1764 and housing the largest collection of paintings in the world.
6. The Moscow Kremlin - the home of Russian government which also contains no fewer than four cathedrals and a number of museums of which the Kremlin Armoury Museum is a must-see.
7. Suzdal - an entire city that you could class as an open-air museum, with many great examples of Russian architecture.
8. Lake Baika l - the oldest lake on earth, holding 20% of the worlds fresh water.
9. Red Square - not just the centre of Moscow but the centre of all of Russia - all of the countrys highways originate from here. The name in fact comes from the Russian word krasnaya which means both red and beautiful.
10. The Cathedral of St. Sophia - Russias oldest stone monument, dating back to 1045.

The tower on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin

Geography

1. Russia is home to around 100,000 rivers and countless lakes - including Europes two largest by area - lakes Ladoga and Onega.
2. Around 120 different ethnic groups can call the country their home, between them speaking over one hundred different languages. Most of these groups descend from the Slavs (who settled around the city of Kiev in around 500AD), however others immigrated with the Mongols and other tribes.
3. Russia boasts a higher percentage of Muslims than any other country in Europe.
4. At the nearest point, America and Russia are just four kilometres apart.
5. In 1867, The USA purchased Alaska from Russia for the bargain price of $7.2 million.
6. Russias Lake Baikal is the deepest in the world. Amazingly, it would take all the rivers on our planet one year to fill its basin.
7. A journey on many peoples bucket list, the Trans-Siberian railway covers more than 9000 kilometres, stretching from Moscow in Russia to Beijing in China. On its way it snakes through an incredible 8 different time zones!
8. Russias economy is reliant on its incredible supply of natural resources, from coal and oil to gold and aluminium - and of course, some of the largest uranium deposits in the world.
9. The river Volga is not only the longest in Russia but also in Europe, with a length of almost 2300 miles.
10. Russia is one of the worlds leading producers of green energy; despite having huge deposits of fuels, the government has ensured the country takes advantage of its environmental power potential with a great number of hydro-electric power stations.