|
|
|
Covering one-eighth of the earth’s surface, Russia is a land of great diversity. It occupies a land area of 17,075,400 km2 and houses 23 awe-inspiring World Heritage Sites and 40 UNESCO Biosphere reserves. The country ranks as the largest nation in the world in terms of territory. It is followed by China, United States and Canada. Bordering the country is the Arctic Ocean in the north, Baltic Sea in the west, Pacific Ocean in the Far East and Black Sea in the southern part of the nation. Russia’s territory is mostly covered with vast plains in which it replete with low plateaus found in Western Russia and Eastern European Plain. Location Russia is basked on the eastern part of Europe and northern and eastern Asia. It shares boundaries with several countries from China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Ukraine and Belarus. It has a total land boundary of 12, 421 miles and its coastline stretches 23, 396 miles. Climate Mostly the climate in Russia is continental with an average temperature of 0 to -5 degrees centigrade during January particularly in Western European Russia and subarctic in Siberia. Since Russia has little exposure to ocean influences, the country experiences low to moderate amounts of rainfall. Languages Russian is the only federally official language of the Russian Federation. However, there are also several other officially recognized languages within the various constituencies in Russia such as Abaza (Karachay-Cherkess Republic), Bashkir (Republic of Bashkortostan), Chechen (Chechen Republic) and much more. Culture/Custom The country has rich and long history of culture and tradition. The following are some cultural differences of Russia from the rest of the world. Greetings A firm handshake greeting and maintaining direct eye contact is the typical greeting practiced by Russians while giving the appropriate greeting for the time of day. However, when men shake hands with women, the handshake should be less firm. Gift Giving If you are invited to a Russian home for a meal, bring a small gift for the host however avoid giving yellow flowers and do not give gift baby presents after the baby is born because it will bring bad luck. Dining Etiquette When invited to a Russian’s house, remove your shoes before you enter since you will be given slippers to wear. Dress well as a sign of showing respect for your hosts. People Russians come from East Slavic ethnic group that primarily live in Russia and neighboring nations. There are around 140 million Russians worldwide and considered as one of the largest population in the globe. Most Russians practiced Orthodox Christianity. The people in Russia are fond of live performances in theaters and they love to attend operas, musical performances, drama shows and among others. In addition, Russians consider themselves as well-educated country. Most of the locals love to read books since it is sold in affordable price. Food Russian food is one of the most famous cuisines in the world. Most of it is derived from the rich and varied character of the multicultural expanse of Russia. It has been dubbed that Russian food are healthy and delicious and do not demand much skill and special ingredients. In Russian meal, soups have always played an important role in which Shchi or cabbage soup had been served in the main course in Russian cuisine for more than a thousand years. Reference:
http://geography.howstuffworks.com/europe/geography-of-russia.htm
|
