Countries Of The World: Russia

Image 1: The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, Russia. Built in the late 1800s, it is a popular attraction

because it is elaborately decorated. Photo by: Getty Images/Chan Srithaweeporn

Russia is the largest country in the world. It occupies one-tenth of all the land on Earth. It spans

11 time zones across Europe and Asia. And it touches three oceans. It has coasts on the Atlantic,

Pacific, and Arctic oceans.

The Russian landscape varies. From desert to a frozen coastline, tall mountains to giant marshes,

it is diverse. Much of Russia is made up of rolling, treeless plains. These are called steppes.

Siberia occupies three-quarters of Russia. It is dominated by sprawling pine forests. These are

called taigas.

Russia has about 100,000 rivers. Some are the longest and most powerful in the world. It also

has many lakes. It is home to the two largest lakes in Europe. These are the Ladoga and Onega

lakes. Lake Baikal in Siberia contains more water than any other lake on Earth.

By National Geographic Kids, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.09.18

Word Count 704

Level MAX

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Nature

As big as Russia is, it's no surprise that it is home to a large number of ecosystems and species.

Its forests, steppes, and tundras provide habitat for many rare animals. Asiatic black bears, snow

leopards, and polar bears live in Russia. Also, small rabbit-like mammals called pikas live there.

Russia's first national parks were set up in the 19th century. But, decades of unregulated pollution

have taken a toll on many of the country's wild places. Currently, about one percent of Russia's

land area is protected in preserves. These preserves are known as zapovedniks.

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Russia's most famous animal species is the Siberian tiger. It is the largest cat in the world.

Indigenous to the forests of eastern Russia, these endangered giants can be 10 feet long, not

including their tail, and weigh up to 600 pounds.

People And Culture

There are about 120 ethnic groups in Russia. More than a hundred languages are spoken across

the country. Roughly 80 percent of Russians trace their ancestry to the Slavs. They settled in the

country 1,500 years ago. Other major groups include Tatars, who came with the Mongol

invaders, and Ukrainians.

Russia is known all over the world for its thinkers and artists. This includes writers such as Leo

Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and ballet dancers

including Rudolf Nureyev.

Government And Economy

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Russia's history as a democracy is short. The country's first election, in 1917, was quickly

reversed by the Bolsheviks. Many years later in the 1991 election of Boris Yeltsin was when

democracy took hold.

Russia is a federation of 86 republics, provinces, territories and districts, all controlled by the

government in Moscow. The head of state is a president elected by the people. The economy is

based on a vast supply of natural resources, including oil, coal, iron ore, gold and aluminum.

History

The earliest human settlements in Russia arose around A.D. 500. Scandinavians moved south to

areas around the upper Volga River. These settlers mixed with Slavs from the west and built a

fortress that would eventually become the Ukrainian city of Kiev.

Kiev evolved into an empire that ruled most of European Russia for 200 years, then broke up into

Ukraine, Belarus, and Muscovy. Muscovy's capital, Moscow, remained a small trading post until

the 13th century when Mongol invasions in the south drove people to settle in Moscow.

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In the 1550s, Muscovite ruler Ivan IV became Russia's first tsar after driving the Mongols out of

Kiev and unifying the region. In 1682, Peter the Great became tsar at the age of ten and for 42

years worked to make Russia more modern and more European.

In 1917, Russians unhappy with their government overthrew the tsar and formed an elected

government. Just a few months later, though, a communist group called the Bolsheviks seized

power. Their leader, Vladimir Lenin, created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from

Russia and 14 other countries.

The USSR fought on the side of the United States in World War II. But relations between the two

powers and their allies became strained soon after the war ended in 1945. These tensions led to

the Cold War, which ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union broke up.

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Quiz

1 Which statement is a CENTRAL idea of the article?

(A) The first election held in Russia happened in 1917 but it didn't happen again for

many years.

(B) The Siberian tiger is the largest cat in the world and the most famous animal in

Russia.

(C) Russia's government has gone through many changes throughout its history.

(D) Some of the most famous people in Russia were Tolstoy, Dostoevsky,

Tchaikovsky and Nureyev.

2 Which sentence from the article would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

(A) As big as Russia is, it's no surprise that it is home to a large number of

ecosystems and species.

(B) Currently, about one percent of Russia's land area is protected in preserves.

(C) In the 1550s, Muscovite ruler Ivan IV became Russia's first tsar after driving the

Mongols out of Kiev and unifying the region.

(D) In 1917, Russians unhappy with their government overthrew the tsar and formed

an elected government.

3 Which selection from the article is BEST illustrated by Map 2?

(A) Russia is the largest country in the world. It occupies one-tenth of all the land on

Earth. It spans 11 time zones across Europe and Asia. And it touches three

oceans. It has coasts on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans.

(B) The Russian landscape varies. From desert to a frozen coastline, tall mountains to

giant marshes, it is diverse. Much of Russia is made up of rolling, treeless plains.

These are called steppes. Siberia occupies three-quarters of Russia.

(C) Russia has about 100,000 rivers. Some are the longest and most powerful in the

world. It also has many lakes. It is home to the two largest lakes in Europe. These

are the Ladoga and Onega lakes.

(D) Its forests, steppes, and tundras provide habitat for many rare animals. Asiatic

black bears, snow leopards, and polar bears live in Russia. Also, small rabbit-like

mammals called pikas live there.

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4 Examine Map 1.

How does Map 1 contribute to the reader's understanding of Russia?

(A) by illustrating the most famous animal species in Russia

(B) by demonstrating the protected land areas in Russia

(C) by showing what countries joined Russia in the USSR

(D) by highlighting several of Russia's national symbols

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