Russia Report

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

With over 6.5 million square miles Russia is the biggest country in the world. Up to two United States could fit into Russia with land left over. From grassy plains, huge forests, and desolate vast snow lands Russia has variety. Yet, despite the 6.5 million square miles of land only 55% of it is livable on. The daring people that live on the other 45% of snow lands eat reindeer as often as we eat beef! But the kids there have very good education. They have 13 kids to a teacher which beats the world average and ours of 30. You would want to walk to school though because the average temperature of Russia is under 80 every day. So, here’s more of Russia’s great geography and climate. With Russia’s great expanse it’s not hard to believe it has vast changes in climate. In the far northern areas in Russia it is snowing year round and it has creatures from the North Pole! Also, this country is one of the very few countries that are in two continents. Those two continents are Asia and Europe. Most people consider it an Asian country though instead of a European one. Separating the two continents running along through Russia is the Ural Mountains. The Ural Mountains are the main border all the way down. Three different oceans surround it also. The Arctic, the Atlantic, and the Pacific. Russia also has more countries surrounding it than any other in the world. Some of the more major ones are China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Finland. This helps a lot with trade which is very important there too. Natural Resources in this country are plentiful when it comes to mining. It also has the most variety of ore than anywhere else in the world. To name some there are gold, silver, coal, platinum, copper, diamonds, tin, lead, zinc, magnesium, and many more. Also, they’re huge in natural gas, oil, and petroleum. The climate is almost always cold in Russia. In winter Moscow can be covered in ice for 5-6 months! Usually the temperature will only reach 40 degrees during these winters. Even sometimes in July it will only average 60 degrees because of these winters. But when it isn’t cold farming is abundant. They produce tons of wheat and ship it everywhere in the world. Neighboring countries are glad of their abundance of wheat for trade. Historical events in Russia have affected the whole world. In only 800 A.D. a tribe called the East Slavs established their own state called Kievan Rus. It went through many different leaders and most thought Kievan Rus was too hard to say. So, they started to call it Rus which also changed. About 1200 A.D. they started calling it Russia. The new Russia was going good in 1600 A.D. but in four years they would have the Time of Troubles. In the Time of Troubles they had just gained their land back from the Mongols and suddenly BOOM! Chaos. Just like our great depression they had a similar but much earlier event called the Time of Troubles. During this time there was a civil war between who the leader was. This caused political confusion. Enemies who noticed this weakness saw the opportunity to attack and for the next nine years, Russia wouldn’t be the same. World War I would come in about 300 years later in 1914. The Germans would not make their first attack though until 1915. Russia’s part in WWI lasted three years. The Russians were unsuspecting and a year later they withdrew from the war because of all the confusion. After that was peace once more. They had even signed a non-aggression pact with Germany in 1939 saying that neither country would attack the other. But two years later in 1941 Adolf Hitler attacked and there was their start in World War II. Germany attacked Russia after retreating from Poland and they fought a hard battle called the battle of Stalingrad. Germany lost and went to go attack Berlin. The Russians were very happy about this and exited WWII in 1945. After all this they still weren’t a free country. In 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved they were now a free country. Since then they have become a huge country and become allies with many countries. But most importantly Russia’s unique culture sets it apart from all the other countries. For example, rural life is very different from their city life. Unlike the city life, in rural areas they usually have homes instead of apartments. City life is a lot like New York City in Moscow and St. Petersburg. You can also find a lot of stores in the cities while out in the country the stores have little supply. Only ¼ of Russia’s population lives in rural areas while ¾ lives in the city. But some rural areas unfortunately, do not have power or running water. So, if you go there just decide if you want NYC style or Kansas style. Some of the food and drink that you might have there resemble a lot of our food. Beef, chicken, pork, and, fish are very popular. Just like us though they consume large quantities of sugar. Frying is the most popular way to cook food which is also unhealthy. The most interesting thing that is also healthier is that their main meal is Lunch unlike us which is dinner. Coffee is becoming a more popular drink but tea has been in Russia for a very long time. Also involving drinks, alcohol abuse has become a big problem. They do have a lot of things like Coke and McDonalds there, too. The clothing is mostly plain but young people do dress more fashionably. Women are starting to wear embroided blouses now too. Winter affects a lot of the styles. Most clothes are made from bast which comes from certain trees. The main language is Russian. There are three different accents. Northern, Southern, and Central. All can be understood by the other. Very few other languages are spoken by residents. Religions include Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Whole cities are reflected with these religions and cultures architecture some times. In fact, the largest religion place in the world is there. It is called the Russian Orthodox Church. The arts are the most unique part of Russia. Architecture from everywhere in the world can be found there. Classic, vocal, opera, and ballet are the most popular kinds of music. If you want to see the biggest art museum in the world though, look for the Hermitage museum. The Hermitage Museum is very popular in Russia. The arts are very important to the Russians as you can see. As you have read, Russia is a very interesting country. From the East Slavs in 800 A.D. to now, Russia has been growing and affecting the world with its splendor. Since it became a free country in 1991 it has been helped by the world from American products in its stores to mining equipment from Japan. Russia’s cultures beautifying the streets and affecting the world. This country truly is The Great and Beautiful Russia.