ABSTRACT
The Russian Federation (Russia) is the largest country in the world. It envelops the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia and covers almost 17.1 million square km. The larger part of the Russian territory takes up the position between the 50th parallel and Arctic Circle and is situated in the middle and high latitudes with a moderate and cold climate. The maximum distance between western Russian (not counting the Kaliningrad region) and the eastern boundaries is 9,000 km. It is 4,000 km between the northern and southern boundaries. There are 11 time zones within the limits of Russia.
