1. География России

3. Россия World’s largest country (17,075,200 sq miles) 11 time zones All climate zones except tropical Capital: Moscow (12 million+ population) 1,000+ major cities Population of approx. 143,420,300 Religions: *Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other

4. Major Cities Moscow (Москва) Saint Petersburg (Leningrad) Nizhniy Novgorod Volgograd Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk Vladivostok

5. Россия “European Russia” west of Urals

6. Major Geographical Features Divided in to European Russia and Siberia Major Rivers: Volga, Ob, Lena Water: Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Arctic and Pacific Oceans, a dozen + seas! Mountains: Ural, Caucasus (Mt Elbrus), several mountain ranges along south- eastern Siberian border Kamchatka Peninsula – active volcanoes Kuril Islands (+ many others!)

7. Россия Occupation (Mongols, Slavs…) Romanov Family – 300 year reign “Europeanized” by Czar Peter I and Catherine the Great Political uprising: Civil War, Lenin, World War I & II, Stalin, Communism

8. CCCР (USSR) 15 Countries Collapsed in 1991

9. Россия Boris Yeltsin – 1 st President Vladimir Putin Dmitry Medvedev Type of Government: Federal (Federation) - a form of government in which sovereign power is formally divided - usually by means of a constitution - between a central authority and a number of constituent regions (states, colonies, or provinces) so that each region retains some management of its internal affairs; differs from a confederacy in that the central government exerts influence directly upon both individuals as well as upon the regional units. Branches: Federation Council & State Duma