Where is Russia in the World?

As a very northern country of the world, Russia has a latitude of 61.5240° N. As such, Russia is situated to the north of the equator. The longitude of Russia is 105.3188° E, placing Russia in the eastern hemisphere. The GPS coordinates of Russia put Russia in the northern hemisphere as well.

The Country's Furthest Points in all Directions

In the north, Russia reaches its farthest point in two different locations. There are two very northern points of the country because one is on the mainland, but the other lies offshore on an island. On the mainland, Russia's northernmost point is in the cape of Chelyuskin of Russia's Taymyr Peninsula. The latitudinal coordinate of this northern point is 77°43' N.

Looking to northern offshore points of Russia, the furthest point has a latitude of 81°51' N. The Franz Josef Land is the name of a vast archipelago in Russia, which is the location of the northernmost point of Russia with islands included. This point is positioned in Cape Fligely on the island of Rudolf.

The southernmost point of Russia is on the border shared by Russia and Azerbaijan. In particular, the most extreme southern point of Russia is in the Republic of Dagestan. It has a latitude of 41°11' N, placing this southern point of extremity above the equator.

In the east, Russia's extremity is a situation similar to the country's northernmost point. On the mainland of Russia, the furthest point to the east can be found in Cape Dezhnev. The longitude of this point is 169°40' W. By looking at the islands that are considered Russian territory; it was found that the Big Diomede Island in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The longitude of this point is 169°01' W, which also happens to be the most western point of all countries in the world.

The country's westernmost point has a longitudinal coordinate of 19°38' E, which falls within the boundaries of the village of Narmeln. Located in the Russian Federation's Kaliningrad Oblast, this point is part of Vistula Spit, near the Baltic Sea.

Total Area, Population, and Density of Russia

Russia’s total area is approximately 6,323,142 square miles. As the country with the greatest landmass, Russia accounts for 11% of the world's total area. The population of Russia as of 2019 is about 143,929,228 people. With a population that exceeds one-hundred-and-forty-three million people, Russia ranks as the ninth most populous country in the whole world.

Today, Russia is considered the largest country globally and covers a whopping 6.6 million square miles. With its massive size, Russia shares more borders than any other country worldwide, sharing its borders with 16 different nations. The country is the most populated sovereign state in Europe, and it makes up almost 13% of the world's total inhabitable landmass. Although its sovereignty and alliances have changed throughout history, Russia is considered an independent country today.

Russian Political Changes

Between the 3rd and 8th century AD, Russia was populated with the East Slavs. This group of native people eventually formed Russian culture and was eventually unified under the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The area saw continual political changes as Russia became part of the Russian Empire, the Russian SFSR (part of the Soviet Union), and eventually dissolved into the sovereign Russian country. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1993, Russia has been a federal semi-presidential republic led by Vladimir Putin.

Modern Russian Demographics

Today, Russia has a population of 146.2 million people. The country's capital is Moscow, the largest city in Europe. Saint Petersburg is the second-largest city, and the majority of residents speak Russian in the country. Most residents practice Orthodox Christianity, adopted from the Byzantine Empire, while Russia was forming as an independent nation.