Geography & environment — Russia
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Russia: Asia
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Asia
- Geographic Coordinates
60 00 N, 100 00 E
- Total Area
6,601,631 Square Miles 17,098,242 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
6,323,446 Square Miles 16,377,742 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
278,185 Square Miles 720,500 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
12,577 Miles 20,241 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 290 km, Finland 1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 17.5 km, Latvia 292 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,441 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Ukraine 1,576 km
- Coastline
23,396 Miles 37,653 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
- broad plain with low hills west of Urals
- vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia
- uplands and mountains along southern border regions
- Highest Point
5,633 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Gora El'brus 5,633 m (highest point in Europe)
- Lowest Point
-28 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
Caspian Sea -28 m
- Natural Resources
wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, reserves of rare earth elements, timber note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources
- Irrigated Land
16,780 Square Miles 43,460 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: Russia has 11 time zones, the largest number of contiguous time zones of any country in the world; in 2014, two time zones were added and DST dropped
- Daylight saving time
does not observe daylight savings time (DST)
Climate
- Climate
Climate ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia, subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from excellent along the Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia. In Moscow, Snow begins in October and continues periodically through April, although snowfall in May is not unusual. Annual rainfall averages 21 inches, with the heaviest rains falling between May and October. Prevailing winds are southerly and southwesterly. Due to Moscow's northern location, daylight varies from 7 hours in December to 17 1/2 hours in June. The average temperature in June and July is 66°F, but the summer temperatures frequently reach the low 90s. In the winter, the temperature may fall to minus 40°F, but the average December and January temperature is 14°F. Though Moscow's winter air is usually dry, the wind chill factor makes the temperature feel much colder. The climate in St. Petersburg is milder than in Moscow but is damp and misty. Average temperatures are 64°F in July and 17°F in January. St. Petersburg is famous for its "white nights," which occur in June when the sun shines for nearly 19 hours and sunset only brings semidarkness. The climate in Vladivostok is milder than in many other Russian cities due to its location on the Pacific Ocean. Winter temperatures range between -68°F and 25°F.
- Terrain
- broad plain with low hills west of Urals
- vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia
- uplands and mountains along southern border regions
- Location
North Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean
- Total Area
6,601,631 Square Miles 17,098,242 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 290 km, Finland 1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 17.5 km, Latvia 292 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,441 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Ukraine 1,576 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities
industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts
deforestation
soil erosion
soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals
scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination
groundwater contamination from toxic waste
urban solid waste management
abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides
- Environment - International Agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94