Russia is one of the largest country in the world. It occupies about one seventh part of dry land. The vast territory of Russia lies in the Eastern part of Europe and in the northern part of Asia. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometers. Russia is washed by twelve seas and three oceans: the Atlantic, the Arctic, the Pacific. The northern and eastern coasts of Russia are washed by the White Sea, the Barents Sea and the Okhotsk Sea.

There are two great plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.

There are over two million rivers in Russia. Europe`s biggest river, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea. The main Siberian rivers the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena flow from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East flows into Pacific Ocean. Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world`s deepest lake (1600 meters) is Lake Baikal. It is much smaller than the Baltic Sea, but there is much more water in it than in the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is so clear that if you look down you can count the stones on the bottom.

Russia is a country with a great art history. It has produced many world- famous writers such as Alexander Pushkin, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ivan Turgenev. Russia is a presidential republic. It has always played an important role in the world. Russia is one of its leading Powers.