Russia Top Themes
Top Themes Russia is the largest territorial country in the world, nearly twice as large as the next largest, Canada.
Top Themes 2. Russia is mostly cold and/or dry. Extensive mountains separate it from warmer subtropical air and the country lies open to arctic air masses.
Top Themes 3. Russia was one of the world’s major colonial powers. Under the czars, Russia put together the largest contiguous empire. As communist Soviet Union they expanded upon that.
Top Themes 4. Russia’s population is relatively small considering its large size – 145 million. It has a decreasing population. Most of the population lives in the western 1/5 of the country.
Top Themes 5. Development is mostly west of the Ural Mountains.
Top Themes 6. Russia is a multicultural country with 21 internal republics, originally based on ethnicity.
Top Themes 7. The switch from communism left Russia in economic disarray. Wealthy tycoons consolidated power early (basically Putin’s buddies).
Top Themes 8. Russia has long been a source of raw materials but not a manufacturer of export products, except weaponry. This makes Russia very vulnerable to changes in the commodities market, especially energy resources.
Top Themes 9. Russia has been increasing its military presence in the world and trying to influence the former Soviet republics that broke away from Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union.