Russia

The world’s largest country and the northernmost country in Eurasia, stretching from Finland to the Bering Strait and the Arctic Ocean south to the “stans” of Central Asia. Russia was the largest Republic of the U.S.S.R but is now the largest of the Commonwealth of Independent States after the Communists fell in 1991. The population is about 140 million or so and is concentrated in the western fifth of the country in Europe. Moscow is the capital and largest city and 3rd largest single city in the world with a population exceeding 10 million in the city limits alone. Russia is a cold, arctic barren land making it the coldest country in the world by average temperature. Siberia (Asian Russia east of the Caucasus Mountains) is defiantly among the coldest inhabited places in the world. So much so, that many Russian prisoners are sent to Siberia in the winter to be tortured. The weak Russian economy has nothing to do with the fall of the Communists, but everything to do with corruption in the Russian government that is squandering its numerous natural resources and oppressing the people. Since the fall of the Communists, Russian citizens have been suffering from severely long lines for bread and water. Its government is a Democracy on paper only, however Communism is still a reality even after the fall of the USSR. Its leader Vladimir Putin is a member of the Russian form of the KGB and is a Communist at heart and wants Russia to return to Communism. The people have some cultural fettish with furry hats and boots. I have visited Russia and will admit that it is a very beautiful country. I spent a month alone in Moscow and it is a really neat city--the people are nice (much nicer than New Yorkers anyway) and the Kremlin is neat to see. It’s a major cultural center with numerous colleges, and is big in the fine and performing arts. It’s basically an Eastern European version of New York City.