You might think which continent is Russia in is a really easy question and it is, but the answer to it is more complex and depends on the definition of the continent and the definition of people.
Which continent is Russia part of
Russia is one of the few transcontinental countries in the world, which means that it is located on two continents: Asia and Europe.
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About 25% of the territory and about 75% of the Russian population are located in Europe and the Ural Mountains are considered the border between Europe and Asia.
When speaking about Russia you don’t have to forget that this is a huge country, with more than 17 million square kilometres and over 145 million citizens.
Russia has 14 states as neighbours and 2 maritime boundaries with the United States and Japan.
The countries which have a land border with this amazing country are Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea.
Other like to say that Russia, the largest country from Europe extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea, Azov Sea and the Caspian Sea in the south.
Some experts say that the borders of Europe should be made according to the ethnicities that live in this area.
This means that all the Russians should be considered Europeans and the rest of the people, who constitute a good part of the population should be considered Asian.
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If we take this opinion into consideration and try to analyse it geographically, this would mean that entire Russia is part of Europe and just certain regions, like Tatarstan (which is an ethnic group) are part of Asia.
But the official records and most of the experts disagree with this opinion.
So, according to the National Geographic Society, only 4 million square kilometres are in Europe ( the western part of the Urals) and the remaining 13 million and something are in Asia.
Things are different when speaking about population, as most of the Russian population lives in the western part of Urals, so in European Russia and just 25% are in Asian Russia.
Which continent is Russia in politically and culturally
From a political and cultural perspective, when people talk about Russia they usually think of Europe. Worldwide, Russia is seen as a great European power since the middle ages, when it was a large empire.
The Russian capital, Moscow is located in Western Russia ( Eastern Europe) and European influences in culture are extremely visible, and that is why when we think about which continent is Russia part of, we automatically say Europe.
Most of the population is formed by ethnic Russians, but besides Russian in the country also live another 120 nations.
Most of the Russians lived in the European part of the country and Moscow and St Petersburg are the largest metropole in the country.
Russia is split into 21 republics, 6 federal districts known as “krays”, 2 federal cities, which are Moscow and St Petersburg, 10 autonomous areas and just 1 autonomous region.
Culture
All major writers, dancers and sports artists come from the European part of Russia.
Just think about literature and philosophy which are considered to be among the most influential and developed in the world.
Famous poets and novelists which played a very important role along the literature history were Russians: Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and Pushkin are just some of the names I am sure you have heard of.
Things are the same when we talk about famous dancers, not to mention that the Russian ballet school is among the most famous in the world.
Soviet ballet preserved the perfect 19th-century traditions and the Soviet Union’s choreography schools produced many international stars including Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Not to mention sports stars out of which football players are among the most famous as football is the most popular sport in Russia.
The Soviet Union football team won the first European Championship, the one organised in 1960 and reached the finals of Euro 1998.
In 2005 and 2008 Russian clubs CSKA Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg won the UEFA Cup, while in 2018 Russia hosted FIFA World Cup.
The Russians passion for sport does not end here and continues with hockey and Olympic games where they won a lot of medals and tournaments over the years.
Governance and politics
According to the Constitution of Russia, the country is an asymmetric federation and semi-presidential republic where Vladimir Putin, the President is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government.
Officially recognised as the successor state of the former Soviet Union, the Russian Federation has diplomatic relations with more than 240 countries and 144 embassies.
Considered a potential superpower, Russia is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and member of G20, Council of Europe, OSCE and APEC.
After the moment when the Soviet Union fell apart, Russia began to develop friendlier relations with the United States and NATO.
Unfortunately in the last couple of years, the diplomatic relations between Russia and Western countries have significantly deteriorated, while the relationship with China flourished.
Conclusion
No matter if the relations between Europe and Russia are not at their best, Europe and Asia are the correct answer to the question which continent is Russia in.
It is a special country with amazing landscapes and interesting culture which you definitely have to visit.
It is a country of superlatives and everything about it is impressive and you will be fascinated about it from the moment you get off the plane.
Book your accommodation
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Don't forget travel insurance
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When we go for longer trips around the world we get Globelink Insurance as it offers a good cover for an affordable price.
Travel insurance will always protect you against unexpected costs caused by medical events like illness, injury, theft, or travel cancellation.
We never go on any trip without travel insurance and there were many cases when we had to use it.
Renting a car
We like to explore a country on our own and a car gives us the mobility and freedom to do that.
We always rent our car from Discovercars as they have free cancellation 48 hours prior to starting date and a wide range of car rental companies and options to choose from all over the world.
Tours and attractions
When we are looking for some adventure or we simply want to break up the monotony and discover new places, we always use GetYourGuide.
We love it because we always find the most amazing experiences, with free cancellation and a large variety of activities and tours to choose from.
Airplane tickets and holiday packages
Expedia is our ally when searching for the best price for airplane tickets as it works as an aggregator for a huge number of airlines and we always find the best price for our flights.
Travel tip: use Expedia when you are searching for holiday packages as they have many last-minute offers and great discounts for hotels, flights, and even the whole holiday packages.