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Russia: map, flag, capital and key facts

Russia is a country in Europe, with about 143.5 million people (2025) and an area of 17,125,190 square kilometres. Its capital is Moscow, and it shares land borders with 14 countries.

By Team Geography Last reviewed

Flag of Russia
Flag of Russia
Map showing where the country sits among its neighbours
Russia in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.

Key facts about Russia

CapitalMoscow
ContinentEurope
Population143,513,328 2025, World Bank. 9th of 195.
Area17,125,190 km² (6,612,070 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 1st largest of 195.
Population density8.4 people per km²
Land neighbours14: Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, North Korea, Norway, Poland, UkraineLithuania and Poland border a part of Russia away from its main territory.
Official nameRussian Federation
UN statusMember state
Capital coordinates55.75° N, 37.61° E Moscow, Natural Earth.

Land neighbours

Russia borders 14 countries on land. Each links to its own page.

AzerbaijanBakuBelarusMinskChinaBeijingEstoniaTallinnFinlandHelsinkiGeorgiaTbilisiKazakhstanAstanaLatviaRigaLithuaniaVilniusMongoliaUlaanbaatarNorth KoreaPyongyangNorwayOsloPolandWarsawUkraineKyiv

From the Geography app

The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Russia's 9, in full.

PLACELens 1 of 9

The largest country on Earth spans eleven time zones

Russia stretches from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, covering more than 17 million square kilometers, nearly twice the size of Canada. It spans eleven time zones and touches Europe, Central Asia, and the Pacific Rim. But that scale is deceptive: much of Siberia is permafrost and boreal forest, inhospitable and sparsely settled. Russia's territory is its defining feature and its logistical burden.

More on eleven time zones

When it is morning in Kaliningrad on the Baltic, it is already evening in Kamchatka on the Pacific. This span creates administrative challenges that have shaped Russian governance, and imperial ambition, for centuries.

8 more lenses on Russia in the app

  • PLACE Most Russians live west of the Urals
  • STORY Russian identity oscillates between Europe and Eurasia
  • NOW Russia's war economy is consuming the country from within
  • THREAD Russia's war in Ukraine redrew European security overnight
  • THREAD Russia and China present a united front but compete quietly
  • PLACE Two thirds of Russia rests on frozen ground
  • STORY The Russian language has two words for Russian
  • NOW Sanctions moved Russian oil, they did not stop it

Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.

Compare Russia with another country

Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.

Common questions

What is the capital of Russia?
The capital of Russia is Moscow. Placed in Europe here. Russia spans both Europe and Asia; the great majority of its population lives west of the Urals. Moscow lies at about 55.8 degrees north and 37.6 degrees east. Russia is in Europe.
What is the population of Russia?
About 143.5 million people live in Russia, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 9th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 17,125,190 square kilometres, that is about 8.4 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Russia?
Russia shares land borders with 14 countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, North Korea, Norway, Poland and Ukraine. Lithuania and Poland touch a part of Russia that lies away from its main territory. The map on this page outlines each of them around Russia.
How big is Russia?
Russia covers 17,125,190 square kilometres, or about 6,612,070 square miles. That makes it the 1st largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 143.5 million gives a density of 8.4 people per square kilometre.

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