water: 79,400 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than 1.8 times the size of the US

Land boundaries: total: 19,961 km

border countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China
(southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 294 km, Finland
1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 19 km,
Latvia 217 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,485
km, Norway 167 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Ukraine 1,576
km

Coastline: 37,653 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental
in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate
in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to
frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool
along Arctic coast

Terrain: broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous
forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern
border regions

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m

highest point: Gora El'brus 5,633 m

Natural resources: wide natural resource base including major
deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals,
timber

note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder
exploitation of natural resources

Land use: arable land: 8%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 4%

forests and woodland: 46%

other: 42% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 40,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: permafrost over much of Siberia is a major
impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands;
volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula

Environment - current issues: air pollution from heavy industry,
emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major
cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland
waterways and sea coasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil
contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals;
scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination;
ground water contamination from toxic waste

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution,
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Clima