Most of Siberia is taiga. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves. It is often called "the lungs of Europe", second only to the Amazon in the amount of carbon dioxide it absorbs. It provides a huge amount of oxygen for not just Europe, but the world.

Russia has made little progress in building the rule of law, the bedrock of a modern market economy.

There were quite a few tribes that formed across this stretch of land, including the Dulebes, Radimichs, Polans, Slovens and the Ulichs. Together, these tribes formed an East Slavic State, known as Kievan Rus.

In 1783, Russia and the Georgian Kingdom (which was almost totally devastated by Persian and Turkish invasions) signed the treaty of Georgievsk according to which Georgia received the protection of Russia.

Russia shares its' borders with many countries.

The vast majority of Orthodox believers do not attend church on a regular basis. The percentage of Russians who attend church services on a weekly basis was estimated by the Interior Ministry to be less than 2%. Nonetheless, the church is widely respected by both believers and nonbelievers, who see it as a symbol of Russian heritage and culture.

The Russian labor force is undergoing tremendous changes. Although well educated and skilled, it is largely mismatched to the rapidly changing needs of the Russian economy. Official unemployment has dropped in recent years to 6.9%, and labor shortages have started to appear in some high-skilled job markets. Nonetheless, pockets of high unemployment remain and many Russian workers are underemployed. Unemployment is highest among women and young people. Following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic dislocation it engendered, the standard of living fell dramatically. However, real disposable incomes have doubled since 1999, and experts estimate that the middle class ranges from one-fifth to one-third of the population. In 2006, 15.8% of the population lived below the subsistence level, in contrast to 38.1% in 1998.

Kievan Rus ultimately collapsed as a state, leaving a number of states challenging for claims to be the heirs to its civilization and dominant position.