Russia is the world's largest country by land area, stretching across two continents: Europe and Asia. It spans eleven time zones, meaning when people in western Russia are eating breakfast, people in eastern Russia are getting ready for bed. Russia's vast territory includes frozen tundra in the north, dense forests called taiga, major mountain ranges, and important rivers like the Volga.

For centuries, Russia was ruled by emperors called czars (also spelled tsars). In 1917, a revolution overthrew the czar, and Russia became the core of the Soviet Union, a communist country that lasted until 1991. The Soviet Union was one of two superpowers during the Cold War, competing with the United States for global influence. After the Soviet Union collapsed, Russia became an independent country again.

Russia has given the world remarkable contributions: the novels of Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, the music of Tchaikovsky, the ballet tradition, and achievements in space exploration like launching the first satellite (Sputnik) and sending the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space. Russian scientists and mathematicians have made important discoveries in fields from chemistry to computer science.

The capital city is Moscow, where you'll find the Kremlin (the government headquarters) and Red Square. Russia's population includes many different ethnic groups who speak various languages, though Russian is the main language.