After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, there were changes in the maritime borders in the Black Sea. As a result of this, most likely, the South Stream gas pipeline will go along a different route. In addition, Russia is gaining new opportunities for exporting its products through the port in Kerch. It is interesting to get acquainted with the maps of the new frontiers. In the Black Sea, 12 nautical miles from the coast are the territorial waters of the state, 250 miles constitute a special economic zone. According to the 2003 agreement on the Sea of Azov, the territorial waters of the countries are limited to a 5-kilometer zone, the rest of the waters are in joint economic ownership. In addition to this, you can look at the project of a new bridge connecting the Taman Peninsula with the Crimea. The Greeks called the Strait of Kerch the Cimmerian Bosphorus, but the Greeks called the strait separating Asia Minor from the Balkan Peninsula the Thracian Bosphorus.
P.S. I think few people know that the legendary Colchis of the Argonauts was located not at all in swampy Georgia, as some philologists naively believe, but ... on the banks of the Thracian Bosphorus ("Bull Pass"). The ships of the ancient Achaeans were called beads ("bulls") or minotaurs ("bulls of Minos") - that's why this strait was so named, sometimes the Achaeans called sea ships hippocampi ("sea horses"), so they had images or heads of a bull on their nose, or the head of a seahorse. The ancient Greeks called the Black Sea Pontus Euxinus (“Hospitable Sea”, and the Phoenicians the North Sea (“Ashkenas”). But we will turn to Colchis after a careful study of the path of the Argonauts, which was the Golden Fleece - the purpose of their journey ...
1. Borders of Russia and other countries in the Black Sea before the annexation of Crimea
2. The borders of Russia and other countries in the Black Sea after the annexation of Crimea
3. Oil and gas fields in the basin of the Black and Azov seas and land 
4. Kerch Strait and crossings from mainland Russia to Crimea 
5. The border in the Black Sea between Ukraine and Romania after the decision of the International Court of Justice on February 3, 2009, when 79.4% of the disputed territories of the oil and gas shelf passed to Romania
Border length
The length of the Russian borders is more than 60.9 thousand kilometers, which are guarded by approximately 183 thousand border guards. More than 10,000 border troops are stationed on the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan, operational groups of the Federal Border Service of Russia guard the border of Kyrgyzstan and China, Armenia, Iran and Turkey.
The modern borders of Russia with the former Soviet republics are not fully formalized in international legal terms. For example, the border between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine has not yet been demarcated, although the delimitation of the land border was completed long ago.
Russia borders on 16 states
- The border with Norway is 219.1 kilometers long,
- with Finland - 1325.8 kilometers,
- with Estonia - 466.8 kilometers,
- with Latvia - 270.5 kilometers,
- with Lithuania (border with the Kaliningrad region) - 288.4 kilometers,
- with Poland (border with the Kaliningrad region) - 236.3 kilometers,
- with Belarus - 1239 kilometers,
- with Ukraine - 2245.8 kilometers,
- with Georgia - 897.9 kilometers,
- with Azerbaijan - 350 kilometers,
- with Kazakhstan - 7,598.6 kilometers,
- with China - 4,209.3 kilometers,
- with the DPRK - 39.4 kilometers,
- with Japan - 194.3 kilometers,
- from the USA - 49 kilometers.
Land borders of Russia
On land, Russia borders on 14 states, 8 of which are former Soviet republics.
The length of the land border of Russia
- with Norway is 195.8 kilometers (of which 152.8 kilometers are the border passing along rivers and lakes),
- with Finland - 1271.8 kilometers (180.1 kilometers),
- with Poland (border with the Kaliningrad region) - 204.1 kilometers (0.8 kilometers),
- with Mongolia - 3,485 kilometers,
- with China - 4,209.3 kilometers,
- from the DPRK - 17 kilometers along rivers and lakes,
- with Estonia - 324.8 kilometers (235.3 kilometers),
- with Latvia - 270.5 kilometers (133.3 kilometers),
- with Lithuania (border with the Kaliningrad region) - 266 kilometers (236.1 kilometers),
- with Belarus - 1239 kilometers,
- with Ukraine - 1925.8 kilometers (425.6 kilometers),
- with Georgia - 875.9 kilometers (56.1 kilometers),
- with Azerbaijan - 327.6 kilometers (55.2 kilometers),
- with Kazakhstan - 7,512.8 kilometers (1,576.7 kilometers).
The Kaliningrad region is a semi-enclave: the territory of the state, surrounded on all sides by the land borders of other states and having access to the sea.
Western land borders are not tied to any natural boundaries. In the area from the Baltic to the Sea of Azov, they pass through populated and developed flat areas. Here the border is crossed by railways: St. Petersburg-Tallinn, Moscow-Riga, Moscow-Minsk-Warsaw, Moscow-Kyiv, Moscow-Kharkov.
Russia's southern border with Georgia and Azerbaijan runs along the Caucasus Mountains from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. Railways are laid along the edge of the coast, two highways pass through the central part of the ridge, which are often closed in winter due to snow drifts.
The longest land border - with Kazakhstan - runs along the steppes of the Trans-Volga region, the Southern Urals and southern Siberia. The border is crossed by many railways connecting Russia not only with Kazakhstan, but also with the countries of Central Asia: Astrakhan-Guryev (further to Turkmenistan), Saratov-Uralsk, Orenburg-Tashkent, Barnaul-Alma-Ata, a small section of the Trans-Siberian Railway Chelyabinsk-Omsk , Central Siberian and South Siberian highways.
The second longest - the border with China - runs along the channel of the Amur River, its tributary the Ussuri River, the Argun River. It is crossed by the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER), built back in 1903, and the Chita-Vladivostok highway, laid through Chinese territory, in order to connect the Far East and Siberia by the shortest route.
The border with Mongolia runs through the mountainous regions of southern Siberia. The Mongolian border is crossed by a branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway - Ulan-Ude-Ulan-Bator-Beijing.
A railroad to Pyongyang passes through the border with the DPRK.
Maritime borders of Russia
By sea, Russia borders on 12 states.
The length of the sea border of Russia
- with Norway is 23.3 kilometers,
- with Finland - 54 kilometers,
- with Estonia - 142 kilometers,
- with Lithuania (border with the Kaliningrad region) - 22.4 kilometers,
- with Poland (border with the Kaliningrad region) - 32.2 kilometers,
- with Ukraine - 320 kilometers,
- with Georgia - 22.4 kilometers,
- with Azerbaijan - 22.4 kilometers,
- with Kazakhstan - 85.8 kilometers,
- with the DPRK - 22.1 kilometers.
Russia has only a sea border with the USA and Japan. These are the narrow straits that separate the South Kuriles from the island of Hokkaido and the island of Ratmanov from the island of Krusenstern. The length of the border with Japan is 194.3 kilometers, with the United States - 49 kilometers.
The longest maritime border (19,724.1 kilometers) runs along the coast of the seas of the Arctic Ocean: the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi. Year-round navigation without icebreakers is possible only off the northern coast of the Kola Peninsula. All northern ports except Murmansk operate only during the short northern navigation: 2-3 months. Therefore, the northern maritime border is of little importance for relations with other countries.
The second longest maritime border (16,997 kilometers) runs along the coast of the Pacific Ocean seas: Bering, Okhotsk, Japan. The southeastern coast of Kamchatka goes directly to the ocean. The main ice-free ports are Vladivostok and Nakhodka.
Railways reach the coast only in the south of Primorsky Krai in the area of ports and in the Tatar Strait (Sovetskaya Gavan and Vanino). The coastal territories of the Pacific coast are poorly developed and populated.
The length of the sea coast of the Baltic and Azov-Black Sea basins is small (126.1 kilometers and 389.5 kilometers, respectively), but is used with greater intensity than the coasts of the northern and eastern borders.
In the USSR, large ports were mainly built in the Baltic region. Now Russia can use their capacities only for a fee. The country's largest marine merchant fleet is St. Petersburg, and new ports and oil terminals are being built in the Gulf of Finland.
In the Sea of Azov, the maritime boundary runs from the Taganrog Bay to the Kerch Strait, and then along the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. The main ports of the Black Sea coast are Novorossiysk (the largest port in Russia) and Tuapse. The ports of Azov - Yeysk, Taganrog, Azov are shallow and inaccessible to large vessels. In addition, the Azov coast freezes for a short time and navigation here is supported by icebreakers.
The maritime boundary of the Caspian Sea is not exactly defined and is estimated by Russian border guards at 580 kilometers.
Border population and cooperation
Representatives of almost 50 nationalities live in the border regions of Russia and neighboring states. Of the 89 subjects of the Russian Federation, 45 represent the border regions of the country. They occupy 76.6 percent of the entire territory of the country. They are home to 31.6 percent of Russia's population. The population of the border regions is 100 thousand people (as of 1993).
Cross-border cooperation is usually understood as a state-public structure, which includes federal departments, state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, local governments, the activities of the population, and public initiatives.
Both the old border regions and the new ones are interested in the development of cross-border cooperation. In the latter, periodically there are problems associated with a sudden break in the established ties between neighboring regions. In some cases, the border "breaks" the resource (water, energy, information, etc.) communications of economic objects (for example, the energy dependence of the Omsk region on Kazakhstan). On the other hand, in the new border regions, the flow of goods is constantly increasing, which can bring many benefits, subject to large investments in the appropriate infrastructure.
Thus, the border regions of the states need joint socio-economic development, the joint use of resource sources, the establishment of an information infrastructure and the restoration of communications between the population.
The basis for the successful development of cross-border cooperation is good neighborly relations between the parties at the state level, a developed legislative framework (framework agreements on cooperation, legislative regulation of customs rules, the abolition of double taxation, simplification of the procedure for moving goods) and the desire of the regions to participate in the development of cooperation
Problems of cooperation in border areas
Despite the imperfection of the federal legislation of Russia in relation to cross-border cooperation of its regions, at the level of municipal and local self-government, it is, one way or another, carried out in all 45 border regions.
Lack of good neighborly relations with the Baltic countries does not provide an opportunity for the broad development of cross-border cooperation at the regional level, although its need is acutely felt by the population of the border regions.
Today, on the border with Estonia, a simplified procedure for crossing the border is applied for the border population. But from January 1, 2004, Estonia switched to a strict visa regime established by the Schengen Agreement. Latvia abandoned the simplified procedure as early as March 2001.
As far as regional cooperation is concerned, as early as July 1996 in Pylva (Estonia) a Council for Cooperation of Border Regions was established, which included representatives of the Võru and Põlva counties of Estonia, the Aluksne and Balvi regions of Latvia, as well as the Palka, Pechersk and Pskov regions of the Pskov region. The main tasks of the Council are the development of a joint strategy for cross-border cooperation and the implementation of projects to improve infrastructure and environmental protection. On the territory of the Pskov region there are more than two hundred enterprises with the participation of Estonian and Latvian capital.
Lithuania has introduced visas for Russian citizens transiting through its territory. This decision affects the interests of the inhabitants of the Russian semi-enclave, the Kaliningrad region. Economic problems in the region may also arise due to the introduction of a visa regime by Poland. The authorities of the Kaliningrad region are pinning great hopes on resolving visa issues with the European Framework Convention on Cross-border Cooperation between Territorial Communities and Authorities, which has just been ratified by Russia.
On a contractual basis, the Kaliningrad region cooperates with seven voivodships of Poland, four counties of Lithuania and the district of Bornholm (Denmark).
In 1998, the region joined the multilateral cross-border cooperation within the framework of the Euroregion "Baltic", and its three municipalities joined the work on the creation of the Euroregion "Saule" (with the participation of Lithuania and Latvia). In the second half of the 1990s, a number of agreements were signed on the line of interregional cooperation between the Kaliningrad region and Klaipeda, Panevezys, Kaunas, and Marijampole districts of Lithuania.
Quite tense relations have been established in the Caucasus region of Russia and Georgia. In 2000, restrictions on movement between Georgia and Russia were introduced, which tangibly hit the residents of both republics of Ossetia. Today, at the regional level, the regions of North Ossetia have established border ties with the Kazbek region of Georgia, since August 2001, their residents can cross the border without issuing visas.
The situation on the Dagestan section of the border is better: in 1998, the efforts of the government of Dagestan lifted restrictions on crossing the state border between Russia and Azerbaijan, which helped to reduce tension and intensify economic ties. In pursuance of the intergovernmental agreement on trade and economic cooperation between Dagestan and Azerbaijan, an industry agreement has been prepared - on cooperation in the agro-industrial complex.
The expansion of cooperation between the neighboring regions of Kazakhstan and Russia is associated with the issues of completing the processes of delimitation and demarcation of borders. For example, the Altai Territory is actively cooperating with China, Mongolia and the Central Asian republics of the CIS (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). The main partners in the cross-border cooperation of the Altai Territory are the East Kazakhstan and Pavlodar regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The volume of foreign trade turnover between Altai and Kazakhstan is about a third of the total foreign trade turnover of the region. As a necessary legal basis for the development of this kind of cross-border cooperation, Russia considers bilateral agreements on cooperation between the administration of the region and the regions of Kazakhstan.
The nature of the border ties between the Russian Federation and Mongolia is determined by the underdevelopment of the western aimags of Mongolia. Trade with Mongolia is dominated by small contracts. A promising direction in Russia's border cooperation with Mongolia is the development of ore deposits explored in the west of the country. In the case of the implementation of direct transport projects, the possible construction of a gas pipeline between Russia and China through Mongolia, the necessary energy and infrastructure conditions will be created for the participation of Siberian regions in the development of raw materials in Mongolia. A stage in the development of relations was the opening in February 2002 of the Consulate General of Mongolia in Kyzyl.
Cross-border cooperation between the regions of Russia and Japan is influenced by the interest of the Japanese side in the islands of the South Kuril chain. In 2000, the "Program of Japanese-Russian cooperation in the development of joint economic activities on the islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai" was signed at the state level.
Former residents of the islands and members of their families - Japanese citizens can visit the islands under a simplified visa regime. For many years there have been visa-free exchanges between the parties. Japanese Foreign Ministry organizes Japanese language courses.
Objective difficulties are connected with the fact that the Japanese do not recognize the islands as Russian. The assistance of the Japanese side in the construction of power plants and clinics can be regarded as an act of good will, and not as cooperation of equal parties.
The most active in the development of cooperation are the northwestern and southeastern directions - the "old" border regions.
Cooperation in the Russian-Finnish border region
Murmansk and Leningrad regions, the Republic of Karelia are participants in cross-border cooperation with the regions of the Finnish side. There are several cooperation programs: the program of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Interreg program and the Northern Dimension. The fundamental documents are the Agreements on the Establishment of Friendly Ties between the Regions and bilateral cooperation plans.
In 1998, at the international seminar "EU external borders - soft borders" in Joensuu (Finland), the government of the Republic of Karelia proposed to create the Euroregion "Karelia". The idea was supported by the leaders of the border regional unions and approved at the highest level of both states in the same year.
The purpose of the project is to create a new model of cross-border cooperation between the regional unions of Finland and the Republic of Karelia. The task is to remove barriers that exist in cooperation between territories, first of all, to develop communication between residents of adjacent regions.
In the structure of the economy of the Karelia Euroregion, the main industry is the service sector, both in the territory of the Finnish regional unions and in the Republic of Karelia (at least two thirds of the working population are employed in this sector). The second largest sectors are industry and construction, followed by agriculture and forestry.
Weak sides of the Russian part of the region, which can negatively affect cooperation and must certainly be taken into account in close cooperation with the Finnish side, are the raw material orientation of the industry, the poor development of communications, local environmental problems and low living standards.
In October 2000, Karelia adopted the "Program of cross-border cooperation of the Republic of Karelia for 2001-2006".
The Government of Finland approved and sent to the EU the Interreg-III A-Karelia Program in Finland. At the same time, in 2000, the general Action Program for 2001-2006 and the work plan for the next year were approved, according to which 9 priority projects were planned for implementation. Among them are the construction of the International Automobile Checkpoint, the development of scientific cooperation, the development of the border territories of the White Sea Karelia.
In January 2001, the activities of the Euroregion received support from the EU Tacis program - the European Commission allocated 160 thousand euros for the Euroregion Karelia project.
There is a simplified visa regime on the Russian-Finnish border.
Cooperation in the Russian-Chinese border region
Cross-border cooperation on the Russian-Chinese section of the border has a long history.
The legal basis for interregional relations is the Agreement signed on November 10, 1997 between the governments of the Russian Federation and the PRC on the principles of cooperation between the constituent entities of Russia and the provinces, autonomous regions and cities of the central subordination of the PRC. The development of cross-border trade is facilitated by significant benefits provided by China to its participants (reduction of import tariff by 50 percent).
In 1992, the State Council of the People's Republic of China declared four cities adjacent to Russia (Manchuria, Heihe, Suifenhe and Hunchun) "cities of border cooperation." Since that time, the Chinese side has been actively raising the issue of joint "free trade zones" on the border near the main checkpoints.
In 1992, a simplified procedure for crossing the Chinese-Russian border was introduced.
At the end of November 1996, Chinese trading complexes on the border were opened, where Russian citizens are delivered with special passes (the lists are compiled by the local administration).
In order to facilitate the individual commercial activities of residents of the border regions of Russia, in February 1998, through the exchange of notes, a Russian-Chinese Agreement was concluded on the organization of a simplified pass for Russian citizens to the Chinese parts of shopping malls.
On January 1, 1999, the Regulations on New Rules for the Regulation of Border Trade came into force, in particular, residents of border areas are allowed to import duty-free goods worth three thousand yuan into China (previously - one thousand).
Among the promising projects is the development of cooperation in the field of the timber industry complex, the construction of infrastructure facilities, the construction of pipeline networks for interstate projects, etc.
Cooperation between the border regions of Russia and China is also developing through the programs of UNIDO and UNDP. The most famous is the regional UNDP project for the development of economic cooperation in the Tumen River Basin (Tumen River Area Development Program) with the participation of Russia, China, North Korea, the Republic of Korea and Mongolia. The main areas of cooperation are the development of transport and telecommunications infrastructure.
Last year, the two largest banks of the parties, Vneshtorgbank of Russia and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, entered into an agreement on settlements for border trade between the two countries. The agreement provides for the possibility of conducting bilateral settlements for border trade within one day on the basis of mutually established credit lines.
At the state level, a policy of cultural rapprochement between neighboring countries is being pursued: the General Consulate of the PRC has been opened in Khabarovsk, the Chinese language is taught in secondary and higher educational institutions, festivals, scientific conferences, and bilateral meetings of regional authorities and economic partners are held.
The main problem of the region is the fear of the Russian side of the demographic pressure from the Chinese population. The population density of the border areas on the Russian side is extremely low in absolute and relative terms compared to the population density of the Chinese side.
From the history of relations between the border population
Russian-Chinese and Russian-Korean sections of the border.
Economic and economic activity and trade on the border of China and the Russian Empire was regulated by the following main documents:
- The Aigun Treaty - allowed mutual border trade for citizens of both states living along the Ussuri, Amur and Sungari rivers.
- The Beijing Treaty - allowed free and duty-free barter trade throughout the border line for subjects of Russia and China.
- "Rules for overland trade between Russia and China", signed at the government level in 1862 for 3 years and then confirmed in 1869, established duty-free trade at a distance of 50 miles on both sides of the Russian-Chinese border.
- The Petersburg Treaty of 1881 confirmed all the articles on the "Rules of Russian-Chinese Trade in the Far East", which were recorded in the previous agreements.
By the end of the 19th century, land border trade was the main form of economic relations between the Russian population of the Far East and Manchuria. She, especially in the initial period of development of the region, played an exceptionally important role. The first settlers needed the most essential personal and household items. The Cossacks received tobacco, tea, millet, bread from Manchuria, selling, in turn, cloth and fabrics. The Chinese willingly purchased furs, dishes, silver in coins and items.
The trade turnover of the Russian Far East with Manchuria in 1893-1895 amounted to 3 million rubles and was distributed accordingly by regions: Amur - one million rubles, Primorskaya - 1.5-2 million rubles, Transbaikal - no more than 0.1 million rubles.
The free port regime (duty-free trade regime) established in the border zone, along with positive aspects, contributed to the development of smuggling, which Chinese merchants widely used in their activities. Annually, the smuggling of gold into Manchuria at the end of the 19th century was equal to 100 poods (which amounted to 1,344 thousand rubles). The cost of smuggling furs and other goods (except gold) was approximately 1.5–2 million rubles. And Chinese vodka khanshin and opium were smuggled into the territory of the Far East from Manchuria. In the Primorsky region, the main import went along the Songhua River. For example, in 1645, 4,000 poods of opium worth up to 800,000 rubles were brought to the Primorsky Region. Alcohol smuggling from the Amur region to China in 1909-1910 was estimated at about 4 million rubles.
In 1913, the Russian government extended the St. Petersburg Treaty (1881) for 10 years, excluding the article providing for duty-free trade within a 50-verst border strip.
In addition to border trade, the Cossacks leased land shares to the Chinese and Koreans. There was a mutual influence of the agricultural cultures of the Chinese, Koreans and Russians. The Cossacks learned to grow soybeans, melons and corn. The Chinese used Cossack mills to grind grain. Another form of cooperation is the hiring of Chinese and Korean agricultural workers in the Cossack farms, especially during the seasonal periods of agricultural work. Relations between the owners and workers were good, the poor Chinese willingly used the opportunities to earn money in the Cossack farms. This also formed good neighborly relations on both sides of the border.
The Cossacks living on the border had strong, economically developed military, stanitsa and settlement farms, well-established economic, trade and cultural ties with the population of the adjacent territory, which had a positive effect on the general situation in the Russian-Chinese border area, and on the border itself. Many Ussuri and Amur Cossacks spoke Chinese well.
Good neighborly relations were manifested in the joint celebration of Russian, Orthodox and Chinese holidays. The Chinese came to visit their familiar Cossacks, the Cossacks went to celebrate the Chinese New Year. There were no particular problems with visiting acquaintances on the adjacent side, the border in this regard was more conditional, all visits were under the control of the Cossack population and local authorities.
Of course, there were also conflicts at the local level. There are known cases of theft of livestock, hay, use of hayfields by the other side. There were cases of smuggling of alcohol by the Cossacks to the adjacent territory and selling it through their acquaintances. Often disputes arose over fishing on the Ussuri River, Lake Khanka. Conflicts were sorted out by chieftains and stanitsa boards or through the border commissioner of the South Ussuri Territory.
All data on the length of the state border according to the information of the Federal Border Service of the Russian Federation.
Overall rating of the material: 5
SIMILAR MATERIALS (BY MARKS):
Northern necklace. On the rivers and lakes of the north-west of Russia
In the northeastern part of Eurasia is a country that occupies 31.5 percent of its territory - Russia. She has a huge number of sovereign neighbors. Today, Russia's borders are impressively long.
The Russian Federation is unique in that, being simultaneously in Asia and Europe, it occupies the northern part of the first and the eastern expanses of the second.
Map of the southern border of the Russian Federation showing all neighboring states
It is well known that the length of Russia's borders is 60.9 thousand km. Land borders are 7.6 thousand km. The sea borders of Russia have a length of 38.8 thousand km.
What you need to know about the state border of Russia
In accordance with the provision of international law, the state border of Russia is defined as the surface of the globe. It includes both territorial waters and internal waters. In addition, the "composition" of the state border includes the bowels of the earth and airspace.
The state border of Russia is the existing water and territorial line. The main "function" of the state border should be considered the definition of actual territorial limits.
Types of state borders
After the collapse of the great and mighty Soviet Union, the Russian Federation has the following types of borders:
- old (these borders were inherited by Russia from the Soviet Union);
- new.
A similar map of the borders of the USSR indicating the borders of the republics of the union
The old borders should include those that coincide with the borders of states that were once full members of one large Soviet family. Most of the old borders are secured by contracts concluded in accordance with current international standards. These states should include both relatively close to Russia and, and.
Specialists refer to the new borders as those that border on the Baltic countries, as well as on the states that are members of the CIS. The latter, first of all, should be attributed to and.
It is not in vain that Soviet times drive patriotic-minded citizens of the older generation into nostalgia. The fact is that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia lost more than 40 percent of its equipped border.
"Removed" borders
It is not for nothing that Russia is called a unique state. It has borders that are defined today as "carried out" zones on the borders of the former Soviet Union. 
Russia today has many problems with borders. They became especially acute after the collapse of the Soviet Union. On a geographical map, everything looks quite beautiful. But in reality, Russia's new borders have nothing to do with cultural and ethnic borders. Another significant problem is the categorical rejection by public opinion of the restrictions that have arisen in connection with the introduction of border posts.
There is another serious problem. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation was not able to equip its new borders in a technical sense in a timely manner. Today, the solution to the problem is moving forward, but not fast enough.
Given the serious danger looming from some of the former Soviet republics, this issue remains at the forefront. The predominant land borders are the southern and western borders. East and north belong to the water boundaries.
Map of the collapse of the Soviet Union
What you need to know about the key borders of the Russian Federation
By 2020, our country has a large number of neighbors. On land, our country borders on fourteen powers. It is important to note all neighbors:
- Republic of Kazakhstan.
- Mongolian state.
- Belarus.
- Polish Republic.
- Estonian Republic.
- Norway.
Also, our country has borders with the Abkhazian state and South Ossetia. But these countries are still not recognized by the "international community", which still considers them part of the Georgian state.
Map of the Russian border with Georgia and the unrecognized republics
For this reason, the borders of the Russian Federation with these small states are not generally recognized in 2020 either.
With whom does Russia border on land?
The most important land neighbors of the Russian Federation include the Norwegian state. The border with this Scandinavian state runs along the swampy tundra from the Varanger Fjord. Important domestic and Norwegian power plants are located here.
Today, at the highest level, the issue of creating a transport route to this country, cooperation with which began in the deep Middle Ages, is being seriously discussed.
A little further south stretches the border with the Finnish state. The area is wooded and rocky. This section is important for Russia for the reason that it is here that active foreign trade is carried out. Finnish cargo is transported from Finland to the Vyborg port. The western border of the Russian Federation stretches from the Baltic waters to the Sea of Azov.
Map of Russia's western border showing all border states
The first section should include the border with the Baltic powers. The second section, no less important, is the border with Belarus. In 2020, it continues to be free for the transport of goods and the travel of people. The European transport route, which is of great importance for Russia, passes through this section. Not so long ago, a historic decision was made regarding the creation of a new powerful gas pipeline. The main point is the Yamal Peninsula. The highway will pass through Belarus to the countries of Western Europe.
Ukraine is not only geopolitical, but also geographically important for Russia. Given the difficult situation, which continues to be extremely tense in 2020, the Russian authorities are doing everything possible to lay new railway lines. But the railway connecting Zlatoglavaya with Kyiv still does not lose its relevance.
With whom does the Russian Federation border on the sea
Our most important water neighbors include Japan and the United States of America.
Map of the maritime borders of the Russian Federation
Both of these states are separated from the Russian Federation by small straits. The Russian-Japanese border is marked between Sakhalin, Yu.Kurils and Hokkaido.
After the annexation of Crimea, Russia had neighbors in the Black Sea. These countries include Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria. Canada, located on the other side of the Arctic Ocean, should be attributed to the oceanic neighbors of the Russian Federation.
The most important Russian ports include:
- Arkhangelsk.
- Murmansk.
- Sevastopol.
From Arkhangelsk and Murmansk originates the great Northern Route. Most of the local waters are covered with a huge crust of ice for eight to nine months. In 2016, by order of the President of the Russian Federation, preparations began for the creation of an underwater Arctic highway. As expected, this highway will use nuclear submarines to transport important cargo. Of course, only submarines decommissioned will take part in the transportation.
Disputed areas
In 2020, Russia still has some unresolved geographic disputes. Today, the following countries are involved in the "geographical conflict":
- Estonian Republic.
- Latvian republic.
- People's Republic of China.
- Japan.
If we take into account that the so-called “international community” denies the annexation of Crimea to Russia, ignoring the results of the referendum held in March 2014, then Ukraine should be added to this list. In addition, Ukraine seriously lays claim to some of the Kuban lands.
Disputed section of Russia's border with Norway
The so-called "Arctic issue" in the near future seems to be only a method of "subtle trolling" for some of Russia's maritime neighbors.
Claims of the Republic of Estonia
This issue is not being discussed as diligently as the “problem of the Kuriles”. And the Republic of Estonia claims to the right bank of the Narva River, which is located on the territory of Ivangorod. Also, the "appetites" of this state extend to the Pskov region.
Five years ago, an agreement was concluded between the Russian and Estonian states. It marked the delimitation of water spaces in the Gulf of Finland and Narva.
The “protagonist” of the Russian-Estonian negotiations is considered to be the “Saatse boot”. It is in this place that the transportation of bricks from the Urals to European countries takes place. Once they wanted to transfer the "boot" to the Estonian state, in exchange for other parts of the land. But due to the significant amendments made by the Estonian side, our country did not ratify the agreement.
Claims of the Republic of Latvia
Until 2007, the Republic of Latvia wanted to receive the territory of the Pytalovsky district, which is located in the Pskov region. But in March, an agreement was signed according to which this area should remain the property of our country.
What China wanted and achieved
Five years ago, the Chinese-Russian border was demarcated. According to this agreement, the People's Republic of China received a land plot in the Chita region and 2 plots near Bolshoi Ussuriysky and Tarabarov islands.
In 2020, a dispute continues between our country and China regarding the Republic of Tuva. In turn, Russia does not recognize the independence of Taiwan. There are no diplomatic relations with this state. Some seriously fear that the People's Republic of China is interested in the division of Siberia. This issue has not yet been discussed at the highest level, and dark rumors are very difficult to comment on and analyze.
China and Russia border map
The year 2015 shows that serious geographic tensions between Russia and China should not arise in the near future.
The official name of Russia is the Russian Federation, in abbreviated form RF.
The Russian Federation is the legal successor of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, one of the republics of the former Soviet Union).
The Russian Federation was founded on December 26, 1991.
Capital - Moscow.
Official language - Russian.
Square
The area of the Russian Federation is 17.1 million km2.
Russia - largest country in the world by area, occupying 1/8 of the earth's land; almost half of Europe and one third of Asia. The area of the Russian Federation is approximately equal to the area of the territory of the whole of South America.
The length of the Russian Federation from south to north is about 4,000 km, from west to east, more than 10,000 km.
Location
The Russian Federation is located in the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia, occupies 31.5% of the territory of Eurasia. European Russia represents 23% of the area of the state, but 78% of the population is concentrated in it.
Modern Russia can be considered a northern country. Its main part is located between 70° and 50° north latitude, about 20% of the territory lies beyond the Arctic Circle.
extreme points
- northern
- mainland extreme northern point - Cape Chelyuskin (on the Taimyr Peninsula) - 77 ° 43 minutes north latitude,
- sea - Rudolf Island (in the archipelago of Franz Josef Land) - 81 ° 11 min. NL
- southern
- in the North Caucasus on the border with Azerbaijan - 41° 11 min. S
- western
- near Kaliningrad - 19° 38 min. west longitude
- eastern
- mainland - Cape Dezhnev - 169° 40 min. o.d.
- marine - Ratmanov Island in the Bering Strait - 170 ° E
Time Zones
On the territory of Russia is 11 time zones. 8 of them lie in Siberia. Daylight Savings Time is implemented in all time zones.
Moscow time operates almost throughout the European part of Russia.
Moscow time is ahead of coordinated universal time ("Greenwich Mean Time") by 3 hours; Moscow is 2 hours ahead of Prague.
The schedule of long-distance trains is indicated throughout Russia according to Moscow time.
In 2011, constant summer time was introduced, which was changed to in autumn 2014. constant winter time.
Borders
The Russian Federation has a state border with 16 states, with a total length of about 61 thousand km (including 38 thousand sea).
The total length of the borders of the Russian Federation is approximately 60,900 km. The northern and eastern borders are maritime, while the western and southern borders are predominantly land. The western and southwestern borders do not have clearly defined natural boundaries, since in most cases these are borders with the former Soviet republics or states that were part of the Russian Empire in the past.
Czechs crossing the borders of the Russian Federation are required to obtain an entry or transit visa.
Land borders
RF borders on northwest with Norway and Finland,
on the west with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus and
Ukraine,
on the southwest with Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan,
on the east with China, Mongolia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Republic.
Maritime neighbors of Russia
Russia's maritime neighbors are Japan and the United States of America.
In 2014, there was a change in the borders due to the annexation of Crimea (from the point of view of the Russian Federation, the annexation of the peninsula is not recognized not only by Ukraine, but also by the international community).
The influence of space on the Russian national character
The vastness of the territory of Russia, in all likelihood, influenced the Russian national character and entered into folk mythology. The fact that Russia is the largest state in the world in terms of area forms the basis of national pride and self-assertion of every Russian ("wide is my native land"). In Russia, everything is big - cities, squares, wide and long streets (for example, the length of Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg is 4 km). Hence the tendency towards megalomania and the habit of Russians to waste a lot - natural resources (“we have everything”), human labor, the lives of their fellow citizens. Also, the attitude of Russians towards nature reflects the belief that Russia is a super-abundant country: if, for example, they caught fish in one river, then soon there will be a new river for fishing, and there is no need to worry about whether nature itself can revive life in the river.
On the other hand, the Russians explain the problems with maintaining order and the lack of organization in the state by large distances, arguing that in such a large country it is impossible to keep track of everything, to take care of everything.
Many areas in Russia have not yet been fully explored. Previously, maps of some areas did not even exist, many regions and cities were “closed”, that is, entry for non-residents was prohibited there. People could not move freely in their country. It is possible that due to the growing danger of terrorism, this practice will be resumed.
Russia is a country of plains, endless spaces (steppe, taiga, tundra, polar regions). Russian distances sometimes cause melancholy not only among Russians, but also among foreigners - a person is sad when he travels by train for several days and the landscape outside the window practically does not change - plains, mixed forests, birches, swamps, abandoned villages and industrial cities. (“Překonávání vzdálenosti způsoboje jakýsi druh fatalismu, odevzdání se tomu, co přijde.” David Št´áhlavský: Rusko mezi řádky).
“Boundless” expanses influence the mood and way of life of the population, become the cause of some features of the daily life of the inhabitants of Russia.
Many writers and philosophers believe that Russians are vagabonds, not tied to a place, people who are used to being on the road, and, therefore, got used to the lack of comfort and basic conveniences.
Russians, accustomed to travel long distances, have formed a special attitude towards time: they do not value it, they do not save it. In order to arrange any business in Russia, it is necessary to set aside a lot of time for this (“in reserve”, “just in case”). Time seems to flow differently here: one Russian proverb says: if you hurry, you will make people laugh. One hour is practically nothing.
In Russia, you often have to wait: in various institutions, at bus stops, in stores. Russians are very patient people. Especially the older generation is afraid to take personal initiative.
Russians define time and distance very roughly. For example, the expression "near Moscow" means 200 km around Moscow. When they tell you that you will reach the station in 8 minutes, it will be 25 minutes. In some areas of the country, the road is indicated in this way: you have to drive for two days and then turn right.
The working day starts a little later than ours (for example, the first "couple" at the university is at 9 o'clock), but in the evening the streets are busy until midnight. Many modern shops are open around the clock, 24 hours a day.
Expansion of Russia through the centuries
Although Russia plays an important role in international relations, it is geographically on the fringes and has been virtually isolated at some points in history.
Important milestones in the territorial development of the country were conquests with access to the seas: in the north under Peter I, in the south under Catherine II.
The dream of "Great Russia" was born in the Middle Ages and still does not leave the Russians. After the collapse of the USSR, Russia lost a lot of territory, and for the most part areas that are relatively pleasant to live in, with a warm climate.
Transport
Railway transport
Railways dominate the country's transport system. In terms of the length of railways, the Russian Federation ranks second in the world, but the density of railways in the country is only 50 km per 10 thousand km2
Suburban trains (electric trains)
Commuter trains run up to 100-200 km and connect the big city with the suburbs, villages and holiday villages. In the carriages, vendors usually offer ice cream, newspapers, and other small items.
Long distance trains
Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway - world's largest railway(length - 9288 km). The highway connects the European part of Russia with Siberia and the Far East. The Trans-Siberian starts in Moscow at the Yaroslavsky railway station and ends in Vladivostok (although only the eastern part of the line, from Chelyabinsk to Vladivostok, can actually be called the Trans-Siberian).
This railway was built in 1891-1916. The route is laid in the impenetrable taiga, in swamps, in permafrost zones; it passes through 89 cities, crosses 16 large rivers and is located in 7 time zones. The journey lasts 8 and a half days. The highway was built mainly by soldiers and prisoners, and at a fairly fast pace (5-6 km per day).
Baikal-Amur Mainline
In Soviet times, a large railway was built (mainly by Komsomol members) - the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) - 4800 km long. It connects Tashkent with the Sea of Okhotsk.
Motor transport
off-road
Roads in Russia are in a terrible state (except for a few motorways). 34% of rural settlements have no connection on paved roads with a network of public roads. In Russian, there is the word "off-road", denoting the poor condition of the roads - in spring and autumn the roads are swampy, in winter they are covered with ice, in summer clouds of dust rise behind each car
Urban transport
In almost all large Russian cities, urban transport is overloaded. Works in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk and Samara underground. A feature of Russian urban transport is the presence of a conductor in the carriages of trams, buses, trolleybuses. The conductor must present a ticket, he sells single tickets.
A commonly used way of getting around big cities is fixed-route taxi (minibus). The minibus goes along a certain route, you have to “catch” it on the street and then tell the driver where you want to get off.
In Russia, you can also ride a taxi or a "private trader". Any driver of a car who agreed to take you somewhere becomes a private owner. The Russians agree on the price and route before getting into the car. You can argue about the price, in other words, bargain.
Air Transport
Air transport occupies an important place in the Russian transport system; this is especially true for passenger traffic.
Moscow has an international airport Sheremetyevo-2 and domestic airport Sheremetyevo-1, in St. Petersburg - international airport Pulkovo-2 and domestic airport Pulkovo-1.
Some areas of the country (northeastern Siberia) can only be reached by plane.
The total length of Russia's borders is the largest in the world and reaches 62,269 km. Of these, the length of the maritime borders is 37636.6 km and land - 24625.3 km. Of the maritime borders, the coast of the Arctic, or the Russian Arctic sector, accounts for 19724.1 km, and on the coast of the seas - 16997.9 km.
Maritime boundaries run at a distance of 12 nautical miles (22.7 km) from the coast, separating internal territorial waters from international ones. At 200 nautical miles (about 370 km) from the coast is the border of the maritime economic zone of Russia. Within this zone, navigation of any countries is allowed, but the development and extraction of all types of natural resources located in the waters, on the bottom and in the bowels, is carried out only by Russia. Other countries can extract natural resources here only in agreement with the Russian government. The northern borders of the country completely pass through the waters of the seas:, East Siberian and (follow the map). In addition, all of them are covered with drifting multi-year pack ice all year round, so navigation on the seas is difficult and is possible only with the use of nuclear-powered icebreakers.
The eastern borders of Russia pass mainly along the waters of the Pacific Ocean and its seas: the Bering and the Sea of Japan. The closest maritime neighbors of our country here are Japan and. The length of the maritime border with is 194.3 km, and with the United States - 49 km. The narrow La Perouse Strait separates Russian territorial waters from both the island of Hokkaido.
In the south and south-west of Russia, maritime borders pass with countries (, and), as well as with sea waters. By waters and seas - with Ukraine and. connects our country with, and along it there are waterways to Europe and. Thus, Russia belongs to the great maritime powers and it has both a merchant fleet and a navy.
The land borders of our Motherland are very long. In the northwest our neighbors are Norway and Finland. The length of the border with Finland is 219.1 km, and with Finland - 1325.8 km. The length of the border along the coast of the Baltic Sea is 126.1 km. Along the western border of Russia are the states: Estonia, Latvia, Belarus and. On the territory of the Kaliningrad region, the land border passes with and Lithuania. The section of the sea border near the southeastern part of the Baltic Sea (the sea coast of the Kaliningrad region) is 140 km. In addition, the length of the river border of the region with Lithuania is 206.6 km, the lake border - 30.1 km, and with Poland - 236.3 km.
The length of the land border of Russia with Estonia is 466.8 km, with Latvia - 270.6 km, with - 1239 km, with Ukraine - 2245.8 km. The length of the Black Sea sea border is 389.5 km, along the Caspian Sea - 580 km, and along - 350 km.
The southern border of Russia with Georgia and Azerbaijan runs along the mountain ranges of the Main Caucasian (Dividing) Range and the spurs of the Samur Range. The length of the border with Georgia is 897.9 km, with Azerbaijan - 350 km. On the coast of the Caspian Sea, the southern border of Russia with Kazakhstan runs along the Caspian lowland, along the plains and uplands of the Urals and Trans-Urals, the southern outskirts of the lowland and along the river valley approaches the foothills. The total length of the land border with Kazakhstan reaches 7598.6 km.
Russian border guards also guard land borders in the mountains and. The total length of the Tajik border reaches 1909 km.
Further east, the southern border of Russia with and passes through the high mountains of Altai, Western and. To the east of Mongolia, Russia again borders China along the Argun and Ussuri, which are used by both countries. The total length of land borders with China is 4209.3 km, and with - 3485 km.
In the extreme southeast, Russia borders on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The length of the border is 39.4 km.
As you can see, most of the borders of our country run along natural boundaries: seas, rivers and mountains. Some of them hinder international contacts. These are covered with multi-year pack ice and high mountain ranges in the south of Russia. European, Barents, Baltic, Black, Azov and border rivers and river valleys contribute to the diverse ties between Russia and foreign countries.
Due to the large length of longitude in Russia, there is a large time difference - it is 10 . Accordingly, the entire territory of the country is divided into 10 time zones. In sparsely populated areas and on the seas, the boundaries of time zones pass along the meridians. In densely populated areas, they are carried out along the borders of administrative regions, territories and autonomous republics, skirting large cities. This is done to make it easier to calculate time. Uniform time is established within administrative units. in many time zones is accompanied by a number of inconveniences and difficulties. Thus, the programs of the Central Television from Moscow have to be repeated especially for the inhabitants of the eastern regions of the country, since many broadcasts occur there in the dead of night or early morning. At the same time, the time difference allows you to maneuver the use of electricity. With the help of powerful transmission line systems, the maximum supply of electricity moves after the sun, which makes it possible to manage with fewer power plants.
Every place on Earth has its own local time. In addition, there is summer and winter local time. This is when, by order of the government of a number of states, in March-April, the clock hands are moved 1 hour ahead, and in September-October - 1 hour back. For the convenience of international and intercity communications, the so-called standard time is introduced. In Russia, the timetable for trains and planes is drawn up according to Moscow time.
In the USSR, for a more rational use of the light part of the day, since 1930, clocks have been universally translated 1 hour ahead - this is standard time. Decree time of the 2nd time zone in which Moscow is located is called Moscow time.
The local time of the inhabitants of the Kaliningrad region is 1 hour (more precisely, 54 minutes) different from the local Moscow time, since the Kaliningrad region is located in the first time zone.
The role and importance of time in the economy and people's lives is enormous. Humans and all plant and animal organisms have a “biological clock”. This is conventionally called the ability of living organisms in time. Watch the animals and you will see that they have a strict daily routine. Plants also have a certain rhythm of life.
The biological clock works under the influence of the main daily rhythm of the Earth - its rotation around its axis, which determines the change in illumination, air, cosmic radiation, gravity, electricity, the length of day and night. Life processes inside the human body are also subject to earthly rhythms. The rhythms of the “biological clock” of living organisms are encoded in the cells of organisms and are inherited through natural selection, through chromosomes.