Russia or the Russian Federation is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, the largest country globally, consisting of more than one-eighth of the Earth’s inhabited land area, extending to eleven time zones, and has borders with sixteen sovereign nations. Russia has a population of 146.7 million and is the ninth-most populous country and the most populous country in Europe. Moscow, the capital, is the largest city in Europe. At the same time, Saint Petersburg is the second-largest city and the country’s cultural center. Russians are

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• the largest Slavic and European nation,

• speaking Russian,

• the most-spoken Slavic language, and

• the most spoken native language in Europe