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European Russia | |
|---|---|
 Orthographic projection of European Russia Border with European neighbors.svg) Subdivisions of European Russia (in red) | |
| Largest city | Moscow |
| Demonym | Russian |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,969,100 km2 (1,532,500 sq mi) (7th) |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 109,455,000[1] (13th) |
• Density | 27.5/km2 (71.2/sq mi) (160th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2022 estimate |
• Total |  $3.275 trillion[2] |
• Per capita | $29,923 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2022[3] estimate |
• Total | $1.410 trillion |
• Per capita | $12,926 |
European Russia[a] is the western and most populated part of theRussian Federation. It is geographically situated inEurope, as opposed to the country's sparsely populated and vastly larger eastern part,Siberia, which is situated inAsia, encompassing the entirenorthern region of the continent. The two parts of Russia are divided by theUral Mountains andUral river, bisecting theEurasian supercontinent. European Russia spans roughly 40% of Europe's total landmass, with over 15% of its total population, making Russia thelargest andmost populous country in Europe. The region is divided into sixFederal districts.
European Russia accounts for 80% of Russia's total population. It covers an area of over 3,969,100 square kilometres (1,532,500 mi2), with a population of nearly 110 million—making Russia thelargest country in Europe, surpassing Ukraine, and themost populous, surpassing Germany.[4][b] European Russia is the most densely populated region of Russia, with a population density of 27.5 people per km2 (70 per sq mi).[5] European Russia counts for about 15% ofEurope's total population.
All threefederal cities of Russia lie within European Russia. These cities areMoscow, the nation'scapital andlargest city, which is themost populous city entirely within Europe;Saint Petersburg, the cultural capital and the second-most populous city in the country; andSevastopol, located inCrimea, which isinternationally recognized as part ofUkraine.
Of the 16 Russian cities with over 1 million inhabitants, 12 lie within European Russia: Moscow, Saint Petersburg,Kazan,Nizhny Novgorod,Samara,Ufa,Chelyabinsk,Rostov-on-Don,Krasnodar,Voronezh,Perm andVolgograd (the remaining four areYekaterinburg,Omsk,Krasnoyarsk andNovosibirsk).
With majority of the population being Slavic, Moscow being the capital city andChristianity being the dominating religion, Russia is mainly counted as a European country. When it comes to sports and entertainment, Russia for example playssoccer as aUEFA member and has participated in theEurovision Song Contest as a member of theEuropean Broadcasting Union.
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The historical population of European Russia was composed ofSlavic,Finno-Ugric,Germanic,Turkic,Jewish,Scythian,North Caucasian,Hunnic andBaltic peoples.[6][7]
Some theories say that some early Eastern Slavs arrived in modern-day western Russia (also in Ukraine and Belarus) sometime during the middle of the first millennium AD.[8] TheEastern Slavic tribe of theVyatichis was native to the land around theOka river. Finno-Ugric, Baltic and Turkic tribes were also present in the area (although large parts of the Turkic and Finno-Ugric people were absorbed by the Slavs, there are great minorities in European Russia today). The western region ofCentral Russia was inhabited by the Eastern Slavic tribe of theSeverians.
One of the first Rus' regions according to theSofia First Chronicle wasVeliky Novgorod in 859. In late 8th and early-to-mid-9th centuries AD theRus' Khaganate was formed in modern western Russia. The region was a place of operations forVarangians, eastern Scandinavian adventurers, merchants, and pirates. From the late 9th to the mid-13th century a large section of today's European Russia was part ofKievan Rus'. The lands of Rus' Khaganate and Kievan Rus' were important trade routes and connectedScandinavia, Byzantine Empire,Rus' people and Volga Bulgaria with Khazaria andPersia. According to old Scandinavian sources among the 12 biggest cities of Kievan Rus' or Ancient Rus' wereNovgorod,Kiev,Polotsk,Smolensk,Murom andRostov.[9]
Through trade and cultural contact withByzantine Empire, the Slavic culture of the Rus' adopted gradually theEastern Orthodox religion. Many sources say thatRyazan,Kolomna,Moscow,Vladimir andKiev were destroyed by theMongol Empire. After the Mongol invasion theMuscovite Rus' arose, over all this time, western Russia and the various Rus' regions had strong cultural contacts with the Byzantine Empire, while the Slavic culture was cultivated all the time.[10] The elements of East Slavic paganism andChristianity overlapped each other and sometimes produced even double faith in Muscovite Rus'.[11]
In 2022 theGRDP of European Russia was around₽100 trillion (US$1.4 trillion).[3]
The followingFederal districts of Russia are wholly or partly European:
| Name of district | Area (km2) | Population (2023) | Population density | GRDP (2022) | Continent notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Federal District | 650,200 | 40,198,659[1] | 59.658 | ₽47.368 trillion ($692 billion)[3] | Europe | |
| North Caucasian Federal District | 170,400 | 10,251,083[1] | 56.58 | ₽3.111 trillion ($45 billion)[3] | Europe | |
| Northwestern Federal District | 1,687,000 | 13,840,352[1] | 8.25 | ₽18.929 trillion ($276 billion)[3] | Europe | |
| Southern Federal District[note 1] | 447,900 | 16,624,081[1] | 33.46 | ₽9.816 trillion ($143 billion)[3] | Europe | |
| Volga Federal District | 1,037,000 | 28,540,832[1] | 28.63 | ₽19.664 trillion ($287 billion)[3] | Predominantly Europe | |
| Ural Federal District | 1,818,500 | 12,262,205[1] | 6.86 | ₽20.073 trillion ($293 billion)[3] | Predominantly Asia - Europe | |
| Sum of 6 Federal Districts[note 2] | 3,995,200 | 109,455,000[1] | 27.22 | ₽98.890 trillion ($1444 billion)[3] | Predominantly Europe | |
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