Russia, located in Eurasia (the combined land mass of Europe and Asia), is one of the most popular countries in the world. The official language is Russian, but there are 27 other co-official languages in various regions of the country. Most people are aware of where Russia and what kind of people live there, but there are many little known facts about this country and its culture that are really interesting.
Here we let 10 interesting facts about Russia:
1. The highest railway in the world
The Trans-Siberian railway crosses almost all the way across the county, which is the longest railway in the world. The train travels 9,200 kilometers (or 5,700 miles) and departure from Moscow (located in European Russia) and across Asia. It then makes its journey through the Pacific Ocean port of Vladivostok, where it reaches the end of his incredible journey. The entire trip without stops takes 152 hours and 27 minutes to complete.
2. McDonald’s the world’s largest
If you are a fan of the famous golden arches, Russia is your site. The country has the largest McDonald’s in the world; with 700 seats. The facilities were even larger and housed 1,500 people, but was only built for the 2012 Olympics in London; it came to a temporary location dismantled six weeks after opening its doors for the first time (after the Olympics came to an end).
3. Women vs. mens
There are approximately 10 million more women than men in Russia. At first it was thought that this imbalance was the result of so many men who perished during World War II.
4. The tradition of wedding ring
For many Russians, tradition bring your wedding ring on the ring finger of his right hand. Countries such as Ukraine, Poland, Georgia, Germany, Spain, Austria, India and Greece have a similar tradition, which is to carry the wedding ring on his right hand.
5. Superstition in flowers
A dozen roses? No thanks! In Russia, men never give the same amount of flowers to a woman. It is considered unlucky and is associated with funerals.
6. The largest country by area
Russia is the world’s largest country by area. Its total area is 17,075,400 square kilometers and covers more than a ninth of the Earth’s surface. The land area in Russia is 1.8 times greater than the total size of the United States.
7. Home of many billionaires
Moscow has more billionaires residents than any other city in the world. There are a total of 74 billionaires living in the popular town which is exactly 3 times more than in the second city, New York.
8. The second largest oil producer in the world
From 2012, Russia became the second largest oil producer in the world, producing an average of 9.9 million barrels of oil per day. Saudi Arabia won first place with 10.9 million barrels per day; however, it is estimated that the US will overtake Russia and Saudi Arabia in 2020 to become the largest oil producer in the world (the US is currently in third position).
9. The means of transport faster
The Incredible Moscow subway system is the fastest means of transport. During peak hours, trains run every 90 seconds. It is estimated that more than 9 million passengers travel by subway every day. The St. Petersburg Metro is the deepest in the world, traveling at 100m depth.
10. Superstition shaking hands
The Russians will never hand in a door. Is believed to be a bad omen and most Russians are convinced that if they do end up in discussion.
