Russia is the largest state on the planet in terms of area. Of course, she should have many neighbors. What relations is Russia building with states located directly on its borders? What are the features of its current geopolitical position? Read the answers to these questions in our article. In addition, it lists all the neighboring countries of Russia.
Russia on the world map
Even when viewing the smallest political map of the world, it is impossible not to notice this country. After all, the total area of the Russian Federation is about 17 million km 2 . This is the largest state on our planet today.
Russia is located on the continent of Eurasia. Moreover, most of it lies within Asia (the conditional border between the European and Asian parts of the country passes along the slopes of the Ural Mountains). Although most of the inhabitants of Russia live in Europe.
The territory of the state is more extended from west to east (about 9,000 kilometers) than from north to south (about 4,000 kilometers). The total length of all borders of the Russian Federation is almost 61,000 km.
Let's try to list all the neighboring countries of Russia. By their total number, the Russian Federation also has no equal in the world, which is easily explained by its significant area.
All neighboring countries of Russia and their capitals
The Russian Federation has the longest state border on the continent (60.9 thousand km.). Listed below are all the neighboring countries of Russia. The list of states is geographically divided and includes the names of their capitals.
So, in the west, Russia borders on the states of the Baltic region, Northern and Eastern Europe. It:
- Norway (capital - Oslo).
- Finland (Helsinki).
- Estonia (Tallinn).
- Latvia, Riga).
- Lithuania (Vilnius).
- Poland Warsaw).
- Belarus, Minsk).
- Ukraine, Kiev).
In the south, Russia has common borders with countries such as:
- Georgia (the capital is Tbilisi).
- Azerbaijan, Baku).
- China (Beijing).
- Kazakhstan (Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana)).
- Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar).
Finally, in the east of the Russian Federation it borders with the DPRK (the capital is Pyongyang), as well as with Japan and the USA by sea. The international status of two more neighboring countries of Russia has not yet been determined. It is about Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Interestingly, in two of the above countries, Russian citizens can enter by their internal passport (these are Belarus and Kazakhstan). Without a visa, Russians can travel to Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, China and Mongolia.
Neighboring countries of Russia and territorial disputes
What are the relations of modern Russia with its neighboring countries? First of all, it is worth noting that the position of Russia in relation to neighboring countries is distinguished by one unpleasant and significant problem. This is a whole complex of unresolved territorial disputes and claims.
Among them, it is worth highlighting the South Kuril Islands, which Japan has long been aspiring to. By the way, precisely for this reason, a peace treaty has not been signed between the two states since the end of World War II. The problem with the Crimea, the subject of a dispute between Russia and Ukraine, has also not been resolved.
Significant problems exist in terms of delimiting territorial waters in the Black Sea between the Russian and Georgian sides. Russia and the shelf of the Caspian Sea cannot “share” with its neighbors.
Many unsolved problems remain between Russia and Azerbaijan. In particular, the modern border between the two states shares the habitat of a single Lezgi people.
General features of the geopolitical position of Russia
The geopolitical position of any country is considered, as a rule, taking into account three main factors:
- Physical and geographical.
- Economic.
- Political and military.
The geopolitical position of the Russian Federation has its strengths and vulnerabilities. Of all the neighboring countries, according to many experts, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan comprise the most important range of geopolitical interests of Russia. Therefore, maintaining friendly relations with these states is extremely important.
We should not forget about the importance of the "Islamic" aspect as a possible factor in weakening Russia's position on the world stage. So, for the country it is extremely important not to lose control over the raw materials flows coming from Central Asia and Azerbaijan to the West (through the Urals and Volga region).
In the East Asian sector, there is serious competition between Russia and China for the title of "superpower" in this region (primarily in the economy).
Conclusion
The neighboring countries of Russia are 14 independent states. In addition, the country borders on Japan and the USA by sea. The relations of the Russian Federation with its neighbors are different: with some friendly (Belarus, China, Kazakhstan), with others neutral, and with others openly tense and ambiguous (Georgia, Ukraine, the Baltic countries).
The geopolitical position of Russia is distinguished by both strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, the country has wide accesses to various seas, and also controls almost all traffic flows on the mainland. On the other hand, the vast area of the territory significantly complicates the process of control over an extended state border. In addition, there are hotbeds of political or military tension very close to Russia today.