Essay Example on Exploring Russia: A 21st Century Journey

The 21st century has brought about developments that have increasingly promoted connectivity among people. One can quickly obtain a detailed view of different cultures from the comfort of a smartphone. I have always been fascinated with exploiting foreign and new countries and thus appreciate the chance to work at our Russian office. It caught me by surprise but after doing thorough research on various aspects that the country has to offer, am now comfortable of settling in and working in Russia.

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Russia occupies much of Northern Asia and easternmost Europe. It stretches from Norway to the Pacific Ocean and from Norway to the Pacific Ocean (Blinnikov, 1-2). The area of Russia is around the area of 17,075,200 square kilometers and is thus considered the largest country in the world. It borders several countries, including China, Belarus, Finland and Turkey, to name a few. The topography of Eastern Russia is mainly of broad plain with hills that are west of Ural Mountains. Thu Urals are usually considered as the boundary that separates Asian and European Russia and is found from Arctic Island to Kazakhstan border. The Amur River valley defines the border to China. Around 45% of the country is forested rivers, and 10% is swampland. For six months, most of the Russian land is filled with snow, and the weather is unpredictable. Russia also possesses natural resources including oil and gas deposits (Blinnikov, 5-6).

Russia has over 160 diverse ethnic groups and other indigenous people. This ethnic diversity spans from Ethnic Russians who practice Slavic Orthodox ways, Bashkirs and Tatars who follow Turkish muslin traditions. Ethnic culture wear includes kaftan and ushanka for males and kokosnik for females. Russian cuisine utilizes mostly fish, poultry, caviar, honey and berries. Crops such as wheat millet and barley provide ingredients used in pancakes, breads, vodka and beer drinks. Russians possess many traditions, including `banya` which is a steam bath that resembles a sauna. The official language is Russian (Roshwald, 14- 23).

Russian Orthodoxy is the official religion, and it enjoys a favorable relationship with the government with an estimated number of 75 million Russians who follow the faith although less than a half of this population are looked upon as being active worshipers. Islam is the fastest-growing religion with a significant number of Catholics and Jehovah`s Witness. Religious activity increased after the fall of communist rule (Knox, 20-22)

Soil and climatic factors have had a negative influence on Russia's potential in Agriculture, with 32% of the land being suitable for agriculture. Other factors such as over farming and use of excess chemicals have further depleted Russia's potential. The largest crop grown is grain which occupies more than 50% of the land that is cultivated. Other vital crops are sunflower see, vegetables and sugar beets. Main livestock products include eggs, pork, beef and veal (Roshwald, 17).

Russia is blessed with many natural resources which are located a distance away from processing industries. Russia possesses almost 6% of all oil deposits in the world and a third of natural gas. There are also rich deposits composed of valuable metals like phosphate and diamonds (Blinnikov, 4-5).

Having completed my thorough research on the country, I am confident that I will be able to thrive in the Russian environment and culture. There is significant potential for the business to grow even further and I will be adequately prepared for any obstacles that may come my way.

References

Blinnikov, Mikhail S. A Geography of Russia and its Neighbors. Guilford Press, 2011.Roshwald, Aviel. Ethnic Nationalism and the Fall of Empires: Central Europe, the Middle East and Russia, 1914-23. Routledge, 2002.

Knox, Zoe. Russian society and the Orthodox church: Religion in Russia after communism. Routledge, 2004.