Facts about Russia

1. World’s Longest Railway

The Trans-Siberian Railway spans almost all the way across the county, making it the single longest railway in the world. The 9200 kilometer (or 5700 mile) railway departs in moscow (located in European Russia) and crosses into Asia. It then makes its way to the Pacific Ocean port of Vladivostok where it reaches the end of its incredible journey. The entire journey non-stop will take you 152 hours and 27 minutes to complete.

2. World’s Largest McDonalds

If you’re a fan of the famous golden arches, Russia is the place to go. The country is home to the largest McDonalds restaurant in the world. With 700 seats. A larger building, seating 1,500, was constructed for the 2012 Olympics in London, England but it was a temporary location and was dissembled six weeks after the doors opened (once the Olympics had come to an end).

3. Flower Superstition

A dozen roses? No thanks! In Russia, men never give an even amount of flowers to a women. It is considered bad luck and is associated with funerals.

4. Largest Country by Area

Russia is the largest country in the world by area. It’s total area is 17,075,400 square kilometers and it covers more than a ninth of the Earth’s land area. The area of the land in Russia is 1.8 times larger than the total size of the United States.

5. Home to Many Billionaires

Moscow has more billionaire residents than any other city in the world. There are a total of 74 billionaires living in the popular city, which is exactly 3 more than the second-place city, New York.

6. Second-Largest Oil Producer in the World

As of 2012, Russia is second largest producer of oil in the world, producing an average of 9,900,000 barrels of crude per day. Saudi Arabia landed the top position with 10,900,000 barrels per day, however, it is estimated that the US will surpass both Russa and Saudi Arabia by 2020 to become the world’s largest oil producer (the US is currently in third position).

7. Fastest Means of Transportation

Moscow’s amazing metro system is the fastest means of transport. During rush hour, trains are scheduled for every 90 seconds. It is estimated that over 9 million passengers ride the Meto every day. The Metro of St. Petersburg is also the deepest subway in the world, clocking in at a whopping 100m deep.

8. Shaking Hand Superstition

Russian’s will never shake hands over a doorway. It is believed to be a bad omen and most Russians are convinced the action will lead to an argument.

9. Women vs. Men

There are approximately 10 million more women in Russia than there are men. The imbalance was initially believed to the result of so many men dying during World War II.