Why Russia Is a Eurasian Nation

Russia straddles the Ural Mountains—the conventional Europe/Asia divide. 77% of its land (13M km²) lies in Asia (Siberia, Far East); 23% in Europe (west of Urals), but 75% of its 146M people live on the European side.

This split shapes everything: European-style cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg) vs. Asian resource frontiers (Norilsk, Yakutsk). History: Kievan Rus' (European roots) → Muscovy → expansion east to Pacific (1639). Culture: Orthodox Christianity, Cyrillic, ballet (Europe); throat singing, shamanism, yurts (Asia). Geopolitics: EU neighbor, CSTO/SCO member, APEC participant, Arctic Council chair.

Russia doesn't choose a continent—it is the bridge.