Russia, the worlds largest nation, borders European and Asian countries as well as the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Its landscape ranges from tundra and forests to subtropical beaches. Its famous for Moscow's Bolshoi and St. Petersburg's Mariinsky ballet companies. St. Petersburg, founded by Russian leader Peter the Great, has the baroque Winter Palace, now housing part of the State Hermitage Museums art collection.
On top of that, Russia is blessed with natural resources. It is the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in the world. Russia is a leader in the exports of metals such as Copper, Nickel, Gold, Cadmium and Aluminium. It is one of the top producers of diamond and coal. It is also one of the world leaders in the iron and steel industry.