The Russian Federation is a vast transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the world's largest country by area, covering 17.1 million square kilometers and extending across eleven time zones. The nation is highly urbanized, with Moscow serving as its capital and largest city, and Saint Petersburg acting as a major cultural center. Geographically, its immense size and diverse climate zones have historically shaped its role as a crossroads of civilizations, connecting European and Asian cultures.