Russia – territory, time zones and population distribution
GeographyRegions & CountriesAges 16–17
Use it with your class: students open it from a link or a QR code, with no account needed.
Next in Regions & Countries
A hand-drawn map of the Russian Federation splits the country into four territorial parts from west to east: the European part, the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, with a meridian grid and simplified boundaries of the 11 legal time zones (UTC+2 to UTC+12). Click a part to see its area, population, population density, average January temperature and main resources; change the year between 1991, 2000, 2010 and 2021 to watch the national population fall then level off while GDP swings with oil and gas prices. Students discover the paradox that the European part covers barely a quarter of the territory yet holds about three-quarters of the population.
Lesson: Geographic location, natural conditions, population, society and economy of the Russian Federation
What it shows
Russia is the largest country on Earth, stretching about 9,000 km from west to east across 11 time zones. The map splits it into four parts, the European part, the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, to compare area, population, density, January temperature and economic role. The comparison shows a strong west–east contrast: most people live in the milder European part, while Siberia and the Far East are vast, cold and rich in oil, gas, metals and timber, yet sparsely populated. National data for 1991–2021 show population decline after the Soviet Union collapsed and GDP that follows energy prices.
How to use
Choose the Physical layer and click each part of the territory to compare its area and average January temperature from west to east. Switch to the Population layer and compare each part's share of the people with its share of the area. Turn on the meridian grid and time zones to count the 11 legal time zones from west to east and notice that their boundaries follow administrative borders rather than meridians. Finally, press Run or change the year to follow national population and GDP from 1991 to 2021.
Parameters you can change
- Data layer Physical – territory area, Population – number of people, Economy – share of national GDP
- Year for national data Year 1991, Year 2000, Year 2010, Year 2021
- Selected part of the territory View whole country, European part, Ural region, Siberia region, Far East region
- Show meridian grid and time zones
- Show major cities
Questions to explore
- Why do most of Russia's people live in the European part, even though Siberia is much larger?
- How does the average January temperature change from the European part to the Far East, and why?
- How did national population and GDP change between 1991 and 2021, and why did they follow different paths?
