Currently, there are about a thousand cities on the territory of the world's largest state. All of them differ from each other in terms of population and area.
Chekalin is considered the smallest city in the Suvorovsky district of the Tula region. It was formed at the end of the nineteenth century. According to 2010 data, 994 people live in it.
And what is the largest city in Russia? If the population is taken into account when compiling the rating, then in the first place, of course, is the capital of the state.
Moscow
This densely populated metropolis is home to a huge number of people. It has a much larger population than some European countries. For example, there are twice as many Muscovites as Finnish and Norwegians combined, and about the same number as Belgians and Czechs.
The number of the largest cities in Russia is simply amazing. For example, fifteen million people live in Moscow (the same number as in all of Kazakhstan). According to experts, 10 million citizens can boast of a residence permit in the capital, another 1 million have temporary registration. And whatwhat about the remaining four million? These are labor migrants, students, foreigners and illegal immigrants.
A continuous flow of people from other regions is striving to Moscow in search of a decent income. Indeed, the largest city in Russia provides opportunities for rapid career growth.
St. Petersburg
The list of the largest cities in Russia is supplemented by the Northern capital. Five million people live in the cultural center of the country, with the five millionth inhabitant born in 2012, in September. St. Petersburg ranks fourth among the largest European cities. Almost 100% of its population are Russians (by the way, in Moscow there are 90% of representatives of this nationality).
Other largest cities in Russia
2013 was marked by the compilation of an updated rating of large settlements in the Russian Federation. The third place in this list is occupied by Novosibirsk. Just over a hundred years ago, this city was not on the map of the country. It is currently home to one and a half million people. Novosibirsk is called a real champion in the transformation from a small town into a metropolis. Initially, the city was called Novonikolaevsk. It is characterized by a multinational composition of the population. So, at present, representatives of more than eighty different nationalities live in Novosibirsk - these are Germans, and Tatars, and Poles, and Kazakhs, and Finns, and Koreans.
Yekaterinburg
To the list of 10 largest citiesRussia” is rightfully included and Yekaterinburg. By the way, it has every chance to rise one line higher, since in 2012 one million four hundred thousand people already lived there. So the capital of the Urals may soon switch places with Novosibirsk.
The city attracts many tourists with its interesting location right on the border of Asia and Europe. From 1924 to 1991 it was called Sverdlovsk. Almost ninety percent of Yekaterinburg residents are Russians. In addition, the city is inhabited by Tatars, Ukrainians, Bashkirs, Azerbaijanis, Tajiks, Armenians. A small percentage are Belarusians, Chuvashs, Jews, Uzbeks and Udmurts.
Nizhny Novgorod
The top five of the rating "The largest city in Russia" closes Nizhny Novgorod with 1.3 million people. The administrative center of the Nizhny Novgorod Region is the largest in the Volga Federal District.
Other million-plus cities include Volgograd, Ufa, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Chelyabinsk, Kazan and Samara.
Still recently, Perm was in their ranks, but at present, unfortunately, its population is declining.
Territorial rating
You may be surprised, but the largest city in Russia by area is not Moscow. This proud title is held by the city of Zapolyarny, in the Murmansk region. Less than twenty thousand people live in the town, located on the Kola Peninsula, but its territory is many times larger than the capital. The area of Zapolyarny is 4620 square kilometers. It is followed by Norilsk with 4410 sq. km. How are they explainedunexpected positions? Everything, it turns out, is simple: both Zapolyarny and Norilsk are major centers of metallurgical production. The lion's share of their territories is occupied by deposits of the most valuable natural resources. They are also included in the city limits.
Sochi is in third place in the ranking - another record holder. The area of this resort town is 3605 sq. km. In addition, it is the longest city in Russia. It stretches for one hundred and forty-five kilometers along the Black Sea coast. The lion's share of this distance is sandy beaches - one hundred and eighteen kilometers. The resort capital is represented by Khostinsky, Central, Lazarevsky and Adlerovsky districts.
Fourth place among the territorial giants until 2012 was St. Petersburg with an area of 1432 km2. sq. Everything changed when the territory of Moscow was replenished with lands beyond the Moscow Ring Road. Now the capital boasts an area of 2510 square kilometers. On July 1, 2012, the metropolis grew by 148,000 hectares. The capital has increased by almost two and a half times and took on the balance of twenty-one municipalities.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question of what is the largest city in Russia. It all depends on the parameter that is taken as a basis, whether it is the number of inhabitants, area, length, etc. One thing is for sure: every settlement, large or small, plays its role in the development of the country, and therefore deserves a respectful attitude.
