Russia: Part of Europe or Asia?

[Loafing Smurf]

I remember watching Jeopardy and it said that the coldest recorded temperature in Asia was in Russia. But, some people told me that Russia part of Europe.

So, is Russia part of Asia or Europe?

[ozzy72]

Russia (the former USSR) actually spanned both continents. Russia (the country) is in Europe, Siberia in Asia.
The Ural Mountains are widely acknowledged as the border between the two Continents.


The obvious confusion results from people referring to the former USSR as Russia. It is, and always was, just a single country, albeit the "hub" of the Soviet Union.

So the correct answer to the "Jeopardy" question should have been some place in Siberia, I suspect.
Most game shows, news programs, agencies of all kinds etc usually accepted Russia as meaning the entire USSR.

Hope that's enough info and commentary.  ;D

[Iroquois]

Technically Russia is part of both.  Europe ends and Asia begins at the Uralski Khrebet mountains

[Loafing Smurf]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[ozzy72]

Hmm, I think Orenda is right. If you take a look at an atlas then a small part of Russia is part of Europe, but a large part is Central Asia (although there are a number of breakaway republics now which means maps are out of date as soon as they are in print!), and it stretches to the Sea of Japan (where it holds some islands seized from Imperial Japan during WWII, and it won't give them back!)

Ozzy

[ozzy72]

Ozzy,
Maybe I misunderstand. Is my interpretation in question?
I'm always open to new info and learning, as you know.

I there is something in my post that isn't accepted as fact, let me know.

[ozzy72]

Nah mate, its just the "border" has been moved so many times (whether political or geographical), and there are so many breakaway republics now that no-one seems to know what the heck is going on (barring Chechnya where we all know journalists get shot, and as a former member of HM armed forces I won't post my opinion on that, but most people know how we feel...), and its only just down the road from me so I probably get more info than most and I'm still baffled (and I minored in Geog.!)
As I understand it some of Russia is in Central Asia (but most of it is breakaway republics now, in the South anyways). I'm baffled, and I've been searching on the net and come across about 20 conflicting opinions etc! I think I'll give up and have a cuppa.

Ozzy

[Professor Brensec]

Thanks Mate,

My impression, at least the one I got from school and has been maintained by bits and pieces of info since, is that Russia is a single country, whereas the USSR was a Union of "Republics" (Hah!) that include Russia, Ukraine, Siberia, etc.
There is a border in my atlas (and I understand the questionable nature of the info) that shows Russia (the country) and Siberia (the country) separated at the Urals, which is right on the border of Europe and Asia.
This "continental" border may also be questionable, I know.
I mean, what is a "continental" border anyway. Is there a line showing where North, Central and South America are separated? Without resorting to an atlas (I'm at work and can't....lol)
I think it's just a matter of "there's North America and there's South America and these few countries in that shinny bit that connects them is Central America". Hence the borders of the Continents would be those of the separating countries.
I may be wrong. Maybe there is a "continental" border.

I don't know............and now I don't care........lol

[Professor Brensec]

Found this interesting little tidbit, on the "Asia" webpage.

Most geographers regard Asia as bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the Bering Strait and the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the southwest by the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea. On the west, the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia is drawn at the Ural Mountains, continuing south along the Ural River to the Caspian Sea, then west along the Caucasus Mountains to the Black Sea. Some geographers include Europe and Asia together in a larger Eurasian region, noting that western Asian countries, such as Turkey, merge almost imperceptibly into Europe.

Now everything is as clear as mud.  ;D

[katana_1000]

well,SIberia is just a land mass,technicly its not a country.Russia spans from Eastern Europe to the bering strait.ITS IN BOTH CONTINENTS.If we do consider SIberia a countyr different from Russia,im still russian,and euro.

[Professor Brensec]

Interesting Katana, I always thought that Siberia was a country, as such.
But I will defer to someone who would obviously know.  ;D

[Ivan]

The geographical entity Siberia is part of the country Russia.

the other countries of the former USSR are:
GOS members (AFAIK)
Russia
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Kirgystan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Moldavia
Georgia
Armenia
Azerbaijan(or however you spell that)

non-gos members
Litauhania
Estonia
Latvia

[Professor Brensec]

Thanks for the lesson Ivan. I have always prided myself on my geographical knowledge. However, the day I can't be put right on something, will be a sad day for me.

Thanks mate (and others).  ;)

[Iroquois]

Hmm, I think Orenda is right. If you take a look at an atlas then a small part of Russia is part of Europe, but a large part is Central Asia (although there are a number of breakaway republics now which means maps are out of date as soon as they are in print!), and it stretches to the Sea of Japan (where it holds some islands seized from Imperial Japan during WWII, and it won't give them back!)

Ozzy

The information I found was in an Atlas from 1966. I should also note that Europe is a peninsila of Asia, meaning that it is technically part of Asia. The two continents were probably separated due to cultural and geographical differences.