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History of Australia

The history of Australia dates back to 40,000 years when aborigine settlers from Southeast Asia landed on the continent. These hunting-gathering people led a nomadic life and their technical culture was quite primitive. They spoke several languages and were divided into a number of confederacies.

Though many European explorers knew about Australia's presence, there were no formal claims for territorial possession of the continent. It was only in 1770 AD when Captain Cook and his crew landed on the east coast of Australia and formally claimed it for Great Britain. 17 years later, a fleet of 11 ships referred to as the “First Fleet” landed in Australia. Loaded with food supplies, live animals, seed, soldiers, and convicts (both male and female) from Britain, the arrival of this fleet under the captaincy of Arthur Phillip signaled the colonization of Australia. So the history of Australia points out that a majority of the first settlers in the continent were convicts from Britain, some of who were sent there for very trivial offences.

By the middle of the 19 th century, six colonies were created in Australia. Initially, these colonies were directly under the British crown. But with the passage of time, these colonies started managing their own affairs even though they maintained their allegiance to the crown. An event that played a very important role in the history of Australia is the gold rush of the 1850's that brought in many immigrants from countries like Great Britain, North America, China and Ireland.

Later in 1901, these colonies were federated to make up the Commonwealth of Australia under the British dominion. The ACT or the Australian Capital Territory was formed in 1911 and it proposed the establishment of a new capital for Australia, namely Canberra. It must also be mentioned here that Melbourne functioned as the capital of the Commonwealth of Australia from 1901 to 1927. Owing to the rich presence of natural resources, the country was able to made big strides in agricultural and industrial development.

Australia shot into international limelight after World War II when it started participating actively in world affairs. It also had a role to play in the Far Eastern Commission in Japan and the Indonesian struggle for independence. It was also one of the founders of the United Nations as well as the South Pacific Commission. Australia was also among the first countries to contribute to the UN forces in Korea after the signing of the ANZUS defence treaty in 1951 with the US and New Zealand. One of the major events in the history of Australia was the snapping of constitutional ties between Australia and Great Britain with the passing of the Australia Act in 1986.

Due to the economic reforms of the 1980's, Australia became of the fastest growing economies in the 1990's. Today it is a major player in world affairs and continues to make further progress with the passage with the passage of time.

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Australia Language

AsiaRooms offers detailed information on Australia language related topics and other facts. A melting pot for varied cultures, races and faiths, Australia is home to an estimated population of 20.6 million people. Therefore, one can easily conclude that the languages of Australia are quite varied and have been brought to the continent by settlers who came here from all parts of the globe at different points of time.

The national language of Australia is English, though it is spoken as well as written in a distinct manner that differentiates it from the English spoken in other countries. It is popularly known as “Australian English”. For around 80% of the population of Australia, English is the mode of communication. Even settlers from non-English speaking countries in Australia have adopted the Australian English as their language for communication even at home.

Due to the presence of a huge Chinese population in Australia, the Chinese language is the second most common language spoken in Australia. To be very precise, around 2.1% of the Australian population speaks Chinese (2001 census). Other common languages of Australia are Italian and Greek that are spoken by 1.9% and 1.4% of Australia's population respectively.

Speaking of the indigenous languages of Australia, there were around 200 – 300 aborigine languages spoken in Australia before the arrival of the European settlers. Now only 70 of these languages survive and around 50 of them are endangered. A common indigenous language is now spoken by 0.25% of Australia's population.

Australia has also adopted a sign language known as Auslan, which is used by around 6,500 deaf people in the continent. Moreover, a big chunk of the first and second-generation settlers of Australia are bilingual.

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Population of Australia

AsiaRooms offers detailed information on Australia population related facts about Australia to give you a general idea about the demography of the continent. A melting pot for varied cultures, races and faiths, Australia is home to an estimated population of 20.6 million people. Most of the present populace of Australia are descendants of the 19 th and 20 th century settlers from countries like Britain and Ireland who made Australia their home.

Before its abolition in 1973, the White Australia policy restricted non-white immigration. It mainly promoted the immigration of whites from European countries. However, after the abolition, Australia is trying to encourage multiculturalism and promote racial harmony among its populace.

When we speak about the population of Australia, due mention must be made of its indigenous population, namely the aborigines who are descendents of the South East Asian settlers who landed on the continent some 40,000 to 45,000 years ago. They constitute 2.2% of the total population of Australia, going by the statistics of 2001. This group however suffers from very high rates of unemployment and imprisonment. Besides, the indigenous population of Australia also has limited access to education and the life expectancy level for this group is also very low.

A huge segment of the Australian population consists of retirees and senior citizens. Moreover, a good number of Australians live outside their home country, which in turn results in a depleted working force. Therefore, Australia has a very active immigration program that looks to increase the population growth and bring in skilled labor from other countries of the world, especially the developing countries.

When it comes to Australia population facts, it must be noted that five of the largest groups of Australian born overseas are from the five countries of UK, China, Italy, New Zealand and Vietnam.

AsiaRooms offers detailed information on facts about Australia. Be it Australia population facts, history or geography, you can always get in touch with us as you prepare yourself for travel to Australia.

AsiaRooms offers online information on Australia population and related facts. For details, please fill up the form given below. 

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Australia Climate

Australia lies in the Southern Hemisphere and the seasons here occur at different times of the year than in Europe. November - March are considered summer months while winter falls in May and lasts through August. However Australia climate is not uniform in every part of the country. For example New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland experience almost scorching summers and pleasant chilly winters while Victoria and Tasmania endure extremely cold conditions during the winter months.

It is also mention worthy that Australia is an island and hence there is an extreme variation between the pleasant, coastal weather and harsh, inland climatic conditions. The precipitation of Australia is extremely low when compared to other continents and landmasses. The average rainfall is about 16 ½ inches per year. Thus, the dry climate in most of the country especially the northern region leads to droughts, heat waves and resultant wildfires. Such forest fires are a major cause of concern in Australia. The Eucalyptus leaves ignite due to the unbearable temperatures and dry winds causing these hazardous phenomena. Different winds crisscross the various regions of Australia. While northern and western Australia is hit by the water-laden easterlies in summer and often faces cyclonic storms and hurricanes moving in from the coast, winter months in these areas are rather dry. Then again the east moving anticyclones that blow across central Australia bring no rain or relief to these arid parts. Also every five years the heavy moisture laden winds empty their load into the Pacific Ocean instead of Australia, which undergoes a year of drought and dryness.

Thus Australian climate may be classified as arid or semi arid in general. The northern parts are more tropical while the south and east enjoy moderate weather. The landform of Australia too is a low plateau with a fertile plain to the southeastern tip. The lack of a high mountain range etc. also hinders the prospect of a heavy rainfall.

The average summer temperature in Australia is about 84 degrees F or 29 degrees C. Similarly the average winter temperature ranges around 56 degrees F or 13 degrees C. 

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Languages in Germany

Germany is a country located in the Western Central part of Europe. Germany enjoys the status of being the world’s third largest economy. The people in Germany speak a variety of languages. Each state, each province has its different dialect and also often, they are completely different from each other.

The official language of Germany is of course Germany itself and over 95% of the people living in Germany use it as their first language. Other popularly spoken languages are Sorbian, North Frisian, Danish, Romani, Kurdish and Turkish.

Some details about the languages spoken in Germany:

• The German language as spoken today is a mix of various dialects, culled from central, southern and northern districts. The Germans often speak the standard language with the accent that is typical of his native district. 
  
  
• The Danish language is mostly spoken in the Northern parts of the Germany. Though spoken mainly in Denmark, it is also the tongue of many people living in Schleswig Holstein. Also, it is one of the official languages of the European Union.
  
  
• The North Frisian language, spoken by the minority in North Frisia, has two dialectical divisions - the dialect of the mainland and the dialect of the insular districts.
  
  
• More than two million Turkish-speaking people live in Germany. The language originates in Turkey and had been carried to Germany by the immigrants.
  
  
• Kurdish language is an Iranian language and belongs to a place called Kurdistan. There are only a few people in Germany who speak this language.
  
  
• The Sorbian language is the native language of the Sorbs. There are again two varieties of Sorbian language: the Upper Sorbian and the Lower Sorbian. The people in Saxony mostly speak the Upper Sorbian.
  
  
• Romani is often referred to as the language of the Gypsies and consequently the speakers of this language widespread and stateless. There are a very few people in Germany belonging to this tribe who use this language

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Religion in Germany

Religion and its practice form an imporant part of the German Constitution. According to the Constitution of Germany, freedom of faith and religion is guaranteed to every individual. Discrimination based on difference of religious opinion is prohibited by the Constitution.

Germany’s main religion is Christianity, dominated by the two strands of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

Roman Catholicism came into Germany through the work of St Boniface. It made a lot of converts and, aided by the Knights of the Teutonic Order, spread rapidly in the twelfth and thirteenth century.

In 1517, Martin Luther protested papal authority and brought about a revolution in the Church by his proclamations. Thus Protestantism came into the world under the leadership of Martin Luther and became the second major religion in Germany.

In the present time, about 68 per cent of the population of Germany is Christian, with the population of Roman Catholics and Protestants evenly divided.

There are several large and small Christian sects in Germany also. There are some hundred thousand Orthodox Christians who are mostly Serb and Greek immigrants. Almost four lakh of New Apostolic Christians form part of the Christian population of Germany. Besides these, there are smaller Christian sects also.

Germany also has a minority population of Muslims who form the largest minority religious group in the country. There is a 3.2 per cent minority population of Muslims in Germany, according to the US Department of State’s report of 2006.

Following Islam in Germany are the minority religious communities of Buddhism and Judaism, each with 0.25 per cent of followers. Germany’s Jewish population is the third largest among that of the European countries. The population of minority Jews and Muslims is mostly concentrated in the big cities of Germany like Berlin.

An interesting fact about religion in Germany is that of the seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship existing in the world, Germany is home to one of these Houses of Worship. Germany’s only Bahá'í House of Worship is at the foothills of the Taunus Mountains in the village of Langenhain near Frankfurt.

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The German economy

The German economy--the fifth-largest in the world in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms and Europe's largest--is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force. Like its Western European neighbors, Germany faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and declining net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and have compelled the government to undertake structural reforms. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy--where unemployment can exceed 20% in some municipalities--continues to be a costly long-term process, with total transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $3 trillion so far. GDP contracted by nearly 5% in 2009, which was the steepest dropoff in output since World War II. The turnaround has been swift: Germany’s export-dependent economy is expected to grow by 3.5% in 2010 and a further 2% in 2011, with exports to emerging markets playing an increasingly important role. The German labor market also showed a strong performance in 2010, with the unemployment rate dropping to 7.5%, its lowest level in 17 years. Economists attribute the decrease in unemployment to the extensive use of government-sponsored "short-time" (Kurzarbeit) work programs, as well as to structural reforms implemented under the government of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Thanks to stronger-than-expected tax revenues, Germany’s deficit will reach €50 billion (U.S. $68.5 billion) in 2010, or roughly 4% of GDP, significantly less than previously forecast. The European Union (EU) has given Germany until 2013 to get its consolidated budget deficit below 3% of GDP, and a new constitutional amendment limits the federal government to structural deficits of no more than 0.35% of GDP per annum as of 2016. The government’s 4-year fiscal consolidation program worth approximately €80 billion (U.S. $109.6 billion) is intended to meet both targets. Positive economic trends make it likely that Germany may achieve its goals ahead of schedule. GDP (2009 nom.): $3.339 trillion. Annual growth rate: (2010 est.) 3.5%; (2009) -4.7%; (2008) 1.7%. Per capita GDP (2009 nom.): $44,525. Inflation rate (September 2010): 1.3%. Unemployment rate (October 2010): 7.5%. Agriculture (0.9% of GDP in 2010): Products--corn, wheat, potatoes, sugar, beets, barley, hops, viticulture, forestry, fisheries. Industry (26.8% of GDP in 2010): Types--car-making; mechanical, electrical, and precision engineering; chemicals; environmental technology; optics; medical technology; biotech and genetic engineering; nanotechnology; aerospace; logistics. Trade (2009): Exports--$1.124 trillion: chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel products, manufactured goods, electrical products. Major markets (2009)--France, Netherlands, U.S. Imports--$937 billion: food, petroleum products, manufactured goods, electrical products, motor vehicles, apparel. Major suppliers--Netherlands, China, France.

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Climate and Weather in Germany

The weather in Germany is not as stable and predictable as it is in southern Africa. Low and high pressure systems change much quicker, due to the fact that Germany is influenced by dry continental air masses from Eastern Europe and by maritime air masses from the Atlantic. This, generally, leads to a moderate climate with good rains throughout the year. Extreme temperature lows and highs are rare. The weather varies from year to year, so rainy summers can be followed by spectacular sunshine in the next year.

Spring

April - May. In April, the weather is most unpredictable in Germany. It can be sunny and warm or rainy, windy and cold. Even hail or snowshowers are possible, especially at the higher elevations. "April, April, der macht, was er will!" goes the saying. May is usually a beautiful month as plantlife starts again and the country turns green. The days get longer and you can smell spring in the air. It can be a rather mild and warm month with little precipitation. People swing onto their bicycles and enjoy the singing of the birds and the awakening of nature.

Summer

June - September. Precipitation in Germany peaks in the summer months. Humidity levels can be high and there is always a chance of an afternoon thunderstorm, especially during July and August. Summer temperatures usually range between 22 and 30°C. Prolonged heat waves with temperatures up to 35°C are rare. It is - usually - warmer in southern Germany. The particularly pleasant climate in the Rhine and Moselle regions allows for successful cultivation of vine.

Autumn

October - November. In October, weather can still be sunny and warm. People are sitting in the beer gardens and street cafés, enjoying the "Altweibersommer" (Indian summer). In November, however, the scene changes. Days are getting noticeably shorter, and even in the midday hours the distinction between sky and land becomes difficult. It usually is misty, foggy and cool, uniformly grey - a time to appreciate a cozy home and start engaging in pre-Christmas crafts and light some candles.

Winter

December - March. Winters are rather mild with daytime temperatures averaging between 0 and 5°C. However, temperatures can fall far below zero, especially at night. It is - usually - colder in eastern and southern Germany and warmer in the North and in the Rhine regions. Snowfall normally occurs in December, January and February. The amount of snowfall is influenced mainly by altitude. Apart from the Alpine regions, the Bavarian Forest receives the most snow.

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History Of Germany

Germany as a region

Although less clearly defined by geography than the other natural territories of western Europe (such as Italy, the Spanish peninsula, France or Britain), the area broadly identified as Germany has clear boundaries on three sides - the Baltic to the north, the Rhine to the west, the Alps or the Danube to the south. Only to the east is there no natural border (a fact which has caused much strife and confusion in European history). 

The region becomes associated with the name Germany in the 1st century BC, when the conquest of Gaul makes the Romans aware for the first time that there is an ethnic and linguistic distinction between the Celts (or Gauls) and their aggressive neighbours, the Germans. 

 

Celts, Germans and Romans: 2nd - 1st century BC

The Celts themselves, in earlier centuries, have moved westwards from Germany, crossing the Rhine into France and pushing ahead of them the previous neolithic inhabitants of these regions. More recently the Celts have been subjected to the same westward pressure from various Germanic tribes. The intruders are identified as a group by their closely related languages, defined as the Germanic or Teutonic subdivision of Indo-European language. 

From the 2nd century BC the Germans exert increasing pressure on the Roman empire. The reign of Augustus Caesar sees a trial of strength between the empire and the tribes, leading to an uneasy balance of power. 

 

 The region in which Augustus makes the most effort to extend the empire is beyond the Alps into Germany. By 14 BC the German tribes are subdued up to the Danube. In the next five years Roman legions push forward to the Elbe. But this further border proves impossible to hold. In AD 9 Arminius, a German chieftain of great military skill, destroys three Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest. 

The Romans pull back (though they return briefly to avenge what seems a shameful defeat). The conclusion, bequeathed by Augustus to his successors, is that the Roman empire has some natural boundaries; to the north these are the Rhine and the Danube. 

 

German and Roman Europe: from the 5th century AD

The Germanic tribes continue to raid, often deep into the empire. But their base remains north of the Rhine and Danube until the 5th century - when the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Burgundians and Franks move in vast migrations through Italy, France and Spain. 

Their presence becomes part of the history of these regions. France and Spain - prosperous and stable parts of the Roman empire - have becomes almost as Romanized as Italy itself. Culturally they are strong enough to absorb their new Germanic masters, as is revealed by the boundary line of Europe's languages. French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian are known as the Romance languages because they share a Roman, or Latin, origin. 

 

Northern Europe, by contrast, speaks Germanic languages. Scandinavia does so because it is the region from which the German tribes migrate southwards. Britain does so because tribes invading from the 5th century (Angles and Saxons) are able to dominate a culture less fully Romanized than Gaul. And Germany, with the Netherlands, does so because here the tribes are relatively unaffected by Roman influence - secure in a region which Tacitus describes as 'covered either by bristling forests or by foul swamps'. 

By the same token the tribes in the German heartland are backward. For the first few centuries of the post-Roman era they are no match for the more sophisticated Franks, who have established themselves in Gaul.

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Social Stratification in Russia

For centuries, the aristocratic and merchant classes were nearly castelike, with endogamous marriage, a strict social hierarchy, and highly codified behaviors. Peasants and serfs constituted a largely impoverished rural population. After emancipation in 1861, as Russia developed slowly along capitalist lines, peasants migrated to factories in urban areas, where they formed an impoverished industrial working class. Strikes and protests and the radicalization of the intelligentsia led to the revolution of 1905, which prompted limited constitutional and social reform along with a reactionary crackdown on political opposition.

Widespread destitution, the ravages of World War I, and ineffective political leadership set the stage for the revolutionary activity of February 1917 in which the government was overthrown; this was followed by the political revolution of October 1917, in which the Bolsheviks took power and introduced communist ideology and social transformation. In the civil war of 1917–1921 and under Stalin in the 1930s, aristocrats, merchants, and well-off peasants were killed, imprisoned, exiled, or forced to emigrate and their property was confiscated.

The Soviet Union was supposed to be ruled by councils (Soviets) formed from the working masses. The creation of social and economic equality was the goal of early communist ideologues. However, Soviet society evolved into a class-stratified and class-conscious state where communist elites and some professionals had special access to goods, services, and housing. Bureaucratic workers and shop clerks used their control of services or goods to benefit themselves through a set of practices known as blat. However, education, health care, and other social services were available to all.

Although they had special privileges, most Communist Party officials did not accrue wealth. Postsocialist privatization has allowed many of them to build large fortunes, by parlaying their political status into direct ownership of state resources and industries. A new entrepreneurial class has developed, some of whose members have become fabulously wealthy. More slowly, a middle class is emerging in the cities, formed of intellectuals newly employed in business ventures and midlevel management and service personnel. Most of the population is impoverished, because of industrial collapse, inflation, financial crises, and privatization structures that benefit only the powerful. In 2000, 37 percent of the population lived below the minimum subsistence level of $34 per month. In some regions of Siberia and the Far East, the provision of critical services such as heating, fuel, and water has collapsed. Coal miners and industrial workers have faced severe shortages of critical supplies such as soap, long-term wage arrears, and the collapse of medical clinics and schools

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Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space of Russia

In 1851, 92 percent of the population lived in rural villages, and at the time of the 1917 revolution, the population was more than 80 percent rural. The Soviet period brought movement to the cities as people tried to escape the harsh conditions on state-run collective farms. More than half of the rural population today is over age 65, because young people continue to migrate to the cities. Although there are still tens of thousands of small villages, many are disappearing as people die or depart.


By 1996, 73 percent of the population was urban, with most people living in high-rise apartment blocks constructed after the 1950s. Much of the urban population retains strong material and psychological ties to the countryside. Many people own modest dachas within an hour or two of their apartments and on weekends or in the summer work in their gardens, hike, hunt or gather in the forests, and bathe in lakes and rivers. Many other people retain ties to their natal villages or those of their parents or grandparents.
The largest cities are Moscow, nine million people; Saint Petersburg, nearly five million, Nizhnii Novgorod and Novosibirsk, 1.4 million each; Yekaterinburg, 1.3 million; and Samara, 1.2 million. After the end of the communist era, many places were rededicated with their prerevolutionary names.
Cities such as Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, and Yaroslavl grew around the old fortresses (kremlins) and monasteries that formed their centers and near the gates where artisans and traders peddled their goods. The old cities reflect their complex and often violent histories through the coexistence of multiple styles. In the European regions, Byzantine churches from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries stand in the shadows of modernist high-rises, with Renaissance, Baroque, or Neoclassical architecture nearby. These variegated cityscapes may be covered with grime, reflecting the proximity of industrial enterprises and the lack of funds for maintenance. In the wealthiest city centers, the post-Soviet years have brought varying degrees of urban revitalization.
Other cities were built almost from scratch and reflect a passion for grandiose urban planning. Saint Petersburg was built to secure access to the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. Catherine the Great saw to it that Petersburg became a European city, with streets, avenues, and plazas, designed in an elegant Venetian style. In the Soviet era, ambitious building projects led to the founding and construction of industrial cities such as Magnitogorsk, Russia's "Steeltown," in the 1930s.
The central parts of most cities have important governmental, commercial, and religious buildings. Intermingled with these edifices are multistoried nineteenth-century town houses now used for commercial purposes or housing, and neighborhoods of walk-up apartment blocks. Farther out from the center stand rows of white apartment towers dating from the 1960s. Reaching from ten to thirty stories, these mammoth buildings house the majority of the population in small apartments. Although they are often distant from city centers and industrial areas, these apartments have provided privacy and security to millions of families. They are spacious compared to the barracks or communal apartments in which many families lived until the 1950s. Almost all the cities share this general layout, although some have avoided the fires and demolition campaigns that destroyed millions of traditional wooden structures in the past.
A modern grandiosity characterizes the state buildings constructed in Soviet cities from the 1930s to the 1950s. As the capital, Moscow was virtually transformed, but other cities were also reshaped by Stalinist architectural projects, which juxtaposed monumentalist neoclassicism with revolutionary modernism and industrial futurism. In the 1930s, subway systems were constructed beneath the largest cities, including the vast Moscow Metro.
Immensity in architecture and wide boulevards and plazas often result in inhospitable urban spaces. In the Soviet period, many amenities were unavailable or overburdened. Commercial venues were organized in a top down fashion through state planning, and shopping was a challenge. Some goods and services were located in distant neighborhoods, although day care centers and schools were always close. The commercial privatization of the post-Soviet years has brought new stores, restaurants, and cafés that offer a variety of food and manufactured goods. This has occurred to a lesser extent in provincial towns and villages, many of which have experienced a decline in public services.
An important element of urban life are the enormous public parks and forested areas within or adjacent to city boundaries. The result of this prerevolutionary and Soviet urban planning remains a source of pleasure and recreation. People spend hours strolling or sitting on benches to talk, smoke, play chess, or read. Smaller urban parks sometimes center on a statue of a writer or political leader; ten years after the end of communist rule, statues of Lenin still anchor parks and plazas. Statues often serve as meeting places, and a park may have a special identity as the gathering place for a subcultural group such as hippies, punks, gays, or literati.
The huge public plazas in many cities have been central to political life for centuries. Moscow's Red Square and Manezh are historically significant spaces used for government ritual, revolutionary protest, parades, concerts, holiday celebrations, and state funerals.
Until recently, when new wealth has allowed a small proportion of the population to build private homes and mansions on urban fringes, domestic existence has meant living in small apartments. Because of limited space, the largest room serves as living room, bedroom, and dining room for many families. Domestic furnishing is highly consistent, in part because until the 1990s all furniture was purchased from state stores, where variation was limited. Among the characteristics of Russian taste are functional furniture, of oriental-type carpets on the walls, and large wardrobes instead of closets. The bath and toilet are commonly located in small separate rooms side by side. Narrow balconies are used for storage, tools, laundry, and sitting.
Family members spend much of their time at the kitchen table, eating and drinking tea while talking, reading, watching television, cooking, or working on crafts. When guests come, all sit around one table for the entire gathering, which may continue for hours. Wedding parties usually take place at the home of the family of the bride or groom, and everyone squeezes around an extended table.
Although public spaces within and around apartment blocks are often decrepit and dirty, the threshold to a family's apartment marks a crucial transition zone to private space, which is clean and tidy. Shoes are remain just inside the doorway to keep dirt from the interior of the home.

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The Russian Language

Of Russia's estimated 150m population, it is thought that over 81% speak the official language of Russian as their first and only language. Most speakers of a minority language are also bilingual speakers of Russian. There are over 100 minority languages spoken in Russia today, the most popular of which is Tartar, spoken by more than 3% of the country's population. Other minority languages include Ukrainian, Chuvash, Bashir, Mordvin and Chechen. Although few of these populations make up even 1% of the Russian population, these languages are prominent in key regional areas.

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Russian climate

Russian Federation is a very big country, that’s why the climate differs: there is an cold arctic climate in the north Siberia and there is a sub-tropical hot climate near the Black Sea. The biggest part of Russia is situated in the north and there is a little amount of places, where Russian people can enjoy sun.

The northern part of Russian Federation has a moderate continental climate, which is the best for people live. This type of climate is formed by the western wind rose, which very often brings the cyclones and also there is a warm weather. Also in one of the Russian Federation’s region there is Gulf Stream influence, which is formed the russian climate of the Murmansk region. But the influence of the global warming is also can feel in Russian Federation – winters became warmer, there is less snow.

But in Russian Federation there is a part with continental climate – it’s a central part of the country. In the Siberia and Ural Mountains area there is a continental climate, there are relatively warm summers and very cold winters. The lowest temperature was fixed in the level of seventy one degrees below zero in nineteen twenty six in Republic of Yakutia – in the north part of Russian Federation

In the Sochi city and some other towns in the south of Russian Federation, there is a sub-tropical climat

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Population of Eastern Europe

Tsar-Russia				Soviet Union
1500 1550 1600 1650	6.0 11.0 13.0 - 15.0 15.0	1820 1830 1840 1850	48.6 56.1 62.4 68.5	1917 1926 1931 1939	184.6 147.0 161.0 170.5
1722 1750 before 1789	14.0 23.0 25.0	1860 1870 1880	74.1 84.5 97.7	1940 1950 1960	191.7 181.0 214.2
1795 1800 1810 1815	29.0 35.5 40.7 45.0	1890 1900 1910	11.,8 132.9 160.7	1970 1980 1990 2000	242.8 265.5 288.6 (290.5)

In this section Eastern Europe is defined as the territory of old Tsar-Russia and the former Soviet Union. This Russia was a large but scarcely populated country on the outskirts of Europe until the 18^th century. It was Peter the Great who transformed Russia into a major European power and he and his successors expanded Russia to the west. But Russia did not have the largest population in Europe at that time, it was the rapid population growth during the 19^th century that made Russia to the giant state that dominated Europe’s modern history. The First World War ended in disaster with great losses of territory and the communist revolution 1917 transformed the country into the Soviet Union. This state re-conquered several of the lost territories during the Second World War, but a chronic bad economy prompted its dissolution 1991. The Soviet Union was then replaced by the considerably smaller Russian Federation.

Russian Federation

1926 1931 1939 1960 1970 1979 1990 1991 2000 2010

93.5 111.2 109.3 118.9 130.1 137.6 148.0 148.6 146.0 142.9

The state that today is Russia was originally a part republic of the Soviet Union. It is an independent state since 1992. Russia population is decreasing despite of a large immigration from the other former Soviet republics and there are no signs that this trend is going to change.

Russian Provinces and Soviet Republics

	1811	1838	1851	1863	1885	1897	1914	2000	2010
Bessarabia Caucasus Turkestan	0.300	0.790	0.874 2.7	1.0 4.2	1.5 7.3 3.7	1.9 9.3 5.3	2.7 12.7 7.1
	1926	1931	1939	1960	1970	1979	1990
Belarus Ukraine Moldavia	5.0 29.0	5.2 31.4	5.6 40.0 3.4	8.1 41.9 2.9	9.0 47.7 3.6	9.5 49.8 3.9	10.3 51.8 4.4	10.4 49.2 4.5	9.8 46.4 4.1
Georgia Armenia Azerbaijan	2.7 0.9 2.3	2.9 1.0 2.5	3.5 1.3 3.2	4.0 1.8 3.7	4.7 2.5 5.1	5.0 3.0 6.0	5.5 3.3 7.1	5.0 3.4 7.9	4.7 3.3 9.0
Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan	6.1 4.6 1.0 1.0 1.0	7.1 4.7 1.1 1.1 1.2	6.1 6.3 1.3 1.5 1.5	9.3 8.1 1.5 2.1 2.0	13.0 11.8 2.2 2.9 2.9	14.7 15.4 2.8 3.5 3.8	16.7 20.3 3.6 4.4 5.3	16.8 24.1 4.3 4.5 6.1	15.2 27.4 5.0 5.4 6.9

Most of Bessarabia became the Soviet republic of Moldavian. Caucasus consisted of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Turkestan consisted of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

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Capital and Major Cities of Russia

MOSCOW  is the capital city of Russia with a population of some 9,500,000.
   
The other main cities in descending order of size are:


     ST. PETERSBURG (Leningrad);    approximately          5,100,000
   
     NOVOSIBIRSK                            approximately          1,400,000
   
     NIZHNY NOVGOROD                approximately          1,400,000
   
     YEKATERINBURG                       approximately         1,310,000

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