1. In Chile you will find great wines. You will be strongly advised to try the national so-called 40 degree liquor called pisco, which in the Russian sense is considered grape vodka. It will be difficult for a Russian person who is accustomed to pure vodka to appreciate the merits of pisco. Pisco is not drunk just like that, it is diluted with various fizzy drinks, such as Schweppes, Coca-Cola, etc.
2. Vodka good quality you won't find it in Chile. Two options are possible - this is Absolut of dubious quality and Stolichnaya in the export version, which is far behind in quality from any vodka average price in Russia. Therefore, if you want to make a good gift to your drinking Chilean friend, then bring him vodka, he will be extremely happy.
3. A woman drinking a glass of vodka at dinner with a casuela is nonsense. Don't be surprised if waiters line up behind you. at full strength to see how you would do it. The opinions of the waiters are divided, some will look at you with respect, while others, looking at your decent appearance, will be bewildered. But at the same time, no one will tell you anything. If anyone in Santiago has seen anything like this, then in the provinces - never.
4. Despite the fact that in recent years in Chile, a business woman is not a curiosity, nevertheless, there is still an opinion that this happens rarely. Therefore, if you are going on a business trip to conclude another contract and at the same time you are a woman of pleasant appearance and not devoid of intelligence, then consider that 90% of your contract is in your pocket.
5. Chileans are very pleasant in communication, very friendly people, they will always help you and, if necessary, they will definitely remember the word "comrade" from the distant past and pronounce it completely without malice, but in order to please you.
6. The attitude towards the Pinochet regime is very contradictory and depends on age category Your acquaintances. As a rule, people over fifty treat Pinochet with great sympathy, those who are younger are very contradictory - some hate, some love. Do not be surprised if on the street you see slogans painted on the walls with the following content: "Long live, Pinochet!" (Viva Pinochet). However, when you see Chile - a beautiful, prosperous country with smiling faces of its citizens, talk to them, and they will tell you about the hunger and poverty of socialism, which they had to experience for several years, unlike our seventy, then form your own opinion. about Pinochet. If you read the books of Isabelle Allende, one of Chile's most popular writers, if you see signs with the names of wanted children since 1973 at the airport, then you will again form your opinion on this cart. What wins is up to you.
7. Avoid drinking beer and smoking on the streets: in some cities it is forbidden and you will be looked at disapprovingly.
8. If you want to drink a bottle of wine and smoke in your room, then there is no problem. In this case, you need to learn keyword"descorchador", which in our native language is called "corkscrew". In any supermarket this necessary thing for sale next to the wine department. Wines are also available in paper bags, they are also very good.
9. Valparaiso and Viña del Mar are theoretically two cities, but practically two large areas of one. If you want to stay either in Valparaiso or Vigne for a few days, be sure to choose a hotel on the coast. Almost the entire coast is dotted with small rocks, and small cozy hotels rise on these rocks. Therefore, from the window of your sea, you will look directly at the ocean and its white waves will break against your window.
10. You can swim in the ocean only in strictly designated areas. If you decide to become a hero and swim in the Pacific Ocean in another place, then the surf will not give you the opportunity to go to the rocky shore. However, in any case, the coast police and rescuers work perfectly, rescue operations are organized at a very high level. Onlookers from the shore will even have time to film the rescue process.
11. An amazing sight in Santiago - women - traffic controllers at intersections. It looks very nice combined with perfect order in vehicle traffic. No driver will ever run a red light or even cross a stop line. The only problem is the buses that take advantage of the fact that they are big and behave very arrogantly on the roads, all the drivers do not like them.
12. Almost all families in Chile (according to our concepts) have large families. Having four or five children is normal and not from poverty, but from the fact that a respectable dad is able to feed such a crowd and give all his children what they need for further development. happy life education. Divorce is not accepted in Chile. If a man divorced and married a second time, then his friends usually giggle at him, either from envy, or from the fact that he is fickle in his hobbies.
13. Chile is a very young country, the history of the state has about three hundred years, which makes it related to St. Petersburg. Therefore, it is very easy in it. Age-old traditions and strict orders do not put pressure on you. You feel free, and amazing wines accompany you everywhere and always. Drinking a bottle of Merlot with dinner is in the order of things, it does not prevent you from working until the evening.
14. Chilean restaurants have three features that attract the attention of a tourist and remain in memory for a long time. Firstly, as soon as you sit down at the table, you will be offered delicious warm buns with various types oils (plain, garlic, cheese, dill, etc.). Secondly, you will be served a very tasty lunch or dinner. Thirdly, the dry red wine ordered by you will be warmed by the fireplace, because every restaurant has a fireplace that heats up and creates a cozy and warm atmosphere.
15. If you are a passionate fan of strawberries - then demand it in a restaurant, it is very tasty in Chile. Your only difficulty will be that the well-known word "fresa" (Spanish for "strawberry") will not help you, in Chile it is called "frutilla" - "frutilla".
On the map, the country is indicated by a narrow long strip along the Pacific coast of the continental South America from the Atacama Desert to Cape Forward.
Chile also belongs to the archipelago Tierra del Fuego (main island shared with Argentina) Juan Fernandez Archipelago and Easter Island from Sala y Gomez.
The desert in the north of the country is the driest place on the planet. And in the crater of the mountain Ojos del Salado the most high lake in the world (height 6,390 m).
One of the summits of the Ojos del Salado volcano
The official name of the state is Republic of Chile. The country shares borders with Argentina, Peru and Bolivia. In the west it is washed by the Pacific Ocean. It has access to the Atlantic Ocean.
State symbols
Flag- is a rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 2:3, consisting of two equal horizontal stripes: white (above) and red. In the upper left corner is a blue square that is the same height as the white stripe. In the center of the square is a white five pointed star, which symbolizes a guide to success and glory. Blue colour symbolizes the sky, white - the Andes covered with snow, and red - the blood shed in the struggle for independence. Flag adopted 18 October 1817
Coat of arms- heraldic shield with a star in national colors Chile is holding an Andean condor on the right and a South Andean deer on the left, which are some of the symbols of the Andes along which the country stretches. At the bottom of the coat of arms is a ribbon with the motto "By persuasion or coercion". Coat of arms adopted in 1834
State structure
Form of government- presidential republic.
Head of State and Government- the president. Elected by the population for a 4-year term, without the right to re-election.
Capital and largest city- Santiago.
Official language- Spanish.
Territory- 756,950 km².
Administrative division- 15 regions (including 1 metropolitan area), the regions are divided into 53 provinces and 346 communities.
Population– 17,216,945 people About 55% of Chileans belong to the white race. Mestizos - from 45 to 65%, Indians - 5% of the population. The share of the urban population is 87.7%.
Religion More than 80% of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church.
Currency- Chilean peso.
Economy- the main industry is mining (copper and other metals), Chile is the world's largest exporter of copper. Other industries: metallurgical, woodworking, food, textile. Agriculture, including fishing: livestock, wheat, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, fruits are grown. Chile is one of the largest exporters of fruits, as well as fish and wood products. Chile has one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America (along with Uruguay). Export: copper, fruits, fish, paper, chemical products, wine. Import Keywords: oil and oil products, chemicals, electronics, industrial products, automobiles, gas.
Education- The education system in Chile is considered the best in all of Latin America. 8 year old initial education necessarily. Training is conducted on single program. There are private schools. After graduating from elementary school, students can continue their education at a lyceum (public high school) or in a college (private or religious educational institution), the course of study is 6 years.
There are 20 universities in the country. The largest university in the country is the University of Chile in Santiago (founded in 1843). At a high level is professional education. The School of Applied Arts in Santiago is the oldest educational institution in the Western Hemisphere.
Sport- Football is the most popular. The Chilean national team is the bronze medalist of the 1962 World Cup. The most popular species sports: basketball, athletics, fencing, baseball, gymnastics, skiing, spearfishing, judo, chess, cycling and equestrian sports.
Chile is the first country Latin America entered the Olympic arena (in 1896) and took part in most of the games of the Olympics. The Chilean team became the world champion in spearfishing (1971). Among famous athletes world champions in shooting X. E. Lira (1965) and Hottar (1966), in spearfishing R. Choke (1971), world record holder in marathon running X. Horner Baskunyan (1918; his unofficial world record was surpassed only in 1962) .
Armed forces- consist of ground forces, navy and air force.
Nature
Chile has many active volcanoes (submerged and terrestrial). Earthquakes happen frequently. In Chile, on May 22, 1960, the most strong earthquake in the history of mankind from officially recorded - the Great Chilean earthquake. The strength of the shocks is up to 9.5. About 6 thousand people died.
Street in Valdivia after the earthquake
because of long distance the climate varies from tropical in the north to temperate oceanic in the south. In the Chilean Antarctic, the climate is subantarctic and antarctic. When moving east, the climate becomes drier, more continental. On the coast, the climate is colder, which is associated with the powerful cold current of the Humboldt. The north of Chile is the Atacama Desert, one of the driest territories in the world, where it rains every few decades.
Only one river Loa reaches the ocean, it is the longest river in Chile. Large lakes: Palena, General Carrera, Pueyrredon (Kochrane), O "Higgins.
In the south of the central part, moist evergreen forests grow, in the mountains - beech-coniferous forests, above them - alpine meadows. In the southern part of the country, subantarctic mixed forests are widespread, and in the flat areas of the east - steppes. The extreme south is occupied by peat bogs and swampy meadows.
There are more than 100 in the country national parks and reserves. Here is one of them:
Lauca National Park
Lake Chungara and Sakhama Volcano
The park is located in northern Chile, in the region of Arica y Parinacota, on the territory of the Andean mountains and plateaus. Founded in 1970. The attraction is a small lake area formed by Lake Chungara and the lakes of Cotacotani, which are located in the foothills of Nevados de Payachata. Majestic volcanoes are part of the national park: Guallatiri and Akotango. The park also contains archaeological sites, lava fields and volcanic craters. Within the park is the city of Parinacota with a colonial church.
Vicuñas in Lauca Park
Mammals of the reserve: vicuña (a species of artiodactyl mammals of the camelid family), llama, alpaca, guanaco, Peruvian deer, puma and viscacha.
Guanaco - the ancestor of the domesticated llama
More than 140 species of birds live in the park: slender-billed loaf, Andean goose, giant coot, mountain-steppe tinamou, silver grebe, crested duck, puna teal, Andean condor and Chilean flamingo.
andean goose
The vegetation of the park is adapted to heavy environment mountains and alpine steppes.
Tierra del Fuego
Island at southern tip South America, from which it is separated by the Strait of Magellan. In 1881 the island was divided between Argentina and Chile. Chilean population - 6,900 people.
Juan Fernandez Islands
A group of islands in Chile, located in the South Pacific Ocean. The islands were first discovered on November 22, 1574 by the Spanish navigator Juan Fernandez. Writer Daniel Defoe used the island's story as the basis for his novel Robinson Crusoe. AT early XIX in. the archipelago began to serve as a place of exile for patriotic fighters for the independence of Chile from Spain. For many years they lived in caves, including future presidents Manuel Blanco Encalada and Agustín Eizaguirre. Since 1818, the Juan Fernandez Islands belong to Chile. Today, 633 people live on the archipelago, whose main source of income is tourism and lobster fishing.
Huge tree-high ferns grow on the mountain slopes. There is a special subspecies of goats, the so-called Juan Fernandez goats.
They descended from ordinary domestic goats, which, when the island was discovered, were left on it as a reserve of provisions, and which eventually formed a separate small brown subspecies. The Juan Fernandez Archipelago is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The climate is subtropical oceanic.
Sala y Gomez
A small uninhabited volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to Chile. It is considered the easternmost point of Polynesia. The area of the island is 15 hectares. It is located 3220 km west of Chile and 391 km east of Easter Island. Covered with low shrubs. Vegetable world scarce. The terrestrial fauna is represented only by marine mammals. There are many seabirds on the island, which are typical for the tropical Pacific belt.
culture
In the culture of Chile, there is a fusion of elements of Spanish culture and the culture of the indigenous population of the country, with the Spanish beginning prevailing.
Literature
Developed in Spanish. It began to take shape in the 16th century.
During the war of independence (1st half of the 19th century), political journalism was developed (C. Enriquez and D. Portales. Earlier than in other countries of Latin America, realism was born in Chile - Alberto Blest Ghana(1830-1920), he was called "Chilean Balzac"). In the cycle of novels of the 60s, called the "Human Comedy of Chile", he reflected the socio-economic, political and cultural changes that took place in mid-nineteenth century in Chile. His most famous novel is Martin Rivas (1862).
Famous writers of the 20th century: Gabriela Mistral, Vicente Huidobro, Pablo Neruda; writers of the second half of the 20th century: Jose Donoso, poet and prose writer Roberto Bolano. Among modern novelists, the writer, the niece of Salvador Allende, who is informally called "Gabriel García Márquez in a skirt", has gained fame. famous novels"House of Spirits", "Love and Darkness" and "Eva Luna".
Architecture
The first Chilean city of Santiago was founded in 1541. It had a rectangular grid of streets with central square Plaza de Armas flanked by buildings colonial period: cathedral (1541-1619) and town hall (1775-1807).
Palace of La Moneda (1780-1805) - the official residence of the President of Chile, characteristic example classicism.
In the XX century. structures are being developed that allow the construction of buildings up to 20 floors and above, capable of withstanding earthquakes.
art
In Chile, the remains of ancient Indian cultures, including Atakama (in the north) and Araucan (in the south), have been preserved: ceramic products ornamented with geometric patterns and images of animals. Rock paintings have been found in San Pedro de Atacama.
Pedro Lira "The Founding of Santiago" (1889)
School opened in 1849 fine arts in Santiago. Among the first Chilean artists, the most famous are the portrait painters F. X. Mangyola and A. Gana. In the 2nd half of the XIX century. – Pedro Lira, M. A. Caro, Cosme San Martin, Alfredo Valenzuela Puelma and others laid the foundations of national landscape and historical painting, combining the principles of romanticism and classicism with realist features. Alberto Valenzuela Llanos and J.F. Gonzalez worked under strong influence impressionism.
Music
ancient musical culture preserved by the descendants of the Chilean aborigines, primarily the Araucans. Among the musical instruments of the Araucans are percussion, wind.
Major modern musical instruments: guitar, harp, guitarron used by professional folk singers(waso).
First School of Music in the country opened in 1849, and the conservatory - in 1851.
The Symphony Orchestra of Chile (founded in 1941), the Municipal Symphony Orchestra of Santiago (founded in 1955), the Choir of the University of Chile (founded in 1945), the Santiago String Quartet (founded in 1954) work in Santiago. There is a school of classical dance and a ballet troupe.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Chile
Inca roads
Rapa Nui National Park (Easter Island)
The island owes its fame to numerous stone sculptures called moai, the creation of which is attributed to the ancient Rapanui, who inhabited the island in the period of the X-XVI centuries. The national park covers an area of approximately 7 thousand hectares. Moai were made by the aboriginal Polynesian population. Now 887 statues are known.
Chile began to control Easter Island in 1888. It is located in the Pacific Ocean, in the southeast corner of the Polynesian Triangle. The geographic isolation of Rapa Nui results in an interesting biogeographical and ecological history of the island.
Most of the moai are carved in large-block tachylite basalt tuff from the Rano Raraku volcano quarry. Several small statues are made of other stone. The round cylinders "pukao" (bun of hair) on the heads of the statues are made of basalt pumice from the Puna Pao volcano. The tallest of them is 9.8 m high.
Obviously, the manufacture and installation of moai required a huge investment of money and labor, and for a long time the Europeans could not understand who made the statues, with what tool and how they moved.
In 1955-1956. famous norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl organized the Norwegian archaeological expedition to Easter Island. As a result, the secret of creating, moving and installing statues was revealed. The creators of the moai turned out to be an endangered native tribe of the “long-ears”, which got its name because they had a custom to lengthen their earlobes with heavy jewelry, which for centuries kept the secret of creating statues a secret from the main population of the island - the tribe of “short-ears”. As a result of this secrecy, the short-ears surrounded the statues with mystical superstitions, which for a long time misled the Europeans.
At the request of Heyerdahl, a group of the last “long-ears” living on the island, led by Pedro Atan, the leader of the clan, reproduced all the stages of making statues in a quarry (carving them with stone hammers), moved the finished 12-ton statue to the installation site (in a prone position, dragging, using a large crowd of helpers) and set it on its feet with the help of an ingenious device of stones placed under the base, and three logs used as levers. When asked why they had not told the European explorers about this earlier, their leader replied that "no one had asked me about this before." The natives reported that for several generations no one had made or erected statues, but with early childhood they were taught by the elders, telling how to do it, and forcing them to repeat what was said until they were convinced that the children remembered everything exactly.
The statue is hammered out of the rock with frequent blows, while the stone hammers are destroyed simultaneously with the rock and are continuously replaced by new ones.
Churches of the island of Chiloe
Church in Nerkon
Cultural and historical monument XVIII-XIX centuries Includes wooden Catholic churches located on the island of Chiloe. The architecture of the temples in an eclectic style, combines elements of the late European Middle Ages, the culture of South American Indians and mestizos.
Maritime Quarter in Valparaiso
Occupies only a narrow strip of land between the coastline and the nearby hills, in its center are winding cobbled streets. Surrounded by steep cliffs, the houses of the suburbs, stretching along the slopes, to which numerous walking paths, stairs and funiculars.
Humberstone and Santa Laura
Now dormant saltpeter mines located in northern Chile, in the Atacama Desert. In 1960, work in the factories ceased. In 1970, after they became "ghost towns", the towns became national monuments and were opened to tourism.
Mining town of Sewell
An uninhabited mining town located in the Andes at an altitude of 2000-2250 m in the commune of Machali, 85 km from the capital of the country, Santiago. The only one in the 20th century a large mining and mining settlement, which was built with the expectation of year-round use. To List world heritage included as outstanding example a city that was created by industrial companies in remote parts of the world for the purpose of mining and processing natural resources using local labor.
Other sights of Chile
Desert hand
Sculpture in the Atacama Desert. Its author is the Chilean Mario Irarrasabal. The height of the hand is 11 m. The sculpture represents the left palm of a person, which protrudes from the ground by about three quarters. As conceived by the author, his work should express human injustice, loneliness, grief and torment, and the size - vulnerability and helplessness. The construction material is cement on a steel frame. The opening took place on March 28, 1992.
San Cristobal
The summit of Santiago is Mount San Cristobal. Here is a 36-meter statue of the Virgin Mary, who is considered the patroness of the city. Surrounded by the Metropolitano Park. There is a botanical garden, a wine museum and a zoo, and at the foot of Mount San Cristobal there is a museum of the famous Chilean writer and laureate Nobel Prize- Pablo Neruda.
Museum of Remembrance and Human Rights (Santiago)
The museum is dedicated to the memory of the victims of human rights violations during the civilian military regime led by Augusto Pinochet between 1973 and 1990. Opened by President Michelle Bachelet on January 11, 2010.
National Museum of Fine Arts of Chile
Art Museum in Santiago. Founded September 18, 1880 and is oldest museum South America.
The museum's collection contains about 3 thousand exhibits: paintings, sculptures, drawings and engravings. Here are mainly the works of Chilean artists: Pedro Lira, Alfredo Valenzuela Puelma, Cosme San Martin, Alberto Valenzuela Llanos and Alejandro Sicarelli.
Cosme San Martin "Reading" (1874)
Lasana
A small village 40 km northeast of the city of Calama. Located on the river Loa. The village is known for its pre-Columbian fortress built in the 12th century. Since 1982 it has been one of the National Monuments of Chile. Petroglyphs (images carved on a stone base) were found in the area of the fortress.
Fantasylandia (Santiago)
Amusement park. It was opened in 1978 and is represented by various attractions.
Magdalena Island
National Park, more than 120 thousand Magellan penguins live here.
Story
The region of Chile was inhabited about 13,000 years ago. Before the invasion of the Spaniards, the Quechua and Aymara Indian peoples lived in the northern part of Chile, the Mapuche in the central part, and the Alakalufs, Yagans and she in the south.
In the end XIII-early XIV centuries northern part of Chile to the river Maule was conquered by the Incas. South of the Maule River, the Mapuche tribes put up fierce resistance to them.
In 1535-50. Spanish conquistadors conquer the coast of Chile and found several cities: Santiago, Nueva Extremadura, Concepción, Valdivia. Conquest northern regions passed easily, but the areas inhabited by the Mapuche were conquered with a fight.
Fernando de Santillan's "Tribes of Santillan" (1558) regulated relations between the Spaniards and the Mapuche. The Spaniards did not find rich deposits of precious metals in Chile, and colonization took on an agricultural character, with an influx in the 17th-18th centuries. immigrants from the poorest Spanish province of Extremadura, as well as the Basques.
In central Chile, where natural conditions were similar to the Mediterranean, began to cultivate wheat, barley, hemp, grapes, breed cattle and sheep.
Since the 18th century copper mining began. Thus, in colonial era foundations were laid modern economy Chile.
Bernardo O'Higgins
At the beginning of the XIX century. Under the leadership of Bernardo O'Higgins and Manuel Rodriguez, the Chilean people won independence from the colonial power of Spain.
Before World War II, saltpeter and copper were mined in the country, and then coal and silver. This has led to significant economic growth Chile.
In 1927-1931 - the dictatorship of Carlos Ibáñez, he was called the "Myccoline of the New World". In 1931 democracy was restored and a president was elected.
But in June 1932, a junta of left-wing officers staged a coup, overthrew the democratically elected president, proclaimed the creation Socialist Republic Chile, which lasted only 12 days. Then again democracy was restored and continued for more than 40 years.
Allende's reforms and Pinochet's counter-reforms
President in 1970-1972 carried out a complex of socio-economic transformations of the left wing: the nationalization of enterprises and banks, agrarian reform, the implementation social programs, change labor law for the benefit of employees. His policies were resisted by conservative financial, industrial and latifundist circles within the country and foreign corporations. This led to economic difficulties, which later turned into economic crisis. high inflation and trade deficit caused an increase in social tension, accompanied by right-wing opposition-funded strikes, street riots and manifestations of terrorism.
CIA funded opposition funds mass media, politicians and organizations, contributing to the destabilization of the country. Supreme Court accused the Allende regime of destroying the rule of law in the country. On August 22, 1973, the National Congress passed a resolution outlawing the government and accusing Allende of violating the constitution. By September 1973 government was paralyzed.
A military coup was organized. During the coup during the storming of the presidential palace, Salvador Allende was killed (or committed suicide). The dictatorship of the Governmental Junta was established in the country, headed by a general.
The constitution was abolished, the National Congress of Chile was dissolved, all left and center-left parties and organizations were outlawed, the Unified Trade Union Center of Workers was banned, and the activities of right-wing parties were later completely banned. New, military-controlled yellow trade unions were established.
A "state of siege" was introduced, during this period over 30 thousand people were killed in Chile.
The reign of General Pinochet politically was based on the restriction of civil and political rights, the harsh suppression of the opposition. Repressions, imprisonment, torture continued until the end of the dictatorship. One of known victims repression was the Chilean singer-bard Victor Jara.
Victor Lidio Jara Martinez(1932-1973) - Chilean poet, theater director, singer, political activist and member of the Communist Party of Chile. Killed by putschists during the military coup of 1973. His brutal assassination at the Chile Stadium, turned into a concentration camp, a few days after the coup, made him a symbol of the struggle against the regime in Chile. For 4 days he was beaten, tortured with electric current, his arms were broken, and then he was shot - 34 bullets were fired. He was 40 years old. The killers of Victor Jara - members of the Chilean army - are known to the country by name.
The implications of Pinochet's policies for the socio-economic well-being of the population are a matter of debate. According to the left, there has been a significant setback due to neoliberal counter-reforms initiated by the government. Right-wing and neo-liberal authors disagree with this interpretation and cite significant economic success achieved through the economic policy pursued under the leadership of Pinochet as evidence.
Today, Chile has the most efficient economy in all of Latin America, the country belongs to the countries with a very high level development of human potential. Here is one of the most low levels corruption.
On October 5, 1988, Pinochet lost the plebiscite (referendum), and the Council he assembled national security rejected the dictator's proposal to refuse to recognize the results of the plebiscite and to make a new coup. In 1989, Chile moved to democratic rule, elections were held, which were won by the coalition of parties for democracy, which opposes the dictatorship. In 1990, Christian Democrat Patricio Aylvin took over as president.
Currently, Chile occupies the 1st position in the integral indicator of competitiveness among the countries of Latin America (27th in the world ranking).
Michelle Bachelet(b. 1951) - the first woman in the history of Chile, elected to the post of head of state. A certified medical surgeon and epidemiologist, she also studied military strategy at one time.
Everyone knows that Russia is the most big country in the world. But we decided to collect other amazing records of our state.
Length record holders
state border Russia is one and a half times the length of the equator. The longest border between Kazakhstan and Russia is about 7.5 thousand kilometers. The shortest one is with China (less than 40 kilometers).
The longest railway is also in Russia. This is the Trans-Siberian Railway, which stretches for 9289 kilometers. Great Siberian Way connects Moscow and Vladivostok, and since October 18, 1916, you can get from one end of the country to the other through the territory of Russia.
Not surprisingly, the construction of such a gigantic railroad spawned other records. Yes, the longest railway tunnel in the country has 15,343 meters. The Severomuysky tunnel was built for 26 years, it is located on the territory of Buryatia.
The longest river in Russia is the Lena. It is also one of the ten longest rivers in the world.
The longest bridge in the country is located in Ulyanovsk (5825 meters). The presidential bridge spanned the Volga and connects its right and left banks, it is also one of the most long bridges Europe.
Height record holders
The tallest building in Europe is located in Moscow, this is the "Federation Tower" with a height of 374 meters.
Russia also has the most high mountain Europe - Elbrus, it rises 5642 meters.
Well, if you leave out the Caucasus, then there are other impressive mountains: for example, Klyuchevaya Sopka. The height of this active volcano is 4835 meters.
Russia is also rich in waterfalls. True, no one knows the final figures of the highest waterfall: the 600-meter Talnikovy waterfall is located on the Putorana Plateau, one of the most inaccessible places not only in Russia, but also in the world.
If we talk about the creations of man, then the highest "artificial" waterfall rises 242 meters above the ground. It's a dam Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP, which is located on the Yenisei.
Depth record holders
Russia has the deepest subway in the world. The St. Petersburg metro has 67 stations, and 60 of them are deep (from 22 to 86 meters). The deepest of them is Admiralteyskaya, it goes underground for 86 meters.
Another man-made record holder is "The Well to Hell" or Kola ultradeep well. It was drilled to a depth of 12 kilometers and 262 meters to study the deep structure of the Earth. Just imagine, Everest and the Mariana Trench are smaller.
But of course, we should not forget about another Russian record holder and our heritage - Lake Baikal. It is the deepest lake on the planet and one of the largest natural reservoirs of fresh water. maximum depth equal to 1642 meters.
Record holders by area
The area of Russia is 17,125,191 square kilometers. It's about twice more territory Canada, China or USA.
Russia also has the largest region in the world - the Republic of Sakha. Yakutia is larger than Kazakhstan and is equal to about three Egypts or six Spains.
largest lake in the world is also in Russia (as well as on the territory of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan) - this is the Caspian Sea. Its area (371,000 sq. km) is larger than the area of Germany.
Most big Island Russia is located on Far East. Sakhalin approximately equal to area Czech Republic (76,400 km² versus 78,866 km²).
And the largest peninsula of Russia is Taimyr. It is larger than Norway or Japan.
On the territory of Russia is also the largest nature reserve in the world - the Great Arctic Reserve. Its area is 41,692 sq. km., and it is larger than the Netherlands (41,526 sq. km.)
AT Western Siberia, in the interfluve of the Ob and Irtysh are the Vasyugan swamps. Their area is 53 thousand square kilometers, and they are one of the largest on the planet. For comparison, the area of Denmark is 41,000 sq. km.
Planet Earth is full of amazing geographical and geological mysteries and paradoxes. In fact, there are so many of them that we are unlikely to be able to reveal all the secrets that nature holds. Here are the most unusual and sometimes strange facts related to geography, geology and earth.
1. The shortest place name
The shortest place name is "Å" - the name of a small village that is located in both Sweden and Norway. In Scandinavian, "Å" means "river".
2. Most Big City in the world
The largest city in the world, based on surface area, is the city of Hulun Buir in the district Inner Mongolia in China, which covers an area of 263,953 sq. km.
3. Countries completely surrounded by one country
Lesotho, Vatican City and San Marino are the only countries completely surrounded by one country. Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, while the Vatican and San Marino are completely surrounded by Italy.
4. Second longest place name
The second longest place name in the world has been recognized as "Taumatawhakatangihangak oauauotamateaturipukaka pikimaungahoronukupokaiwhe nua kitanatahu", which is 84 letters long, which belongs to a hill in New Zealand and in Maori means "the place where Tamateya, a man with big knees, who slipped, got up and swallowed mountains, being known as a mountain eater, played his flute for his beloved."
This was the longest geographical name until some time (and remains so in the Guinness Book of Records), until it was supplanted by the name "Krung thep mahanakhon bovorn ratanakosin mahintharayutthaya mahadilok pop noparatrachatathani burirom udomratchanivetmahasathan amornpiman avatarnsathit sakkathattiya visnukarmprasit", consisting of 163 letters and meaning the poetic name of Bangkok in Thailand.
5. The coldest and warmest sea
The water temperature in the White Sea in Russia is the lowest and is only -2 °C. The Persian Gulf is the warmest sea. In summer, the water temperature here reaches 35.6 °C.
6. The world's oldest constitutional republic
San Marino is considered the oldest constitutional republic in the world. It was founded in 301 by a Christian stonemason who was fleeing persecution from the emperor Diocletian. The San Marino Constitution, which was adopted in 1600, is considered the oldest written constitution in the world.
7. The deepest hole ever drilled by man
The deepest hole drilled by man is the Kola Superdeep Well in Russia. It reached 12,262 m and was drilled for scientific research, during which a number of unexpected discoveries, such as the huge hydrogen deposit, which was so massive that the mud coming out of the well literally boiled.
8. The farthest point from the center of the Earth and the lowest place on the earth's crust
Due to the earth's bulge at the equator, the 6,310 m peak of the Chimborazo Volcano in Ecuador is the furthest point from the center of the earth, claiming to be the "highest point on earth", despite the fact that Everest is the highest peak above sea level. Chimborazo is extinct volcano and is located 1 degree south of the equator.
The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the world's oceans with the lowest surface elevation. earth's crust. To date, it is believed that its depth is 10,971 m. It is located in the western Pacific Ocean east of the Mariana Islands.
9. The longest mountain range on Earth
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the longest mountain range on Earth, at 40,000 km. It is located in the center of the Atlantic Ocean. Iceland is the only part of this mountain range that is above sea level.
The Andes form the longest surface mountain range, at 7,000 km.
10. The name of the area, consisting of only vowels
Mount Circeo on west coast Italy was once called Aeaea (5 consecutive vowels and no consonants). According to mythology, the sorceress Circe lived here. Two others geographical areas, in the name of which there are only vowels, these are Aiea (Aiea) in Hawaii and Eiao (Eiao), one of the Marquesas Islands.
11. The most northern, eastern and western state in America
Alaska is the most northern, eastern and western state in America. It is the only state in eastern hemisphere, making it the easternmost and westernmost state.
12. Sea without a coast
The Sargasso Sea is an area in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean surrounded by ocean currents and is the only sea without a coast. It is bounded in the west by the Gulf Stream, in the north by the North Atlantic Current, in the east by the Canary Current and in the south by the North Equatorial Current. This system of currents forms the North Atlantic subtropical gyre.
13. Lake in an ancient impact crater formed as a result of a meteorite fall
Bosumtwi Lake, located in an ancient meteorite impact crater with a diameter of 8 km, is the only natural lake in Ghana. It is located 30 km southwest of the city of Kumasi and is a popular recreational area. Near the lake there are about 30 villages with a total population of 70,000 people.
14. Unusual river flow
There is only one river in the world that originates at the equator and flows into the temperate zone from there, and that is the Nile River. For some unknown reason, most rivers flow in the opposite direction.
15. No land at the North Pole
There is no land at the North Pole - only ice above the water surface. Northern Arctic Ocean, which has an area of 12 million square kilometers of floating ice, has the lowest winter temperature, -34°C.
The largest country in the world by area, Russia covers an area of more than 6.6 million square miles. For comparison, Canada, which ranks second in this indicator less than Russia 2.8 million square miles. The largest country in the world includes nine time zones and has land borders with 14 countries.
Russia, as a state, originates from the 9th century, when the Slavs formed a principality Kievan Rus. Prince Rurik and his descendants expanded the territory of the state, which was conquered by the Mongol invaders in the 13th century. The Grand Duchy of Moscow was located at the most remote distance in the forest area, which is why it was less susceptible to attacks by enslavers.
First official king
After the country was freed from the Mongol oppression, it again began to expand its borders. Particularly impressive were the achievements of Ivan the Terrible, the first official tsar of the state. Ivan the Terrible, having conquered Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia, was able to double the territory of the country. And by 1700, Russia became the third largest empire in the world.
The final stage in the annexation of new territories was the consequences of the 1917 revolution. Formed soon Soviet Union In addition to the RSFSR, it included 14 more republics, including the regions of the Baltic and the Caucasus. Russian Federation in recent history was formed after the collapse of the Union on December 25, 1991. 
Country with the largest population
Despite the fact that Russia covers about 17% of residential land in the world, only 2% of the inhabitants live on its territory the globe. China, with a population of over 1.3 billion, boasts truly staggering numbers. If we consider these indicators in a proportional ratio, then the population of China is just over 19% of all people living on our planet. So, China is the most populous country in the world.
During the Qing Dynasty, from the mid-17th century to the early 20th century, China's population tripled. This happened due to the active development of agricultural land, as well as the development of new agricultural equipment, which made it possible to feed the large population. The next peak population growth was waiting for the country after the Second World War. The reign of Mao Zedong was marked by the modernization of many industries, including healthcare, which allowed the Chinese to significantly increase life expectancy. Also statesman urged citizens to have a large offspring, and by 1976 the population of China was almost 1 billion. 
The problem of overpopulation
In order to somehow curb the rapidly growing population growth, the country's government was forced to take extreme measures: to put an official ban on families having more than one child. This measure has led to the fact that now in China the elderly population began to prevail over the young. We also note that China does not have long to be in a leading position in the list of the most densely populated states in the world. According to sociologists, in the next 15 years, the population of India will be able to grow to 1.5 billion people.
