Eryone knows that Russia is the largest country on our planet. As a result, there are many nationalities living there. Nearly 145 million people constantly live in Russia, among them more than one hundred and sixty nationalities which speak their own language. Most of them belong to small nations. Over 80% are Russians themselves, while 20% of population consists of various nationalities – Ukrainians, Belorussians, Tatars, Mordvinians, Armenians, etc. The widest economic region in terms of population is the Central District, while the smallest is the North. Among the most densely populated cities we should certainly mention the capital and the region surrounding it. At the moment nearly ten million people inhabit Moscow. Other large Russian cities are Saint-Petersburg, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don. Rural areas have lower density. There are so many small, but very interesting nationalities in various parts of Russia, for example, in Siberia, in Caucasus. It includes Khakasian people, the Evenki, Yakutian people, the Khanty and Mansi, the Kabardians, Circassians, Ossetians and many others. Russia also has some Finno-Ugric population, which includes the Finns, Saami and Komi, the Karelians. Some nations that live in the Far North lead really interesting and diverse lifestyles. For example, Nenets people are reindeer herders; the Chukchi, who inhabit the Chukotka Peninsula, are excellent fishermen. Every nation has its own customs, dialects, occupations and even a national costume. Thus, national cultures create the heritage of the whole country.
