We can read and hear very often that the huge territory of Russia with comparatively small population says about its imperial ambitions.
Nevertheless everything is not so simple. Actually the territory of the Russian Federation takes 11,4 % of the Earth territory and the population includes only 2,3 % of the world population. It seems that this fact is favorable to the supporters of the opinion about imperial ambitions. But, for example, the territory of Canada covers 6,6 % of the Earth but only 0,4 % of the world population lives there. 18 million people (less than 0,3 % of the population of our planet) live in Australia that takes 5% of the world territory. That means that in Russia lives 8.5 per square kilometer when in Canada -2.8 and in Australia – only 2.3. This number is less for Mongolia. For some unfathomable reason nobody talks about imperial ambitions of Canada, Australia or Mongolia.
What is more interesting is that more than a half of the territory of Russia is situated slightly more to the South and even more to the North from 60th parallel. This geographical zone is considered to be unsuitable for “a normal living” and human activity. We can compare: Alaska, Greenland and the Northern territories of Canada are situated more to the North from 58’ latitude. It is a very amazing fact that Alaska takes no less, no more than 16% of the territory of the USA but the population there is only 0.2 % of the population of the whole country. There is a more impressive situation in Canada – its Northern territories cover 40% of the land but the population numbers only 0.02 % of its population!
Look who is talking?)
The final Curious © phrase:
“You cannot judge a tree by its bark”
(English saying)
