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Neighboring Countries of Russia

Q: Which is the longest border of Russia?

The longest land border of Russia is with Kazakhstan (7,644 km); the shortest is with North Korea (18 km).

Q: How long are the land borders of Russia?

The land borders of Russia total 22,407 km. By number of neighbours Russia ranks #1 among 236 countries and territories.

Russia shares land borders with 14 countries: Kazakhstan (7,644 km), China (4,133 km), Mongolia (3,452 km), Ukraine (1,944 km), Belarus (1,312 km), Finland (1,309 km), Georgia (894 km), Azerbaijan (338 km), Latvia (332 km), Estonia (324 km), Lithuania (261 km), Poland (209 km), Norway (191 km) and North Korea (18 km).

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Country

Neighbouring countries (#1 of 236)

22,407 km

Total land borders

37,653 km

Coastline

17,098,242

Area in km²

Russia
Neighbouring countries
Neighbours of neighbours

Countries bordering Russia

Neighbour	Border length	Capital	Visa for Russia citizens
Kazakhstan	7,644 km	Astana	Visa-free · 90 days
China southeast	4,133 km	Beijing	Visa-free · 30 days
Mongolia	3,452 km	Ulaanbaatar	Visa-free · 30 days
Ukraine	1,944 km	Kyiv	Visa required
Belarus	1,312 km	Minsk	Visa-free
Finland	1,309 km	Helsinki	Visa required
Georgia	894 km	Tbilisi	Visa-free · 365 days
Azerbaijan	338 km	Baku	Visa-free · 90 days
Latvia	332 km	Riga	Visa required
Estonia	324 km	Tallinn	Visa required
Lithuania Kaliningrad Oblast	261 km	Vilnius	Visa required
Poland Kaliningrad Oblast	209 km	Warsaw	Visa required
Norway	191 km	Oslo	Visa required
North Korea	18 km	Pyongyang	Visa required

Kazakhstan accounts for 34% of Russia's 22,407 km of land borders. Lengths: CIA World Factbook (public domain).

Geography of Russia

Location

North Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Eastern Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean

Area

17,098,242 km² — approximately 1.8 times the size of the US

Terrain

Broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions

Climate

Ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast

Highest and lowest points

Highest: Gora El'brus (highest point in Europe) 5,642 m. Lowest: Caspian Sea -28 m. Mean elevation: 600 m.

Natural resources

Wide natural-resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, bauxite, reserves of rare earth elements, timber

Natural hazards

Permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires in Siberia and parts of European Russia volcanism: Kamchatka Peninsula is home to 29 historically active volcanoes, with dozens more in the Kuril Islands; Kliuchevskoi (4,835 m) is Kamchatka's most active volcano; Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes, which pose a threat to the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Bezymianny, Chikurachki, Ebeko, Gorely, Grozny, Karymsky, Ketoi, Kronotsky, Ksudach, Medvezhia, Mutnovsky, Sarychev Peak, Shiveluch, Tiatia, Tolbachik, and Zheltovsky; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Good to know

Note 1: largest country in the world in terms of area; despite its size, much of the country lacks the soil and climate (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture note 2: Russia's far east, particularly the Kamchatka Peninsula, lies along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes note 3: Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak; Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, is estimated to hold one fifth of the world's fresh surface water note 4: Kaliningrad oblast is an exclave annexed from Germany after World War II; its capital city of Kaliningrad -- formerly Koenigsberg -- is the only Baltic port in Russia that remains ice-free in the winter

Neighbours of Russia's neighbours

Countries one border further away — reachable overland through a neighbouring country.

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Frequently asked questions about the borders of Russia

How many countries border Russia?

Which is the longest border of Russia?

The longest land border of Russia is with Kazakhstan (7,644 km); the shortest is with North Korea (18 km).

Is Russia landlocked?

No. Russia has 37,653 km of coastline.

How long are the land borders of Russia?

The land borders of Russia total 22,407 km. By number of neighbours Russia ranks #1 among 236 countries and territories.

Do Russia citizens need a visa for neighbouring countries?

Russia citizens can visit 6 of 14 neighbouring countries visa-free: Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Belarus, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

What is the highest point of Russia?

Gora El'brus (highest point in Europe) 5,642 m. The lowest point is Caspian Sea -28 m.

Borders and geography: CIA World Factbook (public domain). Visa rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0).