Tourism in Russia - Best Tourist Attractions
Tourism in Russia - Best Tourist Attractions
Russia is a sovereign country in Eurasia. At 17,125,200 square kilometres (6,612,100 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world by area, covering more than one-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area, and the ninth most populous, with over 144 million people at the end of December 2017 (excluding Crimea). About 77% of the population live in the western, European part of the country. Russia's capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world; other major urban centers include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod.
Extending across the entirety of Northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a wide range of environments and landforms. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both with Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk and the U.S. state of Alaska across the Bering Strait.
The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century. In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. Rus' ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states. The Grand Duchy of Moscow gradually reunified the surrounding Russian principalities, achieved independence from the Golden Horde. By the 18th century, the nation had greatly expanded through conquest, annexation, and exploration to become the Russian Empire, which was the third largest empire in history, stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east.
Following the Russian Revolution, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the world's first constitutionally socialist state. The Soviet Union played a decisive role in the Allied victory in World War II, and emerged as a recognized superpower and rival to the United States during the Cold War. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the world's first human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space. By the end of 1990, the Soviet Union had the world's second largest economy, largest standing military in the world and the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, twelve independent republics emerged from the USSR: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Baltic states regained independence: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania; the Russian SFSR reconstituted itself as the Russian Federation and is recognized as the continuing legal personality and a successor of the Soviet Union. It is governed as a federal semi-presidential republic.
The Russian economy ranks as the twelfth largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2015. Russia's extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world, making it one of the leading producers of oil and natural gas globally. The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. Russia is a great power as well as a regional power and has been characterised as a potential superpower. It is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, as well as a member of the G20, the Council of Europe, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as being the leading member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and one of the five members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), along with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
tags: Russia, tourism, russian, siberian, Europe, european, travel, travels, travelling, traveller, backpackers, Moscow, St Petersburg, cathedral, church, Red Square, Palace, tour, tourist, tourists, Kremlin, Asia , Capital, country, countries, Orthodox Church, Mount Elbrus, Lake Baikal, St. Basil's Cathedral, Tower of the Savior, Imperial Square, River Neva, Bolshoi Theater, cathedrals, churches, Omsk, Kizhi, Catherine Palace, Asian, Altai Republic, trip
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Latvija. Rudens caurbrauciens Mērsragam.
Mērsrags ir nedaudz jūrā izvirzīta, zema sauszemes izliece Kurzemes pussalas austrumu krastā (apm. 42 km no Talsiem). Mērsraga jūrmala līdz par Rojai ir pilna lielu akmeņu sablīvējumiem. T. s. Velna akmens pie Mērsraga bākas paceļas 1,5 m virs ūdens līmeņa (50 m no krasta).
Mērsraga luterāņu baznīcu 1809. gadā cēlis latviešu amatnieks Krišjānis Krūze. 1896. gadā celtne pārbūvēta.
The rural municipality of Mērsrags (Markgrafen) is located on the west coast of the Gulf of Riga (Latvia), beside Lake Engure and surrounded by extensive woodlands. It's situated in northwest Latvia in wooded lowland close the sea. It is in the district of Talsi, which includes the townships of Kulciems, Lauciena, Vandzene and Roja. To the south is the district of Tukums, where the townships of Engure and Zentene are situated. The total area of the municipality is 109 km2 (10896,2 ha). 63.7% of this area is woodland and Lake Engure covers 20.4%. The coastline is about 12 km. long. Talsi, the main city of the area is 42 km. from the town centre, and there are 95 km. to the capital, Riga.
Population: 1986 inhabitants (2008.06). Population density: 18.6 inhabitants/km2. Principle nationality: Latvians.
Many types of landscape can be seen; seaside, lake reservation, everglades, lagoons, the bed of the dried-up Litorīnas lake (Litorīnas ezers), the sand dune forest, and rural and urban landscapes.
[edit]History
The earliest information about Mērsrags is from the 15th. century, when it was a small fishing hamlet beside the Gulf of Riga. There are many stories and myths about Mērsrags. Pirates, who lured ships ashore and plundered them, used to live here. During the ducal period, there was a large production of soap.
In 1842 a canal was dug from the north end of Lake Engure to the sea and in 1843 Mērsrags began to develop. In 1880 a lighthouse had been completed and the first ship was launched from the dockyard. Altogether 22 sailing ships were built in Mērsrags. Between 1860 and 1915 66 sailing ships were built in Upesgrīva village.
Until 1918 Mērsrags village and Upesgrīva village belonged to the parish of the Engure manor but in 1918 Mērsrags became a separate parish. Likewise in 1926 Upesgrīva became a separate parish.
In 1926 a narrow-gauge railway came to Mērsrags and in 1927 the port was built to satisfy the needs of fishing boats and shipping.
In the 60's (20.th century) the development of the fish farm collective resulted in a great increase in the production of fish and canned products. The first block of flats and a distant steam heating plant were built. A new fish processing plant was constructed as well as a net repair shop and an engineering workshop. The village roads were repaired and asphalted.
[edit]Sights worth to see in Mērsrags
Mērsrags canal (dug in 1842-1843), it is about 4 km. long and connects Lake Engure to the sea. Mersrags port north mole (constructed in 1927, reconstructed in 2007).
Museum - The Peoples House (Saieta Names - latv.). The building is from 1872 and contains an exhibition about life and conditions in Mērsrags and its surroundings at the beginning of the 20th. century. There are many relics, tools and items from the houses of the period.
Mērsrags lighthouse, built in 1874, survived the 1st. & 2nd. World Wars.
Mērsrags Lutheran Church, built in 1809, is one of the oldest wooden churches in the country. The church contains several preserved cultural monuments. Located in the old churchyard.
Wooden Lutheran church in Mērsrags
Lake Engure National Park. Founded in 1957 as a bird reservation it became a national park in 1998.
Picturesque meadow. About 51 ha with big meadows and a wide variety of biotopes. Mērsrags foreland (18 ha.) The site of the Devil stone.
Svētmeitas akmens (Holydaughter stone), there are some legends about this stone, sea pirates and hidden treasure.
[edit]Port of Mērsrags
The port of Mērsrags is located on one of the Gulf of Riga's most picturesque stretches of coast. It's the one from the biggest of Latvia's small ports. Most of Mērsrags industry is concentrated near the port. Mērsrags traditional industries are fishery, fish canning, and forestry. New sectors are appearing that are related to commerce and service. The port is very important as an export terminal.