noun1. the largest country in the world, covering N Eurasia and bordering on the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and the Baltic, Black, and Caspian Seas: originating from the principality of Muscovy in the 17th century, it expanded to become the Russian Empire; the Tsar was overthrown in 1917 and the Communist Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was created; this merged with neighbouring Soviet Republics in 1922 to form the Soviet Union; on the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 the Russian Federation was established as an independent state; Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014 has not been internationally recognized. Official language: Russian. Religion: nonreligious and Russian Orthodox Christian. Currency: rouble. Capital: Moscow. Pop: 143 989 754 (2017 est). Area: 17 074 984 sq km (6 592 658 sq miles)
2. another name for the Russian Empire
3. another name for the former Soviet Union
4. another name for the former Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Russian name: Rossiya