What’s the largest country in the world? Russia, of course. But did you know that one particular part of Russia would be the largest country in the world all by itself? Although it has no official borders, the region generally called Siberia is equal in land area to the entire continent of Europe—with more than a million square miles to spare! From the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, the region spans an astonishing eight time zones.
Some people think of Siberia as simply a frozen wilderness where Russia once sent people for exile. But there’s much more than just snow and prisoners.
Winters in Siberia are extremely cold. The lowest recorded temperature there is a bitter -96 Fahrenheit. The region is also extremely empty. On average, fewer than seven people live there for every square mile of land. If San Francisco was populated in the same way, only about three hundred people would live in the entire city.
Still, a journey through Siberia reveals some spectacular landscapes. Much of the region is covered by vast taiga forests of towering larch, pine, and spruce trees. Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest and oldest lake, lies in southern Siberia, just north of Mongolia. Its waters contain more plant and animal species than any other lake in the world. Of the thousands of animal species living there, over half of them are unique to the area and found nowhere else on earth.
Siberia is also home to many endangered species, including the majestic Siberian tiger. Sadly, due to changing habitats and illegal poaching, the number of remaining Siberian tigers has decreased to fewer than six hundred.
Further north, reindeer remain an important part of life for some indigenous peoples. They’re raised for their meat and skins, much like sheep and cows in other climates. They also pull sleds—and not just on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, another animal native to the region has earned a reputation for wearing a harness. Originally bred to pull sleds by the Chukchi people of northeastern Siberia, today Siberian huskies live around the world as popular house pets.
Thankfully, if you want to visit Siberia, you won’t have to travel by sled. The Trans-Siberian Railway, built between 1891 and 1916, spans the length of the region. But be warned. Even by train, it takes at least seven days to travel the line.