Russia: part of Europe, Asia or neither? (country, place, people)

[iPwn]

I personally don't consider Russia (or for that matter, Ukraine and Belarus as well) European. At least not anymore. They're of course, closely related and have European origins, but nowadays, they're generally not considered a part of the pack.

That said, Russia definitely isn't an Asian country either.

[Tiger Beer]

Europe. They're white....the food, architecture and people all look european.

Most of the country is in Asia...but the culture, people, food, architecture is distinctly european.

[BigSwede]

Russia is both.

[elnina]

I was told that Ural Mountains divides Russia to European and Asian part and is considered a natural boundary between the two continents.

[ABQConvict]

I would say that the cities of western Russia and the areas along the Volga and the Baltic, basically everything west of the Urals is certainly, without a doubt European. Russians I have met from this part of Russia certainly don't seem Asian in appearance or culture.

Anyone who considers western Russia to be Asian or even a hybrid would probably consider western Europe to be Middle-Eastern.

[Candle]

East - and also west but to a much lesser extent - of the Urals there are a lot of indigenous, non-Slavic groups of people living in Russia.

Also some Sami live in NW Russia. Sami aren't "European" at all.

[Riiksman]

Originally Posted by MimzyMusic

I personally don't consider Russia (or for that matter, Ukraine and Belarus as well) European. At least not anymore. They're of course, closely related and have European origins, but nowadays, they're generally not considered a part of the pack.

That said, Russia definitely isn't an Asian country either.

Geographicaly meaning only.
What is the critery of Asian or Europa?
Religion?
Bashkiria, Tataria - traditionaly muslim region in Russia.
But placed in european part of Russia.
What else?
Modus vivendi has different a bit on both sides Ural Mountains.

The live in the big cities such as Moscow, Saint-Peterburg, Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk more expressive, expensive and interested as opposed to small cities.
I you asked me "Russia: part of Europe, Asia or neither?" I would nothing know to answer even so lived in a lot of place in Russia - Siberia, Ural, Estonia (when it was a part of USSR), Moscow.

[ABQConvict]

Originally Posted by Candle

East - and also west but to a much lesser extent - of the Urals there are a lot of indigenous, non-Slavic groups of people living in Russia.

Also some Sami live in NW Russia. Sami aren't "European" at all.

Sami live in Norway, Sweden and Finland as well, so are Norway, Sweden, and Finland not European either?

[subban]

I don't think Russia is part of the European Union. It should be economically its on par with China and India as the biggest growing for this century. Most russians are slavic in origin and their language closely represents most eastrern european countries culturally. It should defintely be European. But though parts of Russia like Tatarstan with mostly tatars are more asian liguistically and culturally.

[japanese001]

1００％Europe
Russian land is the west of the Ural Mountains.