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Who borders Russia? Land and sea borders of Russia. States bordering Russia by sea and land Border countries of the Russian Federation

The Russian state occupies about 31.5% of the total area of the entire Eurasian continent, located in its northeastern part. After the breakup Soviet Union the formal number of neighbors of the Russian Federation has changed slightly, but the state border, as before, divides it with other countries on water and on land. To have a more complete understanding of your state, you definitely need to know where the land and sea borders of Russia lie.

general information

A notable feature of the Russian Federation is the fact that it is located in both Europe and Asia, occupying the northern part of the first and the eastern regions of the second. Today, the length of the state border is 60.9 thousand kilometers: 38.8 runs along the sea surface, 22.1 on land (of which 7.6 thousand kilometers are along rivers and lakes).

Based on international law, the state territory of the Russian Federation is considered to be that part of the Earth’s surface that is located within this demarcation line, including subsoil, internal and territorial waters, air space.

The limits of the state are determined by two methods:

delimitation - an agreement between countries on the establishment of borders;
demarcation - securing these boundaries with boundary markers on the ground.

After the collapse of the USSR, Russian territory has two types of borders:

old (inherited as an inheritance from the Soviet past);
new.

The borders of states that were once part of the USSR coincide with the old demarcation lines. Most of them are sealed with special agreements. New borders today separate the Russian Federation from the Baltic countries and from the Commonwealth of Independent States. After the “union of fraternal republics” ceased to exist, Russian Federation lost about 40% of its border.

Today, our country borders with other countries by water and land. At the same time, the land demarcation line is more typical for the southern and western regions, but in the east and north there is mainly a water border.

Land borders

So, first, let's look at which countries Russia has a land border with. Today our state has 14 such neighbors. All of them are active members of the UN. In addition, there are two more territories that are not officially recognized by other members of the world community - South Ossetia and Abkhazia. According to other countries, they still belong to Georgia, and therefore these borders have not received official recognition as Russian ones.

In addition, do not forget about the following features of the neighborhood:

The shortest land border with Russia lies on the borders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It is only 17 km. At the same time, the total length of the demarcation line is 39.4 km;
Only the Kaliningrad region borders Lithuania and Poland;
the insignificant enclave of Sankovo-Medvezhye in the Bryansk region is surrounded on all sides by Belarus;
The most important Russian neighbor is the Norwegian state, the border with which runs along the swampy tundra. It is here that all the most important power stations of Russian and Norwegian origin are located;
A little further south stretches the Russian-Finnish border, which runs through wooded and rocky terrain. For our country, this area is of particular importance because active foreign trade takes place here. It is to the port of Vyborg that cargo is delivered from Finland.

In general, the list of Russian land borders looks like this:

Georgia.
Ukraine.
Kazakhstan.
China.
DPRK.
Mongolia.
Belarus.
Azerbaijan.
Poland.
Lithuania.
Norway.
Estonia.
Finland.
Latvia.

The only free border for the transportation of goods and travel of citizens remains the border with the Belarusian state. Residents of the two countries can cross it only with an internal passport confirming their citizenship of the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus.

Before the collapse of the USSR, our state had a border with Iran. But after the recognition of the sovereignty of the North Caucasian republics, such a border automatically ceased to exist.

Territorial disputes

The so-called disputed territories deserve special attention. So, let's say, Estonia lays claim to the right bank of the Narva River, which is located on the territory of Ivangorod. In addition, a certain section of the Pskov region, as well as the Saatse Boot, is also of interest to this state. It is the latter that is the place where Ural bricks are transported to Europe. Once upon a time it was actually planned to transfer this territory to Estonia, but due to the amendments it introduced to the treaty, the Russian side never ratified the document.

Latvia also once put forward its claims to part of the Pytalovsky district of the Pskov region. But in 2007, an agreement was signed according to which this section of the territory remained assigned to Russia.

Most recently, the Russian-Chinese border was demarcated. According to the signed agreement, our Chinese neighbors received small area lands in the Chita region and two more - near the islands of Bolshoy Ussuriysky and Tarabarov.

To this day, the dispute regarding the island of Tuva between the Russian Federation and China continues. In turn, Russian diplomats refuse to recognize the independence of Taiwan, and therefore no interstate relations with this territory simply exist. And although political scientists do not predict serious problems with the Chinese side in the coming years, some concerns (still at the level of rumors) regarding the division of Siberia are still present.

Maritime boundaries

Between Russia and the United States is the Bering Strait - the border separating Ratmanov Island from Kruzenshtern Island.

After Crimea became part of Russian territory, we also had neighbors on the Black Sea:

Türkiye;
Bulgaria;
Georgia.

Part of the border with the following countries runs along the sea:

Norway (in the Barents Sea),
Finland and Estonia (in the Gulf of Finland);
Lithuania and Poland (in the Baltic Sea);
Ukraine (in the Black and Azov Seas);
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan (in the Caspian Sea);
DPRK (in the Sea of Japan).

Disputed territories

We should not forget that some maritime areas of the Russian Federation still cause territorial disputes to this day. We are talking about the unresolved fate of the Kuril Islands, which Japan also claims. This confrontation has been going on since the end of World War II, namely since 1945.

Disputes regarding other borders also continue. Until recently, the confrontation with Ukraine regarding the Bosphorus Strait, or more precisely the Tuzla Spit, could be called relevant. The scythe itself is not of particular value. Its role becomes significant only in the light of the construction of the Kerch Bridge. But since Crimea became part of the Russian Federation, this dispute has died down somewhat.

Conclusion

To summarize all of the above, it should be noted that the clear establishment and observance of state borders is of particular importance in terms of the integrity and security of the state.

But we should not forget that the territory of most countries, including the Russian Federation, is also a zone of passage of the shortest transit freight routes and air routes connecting not only Europe and Asia, but also the countries of North America with the Eurasian continent. Based on this, the issue of maintaining close economic and political contacts remains important. Such cooperation will avoid the need to search for new routes of communication, in particular the construction of gas pipelines, railways and other communications bypassing territories with which there are certain types of conflicts.

State borders of Russia: video

Our country occupies a huge area, so it is not surprising that its border is so long - 60,932 km. More than half of this distance is by sea - 38,807 km. To find out which states it borders on, you need to look at the political map of Eurasia. The list of our neighbors includes 18 countries, and Russia does not have common land borders with two of them.

Countries bordering Russia by land

This list includes 6 countries. The borders between them and Russia pass not only on land, but also along lakes and rivers.

The northernmost border of our country runs between Norway(capital - Oslo) and Murmansk region. The total length is 195.8 km, of which the sea part accounts for 23.3 km. For several decades, there were territorial disputes between Russia and Norway over the shelf border, but they were resolved in 2010.
(the capital is the city of Helsinki) borders on three constituent entities of the Russian Federation - Murmansk and Leningrad regions, as well as the Republic of Karelia. The length of the land part of the border is 1,271.8 km, the sea part is 54 km.
(the capital is the city of Tallinn) borders only two regions - Leningrad and Pskov. By land the length of the border is 324.8 km, by sea it is approximately half as long – 142 km. It is noteworthy that the main part of the land border consists of river (along the Narva River - 87.5 km) and lake (Lake Peipsi - 147.8 km) boundaries.
Between Lithuania(the capital is the city of Vilnius) and the Kaliningrad region also have very few actual land borders. They account for only 29.9 km. Basically, the demarcation is along lakes (30.1 km) and rivers (206 km). In addition, there are maritime borders between the countries - their length is 22.4 km.
(the capital is the city of Warsaw) also borders the Kaliningrad region. The length of the land border is 204.1 km (of which the lake part accounts for only 0.8 km), and the sea border is 32.2 km.
As is known, with Ukraine(the capital is the city of Kyiv) our country currently has difficult relations. In particular, the Ukrainian government has not yet recognized Russia’s rights to the Crimean Peninsula. But since this section has been recognized as a subject of the Russian Federation since 2014, the borders between these countries are as follows: land – 2,093.6 km, sea – 567 km.
(the capital is the city of Sukhum) is another republic that separated from Georgia. It borders on Krasnodar region and the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. The land border is 233 km long (of which 55.9 km is riverine), and the sea border is 22.4 km long.
(the capital is the city of Baku) borders only one republic of the Russian Federation - Dagestan. It is at this point that the southernmost point of our country is located. The length of the land border here is 327.6 km (including 55.2 km along rivers), and the sea border is 22.4 km.
Border between (the capital is Astana) and in Russia it occupies a leading position in terms of its length. It divides Kazakhstan and whole line subjects of our country - 9 regions (from Astrakhan to Novosibirsk), Altai region and the Altai Republic. The length of the land border is 7,512.8 km, and the sea border is 85.8 km.
WITH (the capital is Pyongyang) our country has the shortest border. It runs along the Tumannaya River (17.3 km) and separates the DPRK from the Primorsky Territory. The sea border is 22.1 km.

There are only 2 countries that have only maritime borders with Russia.

Which states Russia borders with is a question that has to be periodically reviewed. The historical past of our country is rich in events. Russia's borders changed as a result of the collapse of empires and various military conflicts. Therefore, we can safely assume that this list will most likely be modified in the future.

Russia shares its borders with 16 sovereign nations.

Russia borders big amount countries than any other country in the world, with a total of 16 countries sharing its long land border. Countries with which Russia shares its land border include North Korea, China, Norway, Finland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Poland, Georgia, Mongolia, Latvia, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Lithuania. Two other countries whose sovereignty is partially recognized also share a land border with Russia: Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The length of Russian land is approximately 12,577 miles, which is the second longest in the world and exceeds the length of only China's land border.

Russia's three longest international borders

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is located south of Russia. The Kazakh-Russian international border is the longest land border shared by Russia, with a total length of 4,254 miles. The border is also the second longest international border in the world, only surpassed in length by the border between Canada and the United States. The border was first marked in 1930 and has remained unchanged since then. However, it was not until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 that the border was officially recognized as an international border. The Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the border at border crossings near the city of Petropavlovsk.

China

The border is Russia's second longest international border, at 2,615 miles. The border consists of two sections: a longer eastern section of about 2,485 miles and a western section of about 60 miles. The earliest demarcation of the border was made in the 17th century by the 1689 Treaty of Nerchinsk between the Qing Empire and the Russian Empire. Other subsequent treaties were signed between the two empires in the 19th century. The two countries had numerous territorial disputes regarding the definition of the border, but they used diplomacy to resolve all of them. All 26 border crossings between China and Russian border located in the eastern part of the border. Three of these border crossings are rail. The western section covers remote regions of both countries, with low populations and therefore no border crossings. However, the two countries are planning to build a gas pipeline that will cross this section of the border. Persons detained for illegally crossing the border must be referred to the authorities of their countries within seven days.

Mongolia

Mongolia has a long land border with Russia, stretching 2,165 miles. The border is the third longest international border in Russia. The easternmost and westernmost edges of the border are marked by points connecting China, Russia and Mongolia. The two three points were established as a result of an international agreement signed by the three countries in 1994. The border was first established in the 18th century as a result of the 1727 Treaty of Kyakhta between the Qing Empire and Russian Empire. Mongolia was at that time part of the Qing Empire. After the decline of the Qing Empire in the early 20th century, Mongolia was established as a Russian protectorate. The border was maintained after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

What countries does Russia border with?

№	State	Length of border with Russia (km)
1	Kazakhstan	7,512.80
2	China	4,209.30
3	Mongolia	3485
4	Ukraine	1,925.80
5	Finland	1,271.80
6	Belarus	1239
7	Georgia	875,5
8	Azerbaijan	372,6
9	Estonia	294
10	Latvia	270,5
11	Lithuania	266
12	Abkhazia	255,4
13	Poland	204,1
14	Norway	195,7
15	South Ossetia	70
16	North Korea	17

Here is a world map, especially for you:

In the northeastern part of Eurasia there is a country occupying 31.5 percent of its territory - Russia. It has a huge number of sovereign neighbors. Today, Russia's borders are impressively long.

The Russian Federation is unique in that, being located simultaneously in Asia and Europe, it occupies the northern part of the first and the eastern expanses of the second.

Map of the southern border of the Russian Federation indicating all neighboring states

It is well known that the length of Russia’s borders is 60.9 thousand km. The land borders are 7.6 thousand km. Russia's maritime borders have a length of 38.8 thousand km.

What you need to know about the Russian state border

In accordance with the provisions of international law, the state border of Russia is defined as the surface of the globe. It includes both territorial waters and internal waters. In addition, the “composition” of the state border includes the bowels of the earth and airspace.

The state border of Russia is the existing water and territorial line. The main “function” of the state border should be considered the determination of current territorial limits.

Types of state borders

After the collapse of the great and mighty Soviet Union, the Russian Federation has the following types of borders:

old (these borders were “inherited” by Russia from the Soviet Union);
new.

A similar map of the borders of the USSR indicating the borders of the republics of the union

Old borders include those that coincide with the borders of states that were once full members of one big Soviet family. Most of the old borders are fixed by contracts concluded in accordance with current international standards. Such states include both relatively close Russia and, and.

Experts include those that border the Baltic countries, as well as states that are part of the CIS, as new borders. The latter, first of all, should include.
It is not for nothing that Soviet times drive patriotic-minded citizens of the older generation into nostalgia. The fact is that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia lost more than 40 percent of its equipped border.

"Extirpated" boundaries

It is not for nothing that Russia is called a unique state. It has borders that are defined today as “extended” zones to the borders of the former Soviet Union.

Russia today has many problems with borders. They became especially acute after the collapse of the Soviet Union. On a geographical map everything looks quite beautiful. But in reality, the new borders of Russia have nothing in common with cultural and ethnic borders. Another significant problem is the categorical rejection by public opinion of the restrictions that arose in connection with the introduction of border posts.

There is another serious problem. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation was unable to equip its new borders in a timely manner technically. Today, the solution to the problem is moving forward, but not fast enough.

Given the serious danger looming from some former Soviet republics, this issue remains at the forefront. The southern and western borders are predominantly land. East and north refer to water boundaries.

Map of the collapse of the Soviet Union

What you need to know about the key borders of the Russian Federation

By 2020, our country will have a large number of neighbors. On land, our country borders on fourteen powers. It is important to note all neighbors:

Republic of Kazakhstan.
Mongolian state.
Belarus.
Polish Republic.
Republic of Estonia.
Norway.

Our country also has borders with the Abkhaz state and South Ossetia. But these countries are still not recognized by the “international community,” which still considers them part of the Georgian state.

Map of the Russian border with Georgia and the unrecognized republics

For this reason, the borders of the Russian Federation with these small states are not generally recognized in 2020.

Who does the Russian Federation border on land?

The most important land neighbors of the Russian Federation include the Norwegian state. The border with this Scandinavian state runs along the swampy tundra from Varanger Fjord. Important power plants of domestic and Norwegian production are located here.

Today on top level The issue of creating a transport route to this country, cooperation with which began in the deep Middle Ages, is being seriously discussed.

A little further south lies the border with the Finnish state. The terrain here is wooded and rocky. This area is important for Russia for the reason that this is where active foreign trade takes place. Finnish cargo is transported to the port of Vyborg from Finland. The western border of the Russian Federation stretches from the Baltic waters to the Sea of Azov.

Map of Russia's western border showing all border states

The first section should include the border with the Baltic powers. The second section, no less important, is the border with Belarus. In 2020, it continues to remain free for the transport of goods and the travel of people. The European transport route, which is of great importance for Russia, passes through this section. Not long ago, a historic decision was made regarding the creation of a new powerful gas pipeline. The main point is considered to be the Yamal Peninsula. The highway will pass through Belarus to the countries Western Europe.

Ukraine is not only geopolitically, but also geographically important for Russia. Considering difficult situation, which continues to remain extremely tense in 2020, the Russian authorities are doing everything possible to lay new railway tracks. But Railway, connecting Zlatoglavaya with Kiev still does not lose its relevance.

Who does the Russian Federation border on the sea?

Our most important water neighbors include Japan and the United States of America.

Map of the maritime borders of the Russian Federation

Both of these states are separated from the Russian Federation by small straits. The Russian-Japanese border is designated between Sakhalin, the South Kuril Islands and Hokkaido.

After the annexation of Crimea, Russia also had neighbors in the Black Sea. Such countries include Turkey, Georgia and Bulgaria. The oceanic neighbors of the Russian Federation include Canada, located on the other side of the Arctic Ocean.

The most important Russian ports include:

Arkhangelsk.
Murmansk.
Sevastopol.

The great Northern Route begins from Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. Most of the waters there are covered with a huge crust of ice for eight to nine months. In 2016, by order of the President of the Russian Federation, preparations began for the creation of an underwater Arctic highway. It is assumed that this route will use nuclear submarines to transport important cargo. Of course, only submarines that have been decommissioned will take part in the transportation.

Disputed areas

In 2020, Russia still has some unresolved geographic disputes. Today the following countries are involved in the “geographical conflict”:

Republic of Estonia.
Latvian republic.
People's Republic of China.
Japan.

If we take into account that the so-called “ international community” denies the annexation of Crimea to Russia, ignoring the results of the referendum held in March 2014, then Ukraine should be added to this list. In addition, Ukraine seriously lays claim to some Kuban lands.

Disputed section of the Russian-Norway border

The so-called “Arctic issue” in the near future, it seems, will only be a method of “subtle trolling” for some of Russia’s maritime neighbors.

Claims of the Republic of Estonia

This issue is not discussed as diligently as the “Kuril Islands problem.” And the Republic of Estonia lays claim to the right bank of the Narva River, which is located on the territory of Ivangorod. Also, the “appetites” of this state extend to the Pskov region.

Five years ago, an agreement was concluded between the Russian and Estonian states. It outlined the delimitation of water spaces in the Gulf of Finland and Narva Gulf.

The “main hero” of Russian-Estonian negotiations is considered to be “Saatse’s Boot”. It is in this place that bricks are transported from the Urals to European countries. Once upon a time they wanted to transfer the “boot” to the Estonian state in exchange for other parts of the land. But due to significant amendments made by the Estonian side, our country did not ratify the agreement.

Claims of the Republic of Latvia

Until 2007, the Republic of Latvia wanted to obtain the territory of the Pytalovsky district, which is located in the Pskov region. But in March an agreement was signed according to which this area should remain the property of our country.

What China wanted and what it achieved

Five years ago, the demarcation of the Chinese-Russian border was carried out. According to this treaty, the People's Republic of China received land plot in the Chita region and 2 plots near the Bolshoy Ussuriysky and Tarabarov islands.

In 2020, a dispute continues between our country and China regarding the Republic of Tuva. In turn, Russia does not recognize Taiwan's independence. There are no diplomatic relations with this state. Some seriously fear that the People's Republic of China is interested in dividing Siberia. This issue has not yet been discussed at the highest level, and dark rumors are very difficult to comment on and analyze.

China-Russia border map

2015 shows that there should not be any serious geographic friction between Russia and China in the near future.

The Russian Federation is the largest state in the world in terms of territory; it also has the longest state borders.

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They connect the Russian Federation with 18 other countries by sea, rivers, lakes and land. It is the state borders that determine the limits of the sovereignty of the Russian Federation. Sometimes their placement causes quite a lot of disagreement.

Important nuances

Taking first place in the world in terms of area, Russia has greatest number neighboring countries.

The borders of the Russian Federation are also extremely long. Their total length, taking into account the territory of Crimea, is about 61.5 thousand kilometers, about 38 thousand km are sea borders, and another 7.6 thousand km are river and lake borders.

Russia holds the record for the number of countries that share a common border with it. The entire Federation has state borders with 18 countries.

But 2 of them are the partially recognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Russian Federation recognizes their independence, but most countries in the world still consider them part of Georgia.

By land

Russia has land borders with most of its neighbors. In the west, with Poland and Lithuania, it is only available in the Kaliningrad region, which is a Russian semi-exclave and is not connected to the main part of the country by land.

The longest land border between Russia and Kazakhstan. The Russian Federation borders exclusively by land only with Georgia after the separation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

All land borders can be crossed only through special checkpoints and with mandatory passport control. The exception is the Russian-Belarusian state border.

Only in the sea

Russia has exclusively maritime borders with the United States of America and Japan.

With a number of other states there are both land and sea. The maritime boundary is determined at a distance of 22.2 km from land or internal sea waters.

The border with the United States passes through the Bering Strait, and its length is only 49 km.

The Russian-Japanese border runs between Sakhalin, as well as the Kuril Islands and Hokkaido Island (Japan) through several narrow straits.

By water and by land

Russia borders on this moment, both by land and by land with various states. Many of them appeared only after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The longest along the rivers is the Russian-Chinese one. Of its 4,209.3 km length, rivers and lakes account for more than 3,500 km.

Let's look at which countries Russia shares a border with by water and land:

Norway;
Estonia;
Latvia;
Lithuania;
Finland;
Belarus;
Ukraine;
Poland;
Georgia;
Abkhazia;
South Ossetia;
Mongolia;
Kazakhstan;
Azerbaijan;
DPRK.

The shortest border is the Russian-North Korean border. It does not pass directly on land; 17.3 km of it falls on the Tumannaya River, and another 22.1 km on the Sea of Japan.

Features of states in the Caucasus

After the collapse of the USSR, internal conflicts began in many new states, which are often not resolved to this day.

Moreover, in some cases the situation has become completely ambiguous. This concerns, first of all, partially recognized states.

Russia recognizes the following republics, which were formerly part of Georgia:

Abkhazia.
South Ossetia.

After Russia recognized the independence of these republics, diplomatic relations were established with them and citizens of the Russian Federation were given the opportunity to enter their territory without visas, including with “internal” Russian passports.

Most other countries in the world do not recognize these new countries. Georgia considers them temporarily occupied territory.

If the foreign passport of a person wishing to enter Georgia contains notes about visits to South Ossetia or Abkhazia, serious problems arise. He may be fined, not allowed into Georgia, or even arrested.

Video: existing types

Disputed territories

Most of the issues regarding the disputed territories, which arose quite a few after the collapse of the Soviet Union, were nevertheless resolved during negotiations.

In some cases, the Russian Federation made concessions, and some countries renounced their claims.

Let's look at what issues have been resolved regarding the disputed territories:

Azerbaijan	The question was regarding the border on the Samur River. It was settled in 2010 through certain concessions to Russia. The border shifted from the Azerbaijani coast to the middle of the Samur hydroelectric complex, and the division of water resources began to be made in equal shares
Estonia	The territorial dispute with Estonia regarding the Pechora district of the Pskov region was resolved only on the second attempt in 2014. The countries simply renounced all territorial claims against each other
Latvia	In 2007, when signing the agreement, Latvia renounced its territorial claims to the Pytalovsky district of the Pskov region
China	Disputes with China regarding the border have been going on since the existence of the Soviet Union. Issues regarding them were closed in 2005 due to concessions to the Russian Federation. As a result, the area of the People's Republic of China increased by 337 square kilometers.

At the same time, there is still a territorial dispute with Japan. She insists on the transfer of 4 South Kuril Islands, considering them her Northern Territory. The Russian Federation does not recognize the claims of the Japanese side.

The dispute has been going on since the end of World War II and has prevented the conclusion of a peace treaty between the countries.

Another open dispute concerns the Republic of Crimea, located in the southwest of the Russian Federation. In 2014, after the all-Crimean referendum, it became part of Russia, which from that moment considers it its subject of the federation.

Ukraine does not recognize the secession of Crimea and considers it “temporarily occupied territory.”

Currently, Russia has unilaterally established a state border between Crimea and Ukraine, and Ukraine has established an administrative border between the Kherson region and the free economic zone of Crimea.

Due to the difficulties in the political relations between the two countries, the resolution of this territorial dispute in currently has become virtually impossible.