Discover the Most Forested Country on Earth (and What Lurks Within It)

Russia has some of the world’s densest and most vast forests. It is the largest country in the world, covering around 17 million square kilometers in total. For comparison, the entire continent of North America is roughly 24.7 million square kilometers. Europe is only 10.5 million square kilometers. The massive country is also home to the largest forest in the world. Experts estimate that around one-fifth of all the forested land in the world is in Russia. The Russian forests are boreal or taiga forests. This means that they have coniferous trees, specifically spruce, pine, and larch. These trees have needles and cones instead of leaves and most keep their needles all year. The taiga is considered the most extensive biome in the world, even beyond the Amazon Rainforest.

How Much of Russia Is Forest?

Around 50% of the entire country of Russia is forest. This includes dense, uninhabited wilderness as well as cultivated and managed forests in the many parks. Much of the densest forested parts are uninhabited and do not have a lot of infrastructure. Some towns and villages are located in the remote regions of Russia’s forests, but many of the country’s residents live in larger cities and towns.

Even though it has a massive land area, Russia is not a very populated country. It is home to around 143 million residents, although the majority are concentrated in the major cities. These include Moscow, the country’s capital, and Saint Petersburg. 18 million residents live in these two cities.

What Is the Largest Forest in Russia?

The Russian Boreal Forest is not only the largest forested area in the country but also the largest forested area in the entire world. It covers around 12 million square kilometers of the 17 million total in the country. Numerous rivers run through the taiga, including the Ural River.

In Russia, this forest is called the taiga. It refers to a specific type of habitat or biome that includes dense forests of firs, pines, and other conifer trees. It is limited to the northern part of the planet and is also called a snow forest due to the colder climate that it experiences. The taiga covers land in Russia, Canada, Alaska, and some countries in Northern Europe. But the vast majority is in Russia and the country is known for its dense forests.

Does Russia Have National Forests?

There are numerous National Parks within Russia but not all are forests. Overall, there are over 60 national parks in Russia and collectively they cover more than 155,000 square kilometers. Some of the largest parks include forested areas. Beringia National Park, which is over 30,000 square kilometers, is in northeastern Russia on the Bering Strait. In prehistoric times, Beringia was connected to North America as part of a land bridge. Today, the park’s land is mostly tundra and fjords with plenty of wildlife. Whale-watching is particularly great in the region.

What Animals Live in Russia’s Forests?

Russia and the Taiga are home to many animals. Some are large predators, such as tigers or bears. Siberian tigers are native to Russia and are plentiful in the eastern parts of the country. Others are smaller, like the beaver or wolverine. Deer, caribou, and moose are common ungulates in the forests.

The national animal of Russia is the Eurasian brown bear. This bear lives in many parts of the country’s forests. It is sometimes called a Russian bear thanks to its prominence in culture and tradition, as well as the country’s wilderness. Many of the brown bears in Russia live in the Ural Mountain region. These mountains run all the way from the Arctic Ocean in the north into Kazakhstan, which shares a border with Russia.

The Urals are some of the oldest mountains in the world, perhaps as old as 300 million years based on geological data. The western and eastern parts of the Urals are particularly forests and part of the taiga. The northern parts, also called the Polar Urals, have fewer forests. However, the 32,000-square-kilometer Virgin Komi Forests in the Polar Urals is the largest virgin forest in Europe.

Golden eagles are considered the national bird of Russia. As a symbol, the double golden eagle is prominent in Russian heraldry, architecture, and artwork. In the forests, golden eagles make nests and thrive, although they are not plentiful in the furthest northern regions of the country. They tend to stick to the edges of the taiga rather than in the denser sections of the forest.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © VarnakovR/Shutterstock.com