Using the compass points below, tell your instructor where the 14 nations and the bodies of water are located:

Russia is divided into a number of distinct areas, based on the geographic features of each region. Some of the most common of these are:

The following cities are located in these geographic areas:

See if you can locate these cities on the map shown here.

After August 1991, the names of many Russian cities were changed:

The same is true of numerous locations and landmarks in Moscow and other Russian cities:

But "Red Square" is still Red Square!

Кра́сная пло́щадь has been called Кра́сная (red) since the second half of the 17th century. The square was constructed towards the end of the 15th century (around the time of Columbus' discovery of America) when Tsar Ivan the Great Ива́н Вели́кий was building the magnificent cathedrals of the Kremlin Кремль, that walled fortress which was the heart of the city's defenses. Every major city in Russia would have had a Kremlin, but the Moscow one is by far the most famous.

The square was first called Торг (Trading Place) and was the site for some very lively commerce. Later, in the 16th century, it became known asТро́ицкая (Trinity Square) in honor of the Trinity Cathedral which stood at the southern end of the square. In 1571 the square was renamed Пожа́р (The Fire) after the great fire of that year. Finally, the square was named Кра́сная when it was cleared of all the trading stalls at the end of the 17th century. At that time the word кра́сный(red) meant краси́вый (beautiful), and had nothing to do with the red brick of the Kremlin wall which runs along one of its sides.