Russia, or the Russian Federation, is the largest country in the world. It occupies most of Eastern Europe and north Asia, stretching from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south. It is renowned for snowy and cold winters but because the country is so big the climate varies; in the east and south winters can be cool and summers warm. Russia’s cities are a combination of extravagant architecture of old Russia and the drab legacies of the Soviet era. The capital city is Moscow and the country has an impressive 23 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.