Russia Neighbouring Countries and Eurasian Borders

Russia’s Neighboring Countries

So, let’s chat about Russia’s neighbors, both on land and sea. Russia, being the behemoth it is, rubs elbows with quite a few countries around its vast borders.

Land Border Countries

Russia cozies up with 14 countries on land (Wikipedia). Here’s the lineup:

Neighboring Country	Border Length (km)
Norway	195.7
Finland	1,313
Estonia	294
Latvia	338
Lithuania (via Kaliningrad)	227
Poland (via Kaliningrad)	206
Belarus	1,239
Ukraine	1,925.8
Georgia	894
Azerbaijan	338
Kazakhstan	7,512
China	4,209.3
Mongolia	3,485
North Korea	19

• Poland and Lithuania: These two are bordered through the Kaliningrad chunk, Russia’s little piece nestled on the Baltic Sea away from its main body (USA Today).
• Ukraine: A significant border here, with a lot of history and politics tucked between them (Council on Foreign Relations). Check out more about Lithuania’s neighbors.
• China and Kazakhstan: They have some seriously long borders with Russia, key players in trade and politics.

Maritime Border Countries

Alongside its land limits, Russia shares some salty borders with these countries (Wikipedia).

• Japan: They’ve got this sea boundary with Russia, spotlighted by the fuss over the Kuril Islands. The Japanese call them the Northern Territories, and it causes a fair bit of tension between these two (USA Today). You can dive into more maritime dispute details in our section on Maritime Disputes.

All these borders underline Russia’s strategic spot across Europe and Asia. Knowing about them sheds light on its historical and current geopolitical paths. For some intel on other countries’ neighbors like Luxembourg or Malaysia, take a peek at our other reads.

Northern Border

Russia bumps into its northern neighbors, each with its own story about living side-by-side next to the vast Russian terrain. Let’s dig into what it’s like at Russia’s borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia.

Norway and Finland

The chunk of land where Russia meets Norway isn’t long—it’s just a hop at 196 clicks—but when they look out to sea, it’s the wide-open Barents Sea they both share. This connection has them working together on big projects like sniffing out oil and gas. They crafted their water boundary through some legal mumbo jumbo known as the Treaty of Maritime Delimitation. Their relationship is solid, as they rub shoulders in the icy Arctic arena for mutual economic gain.

Now on to Finland—it’s a different ball game; their shared line stretches around 1,340 kilometers. Once the stage for historical dust-ups, particularly during World War II, it’s today a channel for goods and happy tourists. Finland and Russia have realized they’re better off high-fiving over their invisible line, getting cozy with joint endeavors in trade and community development.

Country	Land Travels (km)	Maritime Connection
Norway	196	Barents Sea
Finland	1,340	No sea handshake

Estonia and Latvia

Scooting further south, we hit Estonia and Latvia, forever tied to Russia through shared turf and past Soviet shenanigans. These states dance a delicate cultural and political tango with their neighbor.

For Estonia, it’s 294 kilometers of common ground, passing through areas where Russian language and loyalty still linger. Coastal cities here buzz with business, pushing goods across borders as they smooth over rocky patches in their relationship.

Latvia’s line with Russia is shorter at about 214 kilometers but no less full of drama—historical angst from Soviet times hasn’t entirely been swept under the rug. Ancient grudges aside, these countries do the business tango, especially with their busy exchange of goods and cross-border ventures.

Country	Land Travels (km)	Maritime Connection
Estonia	294	Hugging the Baltic Sea
Latvia	214	Between Gulf of Finland and Baltic Sea

So, taking a peek at these borders isn’t just about lines and limits; it’s a crash course in how geography shapes politics and economies. For a closer look at these threads connecting countries, check out the neighbors of Norway and more on Lithuania’s neighboring ties.

Western Border

Poland and Lithuania

Russia rubs shoulders with Poland and Lithuania through the Kaliningrad exclave, a chunk of Russia hugging the Baltic Sea. Kaliningrad stands as Russia’s westernmost outpost, cut off from the rest of Russia and nestled snugly between Poland and Lithuania. This piece of land ain’t just a pretty face—it’s got serious strategic mojo with its prime Baltic Sea location and the direct line to European markets it provides.

Feature	Details
Exclave Name	Kaliningrad
Neighboring Countries	Poland, Lithuania
Strategic Importance	Access to Baltic Sea and Europe

Kaliningrad’s spot carries heft in the world of geopolitics. It acts like a Russian muscle-flexer, showing off military and economic clout in the Baltic zone. But it ain’t all smooth sailing—being couch neighbors with NATO buddies like Poland and Lithuania means Russia’s gotta tread carefully.

If you’re curious about who else Poland or Lithuania share borders with, click on Poland’s neighboring countries or Lithuania’s neighboring countries.

Kaliningrad Exclave

Kaliningrad carries some massive weight for Russia. Once upon a time, it was known as Königsberg, a slice of East Prussia, until the Soviets nabbed it after World War II. Now, it flies the Russian flag but sits apart from the Russian mainland.

Attribute	Description
Formerly Known As	Königsberg (East Prussia)
Current Status	Russian Exclave
Key City	Kaliningrad

Living in isolation ain’t easy. Kaliningrad faces its fair share of logistical headaches, leaning on Poland and Lithuania for transit routes. As USA Today pointed out, it’s a key card in Russia’s western deck.

Kaliningrad’s moves can’t be seen in a vacuum—they’re part of a broader Russian pattern playing out in other close-knit regions. Russia’s hustle to tighten its grip on western borders can be seen in the goings-on here.

Want the full scoop on Russia’s pals and border antics? Check out Russia Neighbouring Countries and Eurasian Borders.

Getting a grip on Kaliningrad and the neighborhood drama gives a window into the bigger Russian strategy picture. This exclave isn’t just another border puzzle piece—it’s a peek into the wild and winding world of international lines and political chess games.

Southern Border

Russia rubs shoulders with a few southern buddies, each packed with their own stories and quirks. Let’s get the lowdown on Russia’s pals to the south: Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

Belarus and Ukraine

Belarus

Belarus is like Russia’s BFF, sharing a bunch of history, culture, and language. They’re in this Union State thing together, which basically means they’re syncing up their money moves and defense plans. Belarus really banks on Russian energy and economic help.

Bordering Country	Length of Border (km)
Belarus	1,239

Ukraine

Ukraine’s like the new kid everyone wants to be friends with, causing quite a stir between Russia and the western clique. It’s leaning more towards the EU and NATO these days. But inside, there’s a tug-of-war between those speaking Ukrainian and dreaming of European ties and others speaking Russian, who feel cozy with Russia.

Back in 2014, Russia snatched Crimea and backed some local brawls in Donbas, which led to a lot of heartbreak and loss, costing over fourteen thousand lives. Ukraine was always a big deal for Russia, especially with gas lines that kept Central and Eastern Europe warm. But lately, their trading vibes have cooled off.

Bordering Country	Length of Border (km)
Ukraine	1,576

Looking for more scoop on nearby nations? Check out our pages on lithuania neighboring countries and luxembourg neighboring countries.

Georgia and Azerbaijan

Georgia

Georgia and Russia aren’t exactly best friends, with past drama over spots like Abkhazia and South Ossetia. After their 2008 spat, Russia backed these regions’ independence, a move not many were on board with.

Bordering Country	Length of Border (km)
Georgia	894

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s a bit of a hot spot for Russia thanks to its energy stash and prime location in the South Caucasus. Their relationship’s pretty chill, mostly about energy hookups and keeping the peace in the neighborhood.

Bordering Country	Length of Border (km)
Azerbaijan	338

Peeking into Russia’s southern borders gives a glimpse into the tangled scene in the region. For a closer look at other countries nearby, swing by our write-ups on mongolia neighboring countries and mauritania neighboring countries.

Eastern Border

Russia’s eastern frontier is quite a stretch, sharing boundaries with Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. Each of these neighbors has its own special connection with Russia, contributing to the lively interactions in this neck of the woods.

Kazakhstan and China

Kazakhstan:

Kazakhstan stands as Russia’s largest mate to the east. Blink and you’ll miss the fact that the Russia-Kazakhstan border is the longest continuous one in the world, covering about 7,644 kilometers (Wikipedia). This boundary’s like a busy freeway for trade and economic shenanigans, helping goods, services, and folks travel without much fuss.

Country	Border Length (km)
Kazakhstan	7,644

China:

China’s got quite a chunk of border with Russia, stretching for around 4,209 kilometers. This line runs between northeastern China and the Russian Far East. It’s a big deal economically, with loads of trade agreements and projects like the Power of Siberia gas pipeline keeping their ties solid as ever.

Country	Border Length (km)
China	4,209

Borders here aren’t just lines on a map—they’re like veins, pulsing with socio-economic action between these places. Economists and researchers are constantly having a field day studying the happenings along these stretches (PMC).

Mongolia and North Korea

Mongolia:

You won’t miss the Russia-Mongolia border, running a generous 3,485 kilometers. The history books are thick with stories between these two, with cultural and trade exchanges being vital players. It’s not just for show; this boundary boosts trade and movement, tickling both nations’ economies.

Country	Border Length (km)
Mongolia	3,485

North Korea:

Comparatively tiny, the Russia-North Korea border runs a short 17 kilometers along the Tumen River. Short but sweet, this strip carries geopolitical weight due to North Korea’s isolation and Russia’s peacemaking ambitions in local squabbles.

Country	Border Length (km)
North Korea	17

Russia’s eastern edges paint a picture that’s more than meets the eye—it’s a canvas with historical ties and economic symbiosis. If you’re itching for more deets on Russia’s neighbors, hop over to our pages on Mongolia’s neighboring countries and North Korea’s neighboring countries.

In summary, the connections at Russia’s eastern borders aren’t merely about geography—they’re a web of interaction, reflecting shared economic headaches and political leanings. Brainy folks keep picking these apart, shedding light on broader socio-political themes (PMC).

Japan and Maritime Borders

Maritime Disputes

Japan and Russia’s shared waterline sparks squabbles over a bunch of islands. Russia already rubs shoulders with 14 other countries, land-wise. These contested bits are the Kuril Islands if you’re Russian, or Northern Territories if you’re Japanese. It’s an old beef that started when the Soviet Union snapped up the islands at the tail end of WWII. Since then, talks haven’t really put out this territorial fire. Japan insists these islands rightfully belong to them, and they put a fresh stamp on it back in March 2022, a period already haunted by global drama.

Kuril Islands Issue

The squabble’s been simmering since post-WWII over this chain of islands in the Pacific, stretching between Japan’s Hokkaido and Russia’s Kamchatka. The top contenders in this tug-of-war are:

• Kunashir (Kunashiri)
• Iturup (Etorofu)
• Shikotan
• Habomai islets

Here’s a quick peek at how both sides name them and their size:

Island (Japanese Name)	Island (Russian Name)	Size (sq miles)
Kunashiri	Kunashir	582
Etorofu	Iturup	1,320
Shikotan	Shikotan	120
Habomai islets	Habomai islets	39

Japan keeps the spotlight on their claim, dubbing them the Northern Territories, and this clash has stalled any peace treaty since WWII. This leaves Japan and Russia still eyeing each other warily across the water.

For other territorial tangles, check out our chats about Malaysia’s neighbors and Mongolia’s nearby nations.

Digging into these spats helps make sense of the chess game Russia plays worldwide, as it maintains ties with a dozen or more neighbors. Scenarios like these shed light on the strategic jigsaw Russia finds itself in, tangled up with other countries on every side.