World Cities-Moscow-The Port of Five Seas

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Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent. Moscow is the most northern city on Earth with a population above 10,000,000, the most populous city on the continent of Europe, and the sixth largest city proper in the world. Its population, according to the preliminary results of the 2010 census, is 11,514,300.Based on Forbes 2011, Moscow had 79 billionaires, displacing New York as the city with the greatest number of billionaires.

Moscow is situated on the Moskva River in the Central Federal District of European Russia. In the course of its history the city has served as the capital of a progression of states, from the medieval Grand Duchy of Moscow and the subsequent Tsardom of Russia to the Soviet Union. Moscow is the site of the Moscow Kremlin, an ancient fortress that is today the residence of the Russian President and of the executive branch of the Government of Russia. The Kremlin is also one of several World Heritage Sites in the city. Both chambers of the Russian parliament (the State Duma and the Federation Council) also sit in Moscow.

The city is served by an extensive transit network, which includes four international airports, nine railroad terminals, and the Moscow Metro, second only to Tokyo in terms of ridership and recognised as one of the city’s landmarks due to the rich and varied architecture of its 182 stations.

Moscow is called “Port of five seas” because of the Moscow Canal. Moscow Canal (length: 128 Kms) was completed in 1937, provides connectivity to five seas: the White Sea, Baltic Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea. Its name was changed from Moscow-Volga to Moscow Canal in 1947 in honor of Moscow’s 800th anniversary. Moscow Canal System which comprises of the Canal itself, Stalin Waterworks Oka and Moscow Rivers, and Uglich and Rybinsk Reservoirs provide 65-70% of Russia’s Total Potable water.Moscow Canal is a waterway of strategic importance to Russia.