The very mention of this country brings to memory the image of a proud Yuri Gagarin as he became the first human to journey into outer space. Russians have always been the pioneers in space travel and launched the first human made satellite. Extending across northern Asia and Eastern Europe, Russia is the largest country in the world by area. Russians over the past several centuries have played a very important role in the development of the world’s art, science and technology, philosophy, music, politics and literature.