Russia. It is a country that has been at the forefront of global politics for more than two centuries. Russia is a country that is almost always in the news, as the recent Russia Ukraine conflict demonstrates. It’s a country you simply cannot ignore. At a time of renewed tensions between East and West, its more important than ever that we stop a moment to understand what is Russia and who are the Russians. And this is why I made this country the next in the series on Nation States of Earth.