Saint Petersburg is a city located in Northwestern Federal Distinct of Russia on the delta of the Neva River at the east end of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea.
Founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 16(27), 1703 as a "window to Europe", it served as the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years.
With about 4.7 million inhabitants (2002), today Saint Petersburg is Russia's second-largest city, Europe's fourth largest city, a major European cultural center, and the most important Russian port on the Baltic. The city has a total area of 1439 square km, which makes it the second biggest city in terms of area among cities with over a million inhabitants in Europe, after London. Among cities of the world having populations of over one million people, Saint Petersburg is the northernmost.
Russia's political and cultural center for 200 years, the city is impressive even today, and is sometimes referred to in Russia as "the Northern Capital" (severnaya stolitsa).
Bird’s-Eye View of St. Petersburg
gulf - залив
inhabitant - житель
refer - ссылаться (на что-л.)
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