Located in western Russia, Moscow sits proudly in the center of the vast East European Plain. The city straddles the winding Moskva River, which meanders through the urban landscape and connects, via a network of canals and broader river systems, to both the Baltic and Black seas, earning Moscow the moniker "Port of Five Seas."
The geography of the region is defined by a mix of rolling terrain, broad river valleys, and historically dense mixed forests of pine, birch, and oak, though the immediate city area is heavily urbanized. In 2012, Moscow's official geographic footprint expanded significantly to the southwest (an initiative known as "New Moscow"), more than doubling its territorial size and incorporating large tracts of greenbelts, woodlands, and satellite settlements into the city limits.
Moscow lacks significant raw mineral extraction within its borders today, having transitioned into an urban service economy. However, its geographic positioning makes it a critical logistical and transport hub, linking Europe and Asia through an intricate web of highways and rail lines.
