<P> The geography of Russia describes the geographic features of Russia , a country extending over much of northern Eurasia . Comprising much of eastern Europe and northern Asia , it is the world 's largest country in total area . Due to its size , Russia displays both monotony and diversity . As with its topography , its climates , vegetation , and soils span vast distances . From north to south the East European Plain is clad sequentially in tundra , coniferous forest ( taiga ) , mixed and broadleaf forests , grassland ( steppe ) , and semi-desert ( fringing the Caspian Sea ) as the changes in vegetation reflect the changes in climate . Siberia supports a similar sequence but is predominantly taiga . The country contains forty UNESCO biosphere reserves . </P>
the vegetation of coniferous forest at the southern end of the treeless plains is known as
taiga