Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject located in the Northwestern Federal District of Russia. It stands at the mouth of the Neva River at the east end of the Gulf of Finland (part of the Baltic Sea).
The area of the city of Saint Petersburg proper is 605.8 km2 (233.9 sq mi). As a federal subject Saint Petersburg contains, besides Saint Petersburg proper, a number of towns (Kolpino, Krasnoye Selo, Kronstadt, Lomonosov, Pavlovsk, Petergof, Pushkin, Sestroretsk and Zelenogorsk), 21 municipal settlements, as well as rural localities. The total territory of the federal subject as of 2015 [update] comprises 1439 km2.
The federal subject and city of Saint Petersburg is situated on the middle taiga lowlands along the shores of the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland, along the shores of the lower reaches of the River Neva itself and on the numerous islands of the river delta.
To the north of the city lies the Karelian Isthmus, a popular summer-resort area for citizens, while in the south Saint Petersburg crosses the Baltic-Ladoga Klint and meets the Izhora Plateau.
The elevation of Saint Petersburg ranges from the sea level to its highest point of 175.9 m (577 ft) at the Orehovaya hill in the Duderhof Heights in the south. However, the historical city center (except the area between Liteyny Prospekt and Smolnaya Embankment) is situated lower than 4 metres (13 ft) above sea level and has suffered from flooding about 300 times in its history. Floods in Saint Petersburg are triggered by long waves in the Baltic Sea, developing regularly under some meteorological conditions and amplified by favorable winds and by the shallowness of the Neva Bay. The most disastrous floods occurred in 1824 (4.21 m, 13 ft 10 in above sea level [1] ), 1924 (3.80 m, 12 ft 6 in), 1777 (3.21 m, 10 ft 6 in), 1955 (2.93 m, 9 ft 7 in) and 1975 (2.81 m, 9 ft 3 in). The Saint Petersburg Dam, built to prevent floods, was completed in August 2011 after a lengthy period of construction beginning in 1979. [2]
Since the 18th century the terrain in the city centre has been steadily raised artificially, at some places by more than 4 metres (13 ft). The hydrology of the city center and the number of islands have also changed dramatically.
Besides the Neva and its distributaries, other important rivers of the federal subject of Saint Petersburg include:
The largest lake is Sestroretsky Razliv in the north, outside of the limits of Saint Petersburg proper. Lakhtinsky Razliv and Suzdal Lakes are smaller lakes within the northern limits of the city.
St. Petersburg's position on a latitude of about 60° N, less than seven degrees to the south of the Arctic Circle, leads to a huge variation in day length across seasons, ranging from 5 h 53 min to 18 h 50 min, and causes twilight to last all night in early summer, from June to mid-July – the celebrated phenomenon known as the white nights.
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Vasilyevsky Island is the largest island (not counting the unnamed artificial island formed by Obvodny Canal and Fontanka and Kotlin Island (the site of Kronstadt) in the Neva Bay), followed by Petrogradsky, Dekabristov and Krestovsky Islands. The latter, together with Yelagin and Kamenny Island, forms the so-called Kirovskiye islands, covered mostly by parks.
Other islands include:
Saint Petersburg experiences a humid continental climate of the warm summer subtype (Köppen: Dfb), due to the distinct moderating influence of the Baltic Sea cyclones. Summers are typically mild to hot, humid and quite short, while winters are long and cold but with frequent warm spells. The average winter minimum is about −9 °C (16 °F), and the record low temperature is −35.9 °C (−32.6 °F), recorded in 1883. Solid frozen ground is a normal part of winter there. The Neva River within the city limits usually freezes up in November–December (in 2007 and 2020 it did in late January only), while break-up occurs in April. On average there are 123 days with snow cover (stable from December to March), which reaches the average of 240 mm (9+1⁄2 in) by February. The frost-free period in the city lasts on average for about 135 days. There is some temperature variation within the city limits, and the city itself experiences a climate slightly warmer than its suburbs. Weather conditions are, however, quite variable all over the year. [3]
The highest temperatures of July and August were reached in 2010.
Average annual precipitation varies across the city, being about 600–750 mm per year on average and reaching maximum in late summer and in the north. Though this number is not high by itself, soil moisture is almost always excessive because of low evapotranspiration due to the cool climate. Relative humidity of air is also high (78% on average), and overcast is common throughout the year (165 days a year on average).
Climate data for Saint Petersburg (1991–2020; extremes 1743–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 8.7 (47.7) | 10.2 (50.4) | 15.3 (59.5) | 25.3 (77.5) | 33.0 (91.4) | 35.9 (96.6) | 35.3 (95.5) | 37.1 (98.8) | 30.4 (86.7) | 21.0 (69.8) | 12.3 (54.1) | 10.9 (51.6) | 37.1 (98.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −2.5 (27.5) | −2.4 (27.7) | 2.3 (36.1) | 9.5 (49.1) | 16.3 (61.3) | 20.5 (68.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 21.4 (70.5) | 15.9 (60.6) | 8.7 (47.7) | 2.8 (37.0) | −0.5 (31.1) | 9.6 (49.3) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.8 (23.4) | −5.0 (23.0) | −1.0 (30.2) | 5.2 (41.4) | 11.5 (52.7) | 16.1 (61.0) | 19.1 (66.4) | 17.4 (63.3) | 12.4 (54.3) | 6.2 (43.2) | 0.9 (33.6) | −2.5 (27.5) | 6.3 (43.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.2 (19.0) | −7.6 (18.3) | −4.0 (24.8) | 1.7 (35.1) | 7.2 (45.0) | 12.2 (54.0) | 15.3 (59.5) | 13.9 (57.0) | 9.4 (48.9) | 4.1 (39.4) | −0.9 (30.4) | −4.5 (23.9) | 3.3 (37.9) |
Record low °C (°F) | −35.9 (−32.6) | −35.2 (−31.4) | −29.9 (−21.8) | −21.8 (−7.2) | −6.6 (20.1) | 0.1 (32.2) | 4.9 (40.8) | 1.3 (34.3) | −3.1 (26.4) | −12.9 (8.8) | −22.2 (−8.0) | −34.4 (−29.9) | −35.9 (−32.6) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 46 (1.8) | 36 (1.4) | 36 (1.4) | 37 (1.5) | 47 (1.9) | 69 (2.7) | 84 (3.3) | 87 (3.4) | 57 (2.2) | 64 (2.5) | 56 (2.2) | 51 (2.0) | 670 (26.4) |
Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) | 15 (5.9) | 19 (7.5) | 14 (5.5) | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 3 (1.2) | 9 (3.5) | 19 (7.5) |
Average rainy days | 9 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 173 |
Average snowy days | 25 | 23 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 5 | 16 | 23 | 117 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 86 | 84 | 79 | 69 | 65 | 69 | 71 | 76 | 80 | 83 | 86 | 87 | 78 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 22 | 54 | 125 | 180 | 260 | 276 | 267 | 213 | 129 | 70 | 27 | 13 | 1,636 |
Source 1: Pogoda.ru.net [4] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: NOAA (sun 1961–1990) [5] |
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North and Central European Plain.
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg in Russia to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn. The eastern parts of the Gulf of Finland belong to Russia, and some of Russia's most important oil harbors are located farthest in, near Saint Petersburg. As the seaway to Saint Petersburg, the Gulf of Finland has been and continues to be of considerable strategic importance to Russia. Some of the environmental problems affecting the Baltic Sea are at their most pronounced in the shallow gulf. Proposals for a tunnel through the gulf have been made.
The Neva is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of 74 kilometres (46 mi), it is the fourth-largest river in Europe in terms of average discharge.
Paraguay is a country in South America, bordering Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil. The Paraguay River divides the country into strikingly different eastern and western regions. Both the eastern region and the western region gently slope toward and are drained into the Paraguay River, which separates and unifies the two regions. With the Paraneña region reaching southward and the Chaco extending to the north, Paraguay straddles the Tropic of Capricorn and experiences both subtropical and tropical climates.
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110-kilometre-wide (30–70 mi) stretch of land situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva. Its northwestern boundary is a line from the Bay of Vyborg to the westernmost point of Lake Ladoga, Pekonlahti. If the Karelian Isthmus is defined as the entire territory of present-day Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast to the north of the Neva and also a tiny part of the Republic of Karelia, the area of the isthmus is about 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi).
Kronstadt is a Russian port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, located on Kotlin Island, 30 km (19 mi) west of Saint Petersburg, near the head of the Gulf of Finland. It is linked to the former Russian capital by a combination levee-causeway-seagate, the St Petersburg Dam, part of the city's flood defences, which also acts as road access to Kotlin island from the mainland.
Kotlin is a Russian island, located near the head of the Gulf of Finland, 32 kilometres (20 mi) west of Saint Petersburg in the Baltic Sea. Kotlin separates the Neva Bay from the rest of the gulf. The fortified city of Kronstadt is located on the island and forms part of a World Heritage Site that is Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments. The island serves as a gateway to Saint Petersburg and as such has been the site of several military engagements.
The Izhora, also known as the Inger, is a left tributary of the Neva on its run through Ingria in northwestern Russia from Lake Ladoga to the Gulf of Finland. The Izhora flows through Gatchinsky and Tosnensky Districts of Leningrad Oblast as well as through Pushkinsky and Kolpinsky Districts of the federal city of Saint Petersburg. The settlement of Ust-Izhora is situated at the confluence of Izhora and Neva, halfway between Saint Petersburg and Shlisselburg. The towns of Kommunar and Kolpino are located on the Izhora as well. The river is noted as the farthest Swedish forces ever reached between the Viking Age and the Time of Troubles.
The Fontanka, a left branch of the river Neva, flows through the whole of Central Saint Petersburg, Russia – from the Summer Garden to Gutuyevsky Island. It is 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) long, with a width up to 70 metres (230 ft), and a depth up to 3.5 metres (11 ft). The Moyka River forms a right-bank branch of the Fontanka. Lined along the Fontanka Embankment stand the former private residences of Russian nobility.
The geography of Paris is characterised by the urbanisation of the area it lies within, and its position in the Petite Couronne, Grande Couronne, and Île-de-France.
The Saint Petersburg Flood Prevention Facility Complex, unofficially the Saint Petersburg Dam, is a 25 km (16 mi) long complex of dams for flood control near Saint Petersburg, Russia. The dam extends from Lomonosov northward to Kotlin Island, then turns east toward Cape Lisiy Nos near Sestroretsk.
Floods in Saint Petersburg refer to a rise of water on the territory of St. Petersburg, a major city in Russia and its former capital. They are usually caused by the overflow of the delta of Neva River and surging water in the eastern part of Neva Bay but sometimes caused by melting snow. Floods are registered when the water rises above 160 cm with respect to a gauge at the Saint Petersburg Mining Institute. More than 300 floods have occurred since the city was founded in 1703.
St. Petersburg is a major trade gateway, financial and industrial center of Russia specialising in oil and gas trade, shipbuilding yards, aerospace industry, radio and electronics, software and computers; machine building, heavy machinery and transport, including tanks and other military equipment, mining, instrument manufacture, ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, publishing and printing, food and catering, wholesale and retail, textile and apparel industries, and many other businesses.
Germany is a country in Central and Western Europe that stretches from the Alps, across the North European Plain to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. It is the second-most populous country in Europe after Russia, and is seventh-largest country by area in the continent. The area of Germany ranked 63rd and covers 357,600 km2 (138,070 sq mi), consisting of 349,250 km2 (134,846 sq mi) of land and 8,350 km2 (3,224 sq mi) of waters, smaller than Japan but larger than Republic of the Congo.
The Neva Bay, also known as the Gulf of Kronstadt, is the easternmost part of the Gulf of Finland between Kotlin Island and the Neva River estuary where Saint Petersburg city centre is located. It has a surface area of 329 km2 (127 sq mi). The entire bay has been separated from the Gulf of Finland by the 25 km long Saint Petersburg Dam. The area of water separated by the dam is 380 km2 (150 sq mi). The entire coastline is designated part of St. Petersburg rather than of Leningrad Oblast., the gulf freezes over for three to five months in winter. It receives the Neva and Narva rivers and the Saimaa Canal.
The Great Port of St. Petersburg or Port of St. Petersburg is a major seaport serving the city of St. Petersburg in northwest Russia. The port's water area is 616.93 km2. The berthing front is 21.7 km long with 147 berths. The maximum draft for ships is 13 metres (43 ft). Since 2011, the port has been under the authority of a state-owned enterprise, the Port Authority of the Great Port of St. Petersburg. This agency oversees commercial navigation in the seaport of St. Petersburg and beyond in the designated areas of responsibility of the Russian Federation.
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601,911 residents as of 2021, with more than 6.4 million people living in the metropolitan area. Saint Petersburg is the fourth-most populous city in Europe, the most populous city on the Baltic Sea, and the world's northernmost city of more than 1 million residents. As the former capital of Imperial Russia, and a historically strategic port, it is governed as a federal city.
The Peterhof Palace is a series of palaces and gardens located in Petergof, Saint Petersburg, Russia, commissioned by Peter the Great as a direct response to the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV of France. Originally intending it in 1709 for country habitation, Peter the Great sought to expand the property as a result of his visit to the French royal court in 1717, inspiring the nickname of "The Russian Versailles". The architect between 1714 and 1728 was Domenico Trezzini, and the style he employed became the foundation for the Petrine Baroque style favored throughout Saint Petersburg. Also in 1714, Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond, likely chosen due to his previous collaborations with Versailles landscaper André Le Nôtre, designed the gardens. Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli completed an expansion from 1747 to 1756 for Elizabeth of Russia. The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Saint Petersburg – second-largest city in Russia. An important Russian port on the Baltic Sea, it has the status of a federal subject. Its name was changed to "Petrograd" in 1914, then to "Leningrad" in 1924, and back to Saint Petersburg in 1991.