Plague killed nearly 200 million people during Middle Ages. First pandemic affected Middle East and Mediterranean basin. Second pandemic destroyed 40% of Europe's population. Third pandemic started in China in 1855
Moscow features Kremlin, Red Square, and St. Basil's Cathedral. Sochi hosted 2014 Winter Olympics and offers waterfront promenades. St. Petersburg is second largest city with cathedrals and river bridges. Veliky Novgorod was Russia's first capital in 9th century. Irkutsk is known as "Paris of Siberia" with museums and wooden houses
Series of wars between Russia and Ottoman Empire from 1676 to 1878. Early wars focused on Russia's attempts to establish Black Sea port. Peter I captured Azov in 1695-96. Northern War (1710-12) ended with Peter's defeat at Prut River
Plague is caused by Yersinia pestis bacterium. Three forms: pneumonic, bubonic, and septicemic. Symptoms include fever, weakness, headache, and swollen lymph nodes. Pneumonic plague spreads through air droplets, bubonic through flea bites
List includes states dissolved after 1453. States must have claimed statehood or be recognized by others. Excludes variant governments and official names
EET is UTC+02:00 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Zone uses daylight saving time, switching to UTC+03:00 during summer. Most populous city in EET is Cairo, most populous in Europe is Kyiv