Urals
The Urals Federal District is located in the central part of country, on both sides of the mountain of the same name, which forms the geographical boundary between Europe and Asia. From north to south, it stretches between the Arctic Ocean and the border with Kazakhstan. The terrain ranges from the massive but low and accessible Ural Mountains to the broad lowlands of Siberia and the endless productive fields west of the chain. Nearly the whole area is strewn with very big rivers, thousands of lakes, dams and swamps, which are valuable for both tourism and the local economy. The most impressive characteristic of the Urals Federal District is its variety of ethnic groups and nationalities that co-exist peacefully, unlike in some other parts of the country. This diversity is the main reason for the abundance of cultural sites and monuments. The administrative centre, Yekaterinburg, is the cultural and economic centre of the region since its foundation less than 300 years ago. The industrial city boasts a couple of cathedrals and other valuable buildings, but is best known as the venue of the assassination of the royal family in 1918.