Southern
The smallest federal district in Russia lies in its southern end, nestled between Ukraine to the west, Kazakhstan to the east, Georgia and Azerbaijan to the south and Volga and the Central Federal District to the north. The area also has wide outlets on the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, which are the most-visited summer holiday destinations in Russia, full of massive resorts. The climate here is extremely hot in the summers, which determines the presence of semi-desert territories, but also of vast patches of fertile land. In a cultural aspect, the district is very different from the rest of the country. The huge majority, especially in the extreme south in Caucasus, are Muslims with origins other than Russian. This has led to a fascinating diversity of customs and traditions, but also to constant conflicts with ruinous effect. The biggest cities, Rostov-on-Don and Volgograd, are significant industrial and educational centres with not many tourist attractions. Very beautiful, but completely unknown to foreigners, are the Caucasus Mountains with their ski resorts and mineral waters.