All Images used in this presentation are regarded as public domain or are under GNU Free License Rules

•The Trans-Siberian Railway connects Moscow and European Russia with the Russian Far East provinces, Mongolia, China and the Sea of Japan.

•The rail line stretches nearly 6,000 miles, making it the longest continuous rail line in the world. It was completed in 1923, over 30 years from the start of construction.

Building the rail line over the entire continent of Asia was an amazing engineering achievement. The continent has very diverse geography.

Russia is the largest country in the world, but has very low population density, much like Canada.

Notice that much of the rail line does not travel through highly populated areas.

•The rail line had a major affect on agriculture in its early years as well as general transportation. Wheat became the major product transported on the line.

•Even today, a small percentage of Japanese goods are transported to Europe using the railway, and 30% of Russian exports still travel on the line.

Both locals and tourists travel on the line as passengers. The prices range from $250 to $350 for a one way trip.

This was one of the earliest color photos of the rail line from the rear platform of the Simskaia Station (made in 1910).

Bashkir switchman on the rail line in

the Ural Mountain region of European Russia.

Vladivostok terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway

This monument marks the end of the rail line

in Vladivostok