Take a look at the map. Which is the largest country on earth? How did Russia become so vast? How did she capture Siberia? When did this happen? Why did such an important historical event go unnoticed? What conquests and discoveries led to this expansion? This books addresses these questions which rise in the mind on seeing a map of the world. The stages by which Russia shook of the Mongol yoke and proceeded to expand her domains are traced. How in the first stage she unified and then conquered the Muslim khanates of Kazan and Sibir, and then proceeded to expand across Asia are examined. The pull of the fur trade drew trappers and with them Russian dominion right across Asia. How a conflict with China led to Russian exploration in the northeast and the eventual discovery of Alaska is also dealt with.