Russia is the largest of the five countries bordering the Arctic Ocean.
Russia's northern coastline runs along several Arctic marginal seas, including the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Chukchi seas. Its Arctic coast is part of the enormous Siberian region and includes extensive tundra, islands, sea ice, and permafrost.
The other sovereign states commonly identified as Arctic Ocean coastal countries are Canada, the United States, Denmark through Greenland, and Norway. Russia is larger than all of them by total area, and its Arctic coastline is also the longest among the five.
Russia's Northern Sea Route follows waters along its Arctic coast and offers a shorter maritime connection between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans than routes through the Suez or Panama canals, although navigation is strongly affected by ice and severe weather.