Eastern Europe is the eastern part of the European continent. The term has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. Russia, a transcontinental country with around 23 per cent of its landmass in Eastern Europe, is the largest European country by area, spanning roughly 40 per cent of Europe’s total landmass; it is also the most populous European country, with the majority of its citizens residing in its European portion and comprising over 15 per cent of the continent’s population.