Siberia encompasses 5.2 million square miles of Russia, as well as the northern part of Kazakhstan. While the area is home to some of the coldest temperatures in the world, Siberia is also a crucial economic area for valuable minerals and oil and gas deposits.

Oymyakon, in northeastern Siberia, holds the country's record-low temperature of -90 degrees Fahrenheit (-68 degrees Celsius), far colder than most plant and animal life forms can stand. Winters here last for seven to eight months.