Nizhny Novgorod is the 4th largest city in Russia with a population of 1.36 million, and is the administrative center of the Nizhny Novgorod region and of the Volga Federal District, which covers 14 regions and republics of the Russian Federation. Nizhny Novgorod covers an area of 260 square miles along the riverbanks of the Volga and Oka Rivers. The Nizhny Novgorod area and its surrounding town are respectively known for its metal production, machine building, agriculture, and nuclear research.