Russian-Sphere

 How many people all told?

If we tally up the populations of countries often considered within Russia’s sphere of influence—whether through military ties, economic dependence, or cultural alignment—we’re looking at over 300 million people. Here's a rough breakdown:

🌍 Estimated Populations by Country (2025)

                                                                                                 

🧮 Total: ~269.5 million Add in breakaway regions like Transnistria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Artsakh, plus Russian-speaking minorities in Ukraine and the Baltics, and the influence zone easily tops 300 million.

Of course, not all these countries are equally aligned with Moscow—some are drifting West, others are hedging their bets. But in terms of population under potential Russian sway, it’s a sizable bloc.

Want to explore how this compares to NATO’s population footprint or China’s sphere? I’ve got global maps ready to zoom.

What is the population North Korea?

As of mid-2025, North Korea’s population is estimated at approximately 26.57 million people. That places it around 56th in the world by population size.

A few more demographic tidbits:

🏙️ About 63% of the population is urban, with Pyongyang being the largest city at over 3 million residents

👶 The median age is around 36.5 years, and the life expectancy is roughly 73.9 years

📉 Population growth is slowing, with projections showing a peak around 2034 before a gradual decline

Want to explore how North Korea’s demographics compare to South Korea or other countries in the Russian sphere? I can line up the stats.

The population of Ukraine is perhaps 40 miilion...

                                                                

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Different topic, but an interesting find from yesterday:

genetics; what is a haplo group?

🧬 A haplogroup is a genetic population group that shares a common ancestor, identified by specific mutations in DNA. These groups help trace deep ancestral lineages and human migration patterns over thousands of years.

🔍 Types of Haplogroups

There are two main types studied in human genetics:

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups:

Passed down from mother to all children

Trace maternal lineage

Y-chromosome (Y-DNA) haplogroups:

Passed from father to son

Trace paternal lineage

🌍 Why Haplogroups Matter

Reveal ancient migration routes of human populations

Help identify genetic connections between people across continents

Used in genetic genealogy to explore ancestry

Provide clues about population history, evolution, and even health traits

🧩 How They're Identified

Haplogroups are determined by analyzing single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)—tiny mutations that accumulate over generations. These mutations form branches on the human genetic tree, and each branch is a haplogroup.

For example:

mtDNA Haplogroup H is common in Europe

Y-DNA Haplogroup R1b is widespread in Western Europe

Haplogroup L is one of the oldest, found in Africa

If you’ve ever done a DNA test with companies like 23andMe or Living DNA, your haplogroup is part of the results—it’s like your genetic passport to ancient history.

Would you like to explore what your haplogroup might say about your ancestry?