In 1900 the Russia Empire covered nearly 23 million square kilometres. Only a quarter of it was in Europe and the rest in Asia. The majority of the 128 million population were Slavs, but there were over 200 different nationalities. Several of these groups wanted regional autonomy and this was the cause of a constant source of political conflict. There were also 5 million Jews and around 23 million Muslims living in the Russian Empire. The government's policy of russification (forbidding the use of local languages and the suppression of religious customs) created a great deal of resentment.
