When Alexander II came to the throne in 1855, Britain , Belgium, France and the States compromising Germany were already well advanced industrially. Mills, factories , coal pits , quarries and railways were transforming the landscape and trade was flourishing. However, the Russian economy remained mostly rural with a ratio of 11:1 village to town dwellers. , compared with 2:1 in Britain. there was a good reason for Russia's economic backwardness. Although the Russian empire was vast, much of its territory was inhospitable ( over 2/3 lay north of the 50th parallel north) , comprising of Tundra , Forests and stretches of barren countryside , especially to the North and east. As a result, both size and climate places several strains on economic development