"At the end of all this, Russia held in her hands a vast belt of land running from the Baltic sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south, comprising eleven nations with a population of 100 million people"

This quote is describing the growth of the Russian Empire in the late 19th century. After a series of wars and treaties, Russia had actually gotten control of a large swath of land extending from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south. This location consisted of eleven countries with a population of 100 million individuals, making it one of the largest empires on the planet at the time. This expansion of the Russian Empire was a significant consider the geopolitical landscape of the late 19th century, and it had a lasting impact on the area. It also served to enhance Russia's position as a major power in Europe and the world.