The Central Federal District is one of the nine federal districts of Russia. The word "Central" has a political and historical meaning, being the core of the Russian state and its predecessor, the Grand Duchy of Muscovy. Geographically, the district is situated in the extreme west of present-day Russia; although it can be considered as the central region of European Russia. The district spans an area of , with a population of 38,427,537 (81.3% urban) according to the 2010 Census. The Presidential Envoy to the Central Federal District is Alexander Beglov.