The most powerful of these princes [of Muscovy], Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible, defeated the Mongols and declared himself the czar of Russia. Czar is Russian for Caesar, or powerful ruler. The Russian nobility, dissatisfied with the czars who ruled after Ivan, looked for a young noble to lead the country. In 1613 they elected 16-yearold Michael Romanov as czar. The Romanovs ruled for the next 300 years. Later, a czar now known as Peter the Great (Peter I) attempted to turn Russia into a major military power. After Peter’s death in 1725, Russia endured several weak czars. During the late 1700s, Empress Catherine the Great (Catherine II) came to power. Catherine encouraged the development of Russian education, journalism,
architecture, and theater. During her reign, Russia expanded its empire and tookpossession of the entire northern coast of the Black Sea.

—World Cultures & Geography

Based on the excerpt, which of the following statements is the most accurate?