Russia

Background

The defeat of the Russian Empire in World War I led to the seizure of power by the communists and the formation of the USSR. The brutal rule of Josef STALIN (1924-53) strengthened Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the following decades until General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize communism, but his initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into 15 independent republics. Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the communist period.

Geography

Location
Northern Asia (that part west of the Urals is sometimes included with Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates
60 00 N, 100 00 E

Area
total: 17,075,200 sq km
land: 16,995,800 sq km
water: 79,400 sq km

slightly less than 1.8 times the size of the US

Border countries
Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Latvia, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast), Mongolia, Norway, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast), Ukraine

Climate
ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast

Terrain
broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Gora El'brus 5,633 m

Natural resources
wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber

note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources

Land use
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 46%
other: 42% (1993 est.)

Note
largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture

People

Population: 145,470,197 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate
-0.35% (2001 est.)

Birth rate
9.35 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate
13.85 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate
20.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 67.34 years
male: 62.12 years
female: 72.83 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate
1.27 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Nationality
noun: Russian(s)
adjective: Russian

Ethnic groups
Russian 81.5%
Tatar 3.8%
Ukrainian 3%
Chuvash 1.2%
Bashkir 0.9%
Byelorussian 0.8%
Moldavian 0.7%
other 8.1%

Religions
Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other

Languages
Russian, other

Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 100%
female: 97% (1989 est.)

Government

Country name
conventional long form: Russian Federation
conventional short form: Russia
local long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya
local short form: Rossiya

Government type
federation

Capital
Moscow

Independence
24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday
Russia Day, 12 June (1990)

Economy

Overview
A decade after the implosion of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia is still struggling to establish a modern market economy and achieve strong economic growth. In contrast to its trading partners in Central Europe - which were able to overcome the initial production declines that accompanied the launch of market reforms within three to five years - Russia saw its economy contract for five years, as the executive and legislature dithered over the implementation of many of the basic foundations of a market economy.

Russia achieved a slight recovery in 1997, but the government's stubborn budget deficits and the country's poor business climate made it vulnerable when the global financial crisis swept through in 1998. The crisis culminated in the August depreciation of the ruble, a debt default by the government, and a sharp deterioration in living standards for most of the population. The economy rebounded in 1999 and 2000, buoyed by the competitive boost from the weak ruble and a surging trade surplus fueled by rising world oil prices. This recovery, along with a renewed government effort in 2000 to advance lagging structural reforms, have raised business and investor confidence over Russia's prospects in its second decade of transition.

Yet serious problems persist. Russia remains heavily dependent on exports of commodities, particularly oil, natural gas, metals, and timber, which account for over 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable to swings in world prices. Russia's agricultural sector remains beset by uncertainty over land ownership rights, which has discouraged needed investment and restructuring. Another threat is negative demographic trends, fueled by low birth rates and a deteriorating health situation - including an alarming rise in AIDS cases - that have contributed to a nearly 2% drop in the population since 1992. Russia's industrial base is increasingly dilapidated and must be replaced or modernized if the country is to achieve sustainable economic growth. Other problems include widespread corruption, capital flight, and brain drain.

GDP by sector
agriculture: 7%
industry: 34%
services: 59% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line
40% (1999 est.)

Inflation rate
20.6% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 66 million (1997)
agriculture: 15%
services: 55%
industry: 30%

Unemployment rate
10.5% (2000 est.), plus considerable underemployment

Communications

Telephones: 30 million (1998)
Mobile Phones: 2.5 million (October 2000)
Radios: 61.5 million (1997)
Televisions: 60.5 million (1997)
Internet users: 9.2 million (2000)

Transportation

Railways: total: 149,000 km
Highways: total: 952,000 km
Waterways: 95,900 km
Airports: 2,743 (2000 est.)

Click on the images below for enlarged views of the Russian map and flag.

Diane & Abraham Bible