RUSSIA : FACTBOOK
 
  • Country name : Russian Federation, Russia
     
  • Capital : Moscow.
     
  • Location : Eastern Europe and Northern Asia (that part west of the Urals is included with Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean. The Ural mountain range forms a natural border between Europe and Asia.
     
  • Area : 17,075,200 sq km. Covers one-eighth of the earth's surface and spans eleven time zones, approximately 1.8 times the size of the US.
     
  • 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.
     
  • Geography : 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; Mount Elbrus is Europe's tallest peak.
     
  • Population : 144,526,278 (July 2003 est.).
     
  • Ethnic groups : Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Belarusian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1%.
     
  • Languages : Russian, other.
     
  • Religions : Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other.
     
  • Government type : federation.
     
  • Administrative divisions : 49 oblasts, 21 republics, 10 autonomous okrugs, 6 krays, 2 federal cities, and 1 autonomous oblast.
     
  • Currency : Russian ruble (RUR)
     
  • GDP : $1.409 trillion (2002 est.)
     
  • GDP - per capita : $9,700 (2002 est.)
     
  • Industries : complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts
     
  • Exports : $104.6 billion (2002 est.)
     
  • Exports - commodities : petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures
     
  • Exports - partners : Germany 7.5%, Italy 6.9%, Netherlands 6.7%, China 6.3%, US 6.1%, Ukraine 5.5%, Belarus 5.4%, Switzerland 5% (2002)
     
  • Imports : $60.7 billion (2002 est.)
     
  • Imports - commodities : machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat, sugar, semifinished metal products
     
  • Imports - partners : Germany 14.3%, Belarus 8.9%, Ukraine 7.1%, US 6.4%, China 5.2%, Italy 4.8%, Kazakhstan 4.3%, France 4.1% (2002)
     
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