Overview of Russia

Profile

Russia possesses a territory of 17,098,242 km², occupying approximately one-eighth of the world's inhabited land area. Known as a major energy exporter backed by abundant natural resources including oil and natural gas, it has led the world in space development and military technology. Spanning 11 time zones, the country features diverse natural environments from Arctic tundra to subtropical Black Sea coasts. As the successor state to the Soviet Union, Russia serves as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and participates in numerous international organizations including BRICS and G20. While facing challenges such as foreign relations, economic sanctions, and population decline in recent years, it maintains significant cultural influence in literature, arts, and sciences.

Official name: Russian Federation
Common name: Russia
Numeric code: 643
Alpha-3 code: RUS
Alpha-2 code: RU
Population: 146 million (2024)
Population density: 8.4
Primary languages: Russian
Major religions: Russian Orthodox Church, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism
National anthem: Gosudarstvenny gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii (National Anthem of the Russian Federation)
Calling code: +7
Internet TLD: .ru

History

Originating from Kievan Rus, passed through Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union, establishing the Russian Federation in 1991.

Originating from the Kievan Principality of the 9th century, Ivan the Terrible established the Russian Tsardom in the 16th century. Peter the Great declared an empire in the 18th century, and Catherine the Great expanded to the Black Sea. The Russian Revolution of 1917 collapsed the imperial regime, forming the Soviet Union in 1922. After World War II, it engaged in the Cold War as one of the two superpowers alongside the United States. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the Russian Federation was born, experiencing market economy transformation and political system reorganization. The economy temporarily recovered under Putin's administration, but since the 2000s, it has entered a new phase due to resource dependency, foreign conflicts, and international sanctions following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Geography & climate

Most of the territory is occupied by the East European Plain and Siberian lowlands, with the Ural Mountains forming the border between Europe and Asia, and high mountain ranges such as the Caucasus and Altai Mountains scattered throughout.

Predominantly subarctic continental, with Arctic Ocean coasts having tundra climate and Black Sea coasts having humid temperate climate

Area: Europe and Asia / 17098242 km²
Capital: Moscow
Largest city: Moscow
Coastal status: Yes
Major lakes: Lake Baikal, Lake Ladoga, Lake Onega, Caspian Sea (Lake)
Bordering countries: Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, North Korea

Natural resources

Petroleum, Natural gas, Coal, Uranium, Iron ore, Gold, Diamonds, Timber, Freshwater resources, Platinum, Nickel, Palladium, Phosphate rock, Titanium, Potassium fertilizer

Politics

Government: Federal republic (semi-presidential system)

Economy

Currency: Russian Ruble (RUB)

GDP (nominal): 2.2 trillion USD (2023)

GDP (PPP): 5.4 trillion USD (2023)

Language & timezone

Primary languages: Russian

Time zone: Kaliningrad Time, Moscow Time, Ural Time, Krasnoyarsk Time, Irkutsk Time, Yakutsk Time, Vladivostok Time, Sakhalin Time, Kamchatka Time

Culture & customs

Ethnic groups

Russian, Tatar, Ukrainian, Bashkir, Chuvash, Chechen, Armenian, Avar, Kazakh, Udmurt

Life expectancy

Approximately 72 years

Literacy rate

99.7%

National sports

Ice Hockey, Football, Chess, Figure Skating, Volleyball, Biathlon, Sambo, Boxing