Russia Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 25, 2020

Russian Federation, Russia, Northern Europe and Asia; 17 million km², 144.5 million residents (2019). Formally, the name is Russian Federation. Since 1991, the country has been increasingly called, both domestically and internationally, only Russia. The Russian Federation is administratively divided on the basis of both ethnic and territorial criteria. The capital is Moscow (12.2 million residents, 2017).

Country facts

Rossijskaja Federatsija / Russian Federation
Country abbreviation: RU
Area: 17 million km²
Population (2019): 144.5 million residents
Capital: Moscow
Main language: Russian
State: Republic
Head of State: Vladimir Putin (President)
Head of Government: Michail Misjustin
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 11,289
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 10,230
Currency unit: 1 ruble = 100 kopecks
Currency code: RUB
Country number (telephony): 7
Internet domain name: ru
Time difference compared to Sweden: +1 to +11
National Day: June 12 (Independence Day, 1991)

Nature

Land use: forest (45%), agricultural land (8%), other (47%)
Highest mountain: Elbrus (5,642 m above sea level)
Longest river: Volga (3,700 km)

Population

Population density (2019): 8 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): -0.2%; birth rate 11 ‰, death rate 13 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (18%), 15-64 (67%), 65- (15%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 68 years, women 76 years
Infant mortality (2019): 5 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 139 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.816 (place 49 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2019): 74%
Most populous cities (2017): Moscow (12.2 million residents), Saint Petersburg (5.3 million), Novosibirsk (1.6 million)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (5%), industry (32%), service (63%)
Exports (2017): US $ 353,000 million
Main export products: oil, natural gas, mineral
Main exporting countries: China, Netherlands, Germany
Imports (2017): US $ 238 000 million
Main import products: machines, vehicles, pharmaceuticals
Main importing countries: China, Germany, USA
Railway network (2014): 87 200 km

The Russian Federation in the West mainly consists of a huge lowland region extending from the Baltic Sea to the River Jenisej. The region is divided into the Eastern European Plains west of the Ural Mountains and the Western Siberian Plain between the Ural Mountains and Jenisei. East of Jenisei, the Central Siberian highlands rise and extend east to the river Lena, where the eastern Siberian mountain country extends and reaches the Pacific coast. Most of the country has a cold temperate humid climate with a strong continental feel. Along the Arctic Ocean is a belt with tundra climate.

The constitution gives the president a strong position but at the same time assumes that the government enjoys the confidence and support of Parliament. In the event of disagreement between the president and parliament, the constitution gives the president the decisive word. The president, who has a six-year term, proposes the head of government. Parliament consists of two chambers: the Federal Council and Duman. The latter is the working chamber and is elected for five years.

The country has huge natural resources and a broad industrial base. The transition from the Soviet-era centralized, resource-wasting and inefficient production to a more modern market economy has been difficult. Oil and natural gas account for a significant portion of the country’s GDP, but the manufacturing industry and the service sector are growing steadily.