Page last updated on January 31, 2014

Introduction:
Background:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Founded in the 12th century, the Principality of Muscovy, was able to emerge from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and to gradually conquer and absorb surrounding principalities. In the early 17th century, a new Romanov Dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (ruled 1682-1725), hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th century, more territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 contributed to the Revolution of 1905, which resulted in the formation of a parliament and other reforms. Repeated devastating defeats of the Russian army in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow in 1917 of the imperial household. The communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the USSR. The brutal rule of Iosif STALIN (1928-53) strengthened communist rule and 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 Russia and 14 other independent republics. Since then, Russia has shifted its post-Soviet democratic ambitions in favor of a centralized semi-authoritarian state in which the leadership seeks to legitimize its rule through managed national elections, populist appeals by President PUTIN, and continued economic growth. Russia has severely disabled a Chechen rebel movement, although violence still occurs throughout the North Caucasus.
Geography:
Location:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
North Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
60 00 N, 100 00 E
Map references:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Asia
Area:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 17,098,242 sq km
country comparison to the world: 1
land: 16,377,742 sq km
water: 720,500 sq km
Area - comparative:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
approximately 1.8 times the size of the US
Land boundaries:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 20,241.5 km
border countries: Azerbaijan 284 km, Belarus 959 km, China (southeast) 3,605 km, China (south) 40 km, Estonia 290 km, Finland 1,313 km, Georgia 723 km, Kazakhstan 6,846 km, North Korea 17.5 km, Latvia 292 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 227 km, Mongolia 3,441 km, Norway 196 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 432 km, Ukraine 1,576 km
Coastline:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
37,653 km
Maritime claims:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions
Elevation extremes:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Gora El'brus 5,633 m (highest point in Europe)
Natural resources:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, reserves of rare earth elements, timber
note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources
Land use:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
arable land: 7.11%
permanent crops: 0.1%
other: 92.79% (2011)
Irrigated land:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
43,460 sq km (2008)
Total renewable water resources:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4,508 cu km (2011)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 66.2 cu km/yr (20%/60%/20%)
per capita: 454.9 cu m/yr (2001)
Natural hazards:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European Russia
volcanism: significant volcanic activity on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands; the peninsula alone is home to some 29 historically active volcanoes, with dozens more in the Kuril Islands; Kliuchevskoi (elev. 4,835 m), which erupted in 2007 and 2010, is Kamchatka's most active volcano; Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes, which pose a threat to the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Bezymianny, Chikurachki, Ebeko, Gorely, Grozny, Karymsky, Ketoi, Kronotsky, Ksudach, Medvezhia, Mutnovsky, Sarychev Peak, Shiveluch, Tiatia, Tolbachik, and Zheltovsky
Environment - current issues:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
Geography - note:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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 El'brus is Europe's tallest peak; Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, is estimated to hold one fifth of the world's fresh water
People and Society:
Nationality:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
noun: Russian(s)
adjective: Russian
Ethnic groups:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Russian 79.8%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 2%, Bashkir 1.2%, Chuvash 1.1%, other or unspecified 12.1% (2002 census)
Languages:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Russian (official), many minority languages
Religions:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.)
note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy of over seven decades of Soviet rule
Population:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
142,500,482 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Age structure:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0-14 years: 16% (male 11,740,877/female 11,119,318)
15-24 years: 11.5% (male 8,401,971/female 8,045,363)
25-54 years: 45.9% (male 31,945,797/female 33,417,073)
55-64 years: 13.5% (male 8,177,300/female 11,009,712)
65 years and over: 13.1% (male 5,687,515/female 12,955,556) (2013 est.)
population pyramid: "> Dependency ratios:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total dependency ratio: 40.5 %
youth dependency ratio: 22.2 %
elderly dependency ratio: 18.3 %
potential support ratio: 5.5 (2013)
Median age:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 38.8 years
male: 35.8 years
female: 41.8 years (2013 est.)
Population growth rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
-0.02% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Birth rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
12.11 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
Death rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
13.97 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
Net migration rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Urbanization:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
urban population: 73.8% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 0.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
MOSCOW (capital) 10.523 million; Saint Petersburg 4.575 million; Novosibirsk 1.397 million; Yekaterinburg 1.344 million; Nizhniy Novgorod 1.267 million (2009)
Sex ratio:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.74 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.44 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
34 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 120
Infant mortality rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 161
male: 8.04 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total population: 69.85 years
country comparison to the world: 152
male: 64.04 years
female: 76.02 years (2013 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1.61 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
79.5%
note: percent of women under age 50 (2007)
Health expenditures:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
6.2% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 103
Physicians density:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4.31 physicians/1,000 population (2006)
Hospital bed density:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
9.7 beds/1,000 population (2006)
Drinking water source:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
improved:
unimproved:
Sanitation facility access:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
improved:
unimproved:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
980,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
NA
Major infectious diseases:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
26.5% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 46
Education expenditures:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4.1% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 110
Literacy:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.6% (2010 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2009)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 14.8%
country comparison to the world: 84
male: 14.5%
female: 15.1% (2012)
Government:
Country name:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
conventional long form: Russian Federation
conventional short form: Russia
local long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya
local short form: Rossiya
former: Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Government type:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
federation
Capital:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
name: Moscow
geographic coordinates: 55 45 N, 37 36 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr; note - Russia has announced that it will remain on daylight saving time permanently, which began on 27 March 2011
note: Russia is divided into 9 time zones
Administrative divisions:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
46 provinces (oblastey, singular - oblast), 21 republics (respublik, singular - respublika), 4 autonomous okrugs (avtonomnykh okrugov, singular - avtonomnyy okrug), 9 krays (krayev, singular - kray), 2 federal cities (goroda, singular - gorod), and 1 autonomous oblast (avtonomnaya oblast')
oblasts: Amur (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', Belgorod, Bryansk, Chelyabinsk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Kurgan, Kursk, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Magadan, Moscow, Murmansk, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Orel, Penza, Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan', Sakhalin (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samara, Saratov, Smolensk, Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg), Tambov, Tomsk, Tula, Tver', Tyumen', Ul'yanovsk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh, Yaroslavl'
republics: Adygeya (Maykop), Altay (Gorno-Altaysk), Bashkortostan (Ufa), Buryatiya (Ulan-Ude), Chechnya (Groznyy), Chuvashiya (Cheboksary), Dagestan (Makhachkala), Ingushetiya (Magas), Kabardino-Balkariya (Nal'chik), Kalmykiya (Elista), Karachayevo-Cherkesiya (Cherkessk), Kareliya (Petrozavodsk), Khakasiya (Abakan), Komi (Syktyvkar), Mariy-El (Yoshkar-Ola), Mordoviya (Saransk), North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz), Sakha [Yakutiya] (Yakutsk), Tatarstan (Kazan'), Tyva (Kyzyl), Udmurtiya (Izhevsk)
autonomous okrugs: Chukotka (Anadyr'), Khanty-Mansi (Khanty-Mansiysk), Nenets (Nar'yan-Mar), Yamalo-Nenets (Salekhard)
krays: Altay (Barnaul), Kamchatka (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Perm', Primorskiy [Maritime] (Vladivostok), Stavropol', Zabaykal'sk (Chita)
federal cities: Moscow [Moskva], Saint Petersburg [Sankt-Peterburg]
autonomous oblast: Yevrey [Jewish] (Birobidzhan)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 1157 (Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal created); 16 January 1547 (Tsardom of Muscovy established); 22 October 1721 (Russian Empire proclaimed); 30 December 1922 (Soviet Union established)
National holiday:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Russia Day, 12 June (1990)
Constitution:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
several previous (during Russian Empire and Soviet eras); latest drafted 12 July 1993, adopted by referendum 12 December 1993, effective 25 December 1993; amended 2008 (2013)
Legal system:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
International law organization participation:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
chief of state: President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 7 May 2012)
head of government: Premier Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV (since 8 May 2012); First Deputy Premier Igor Ivanovich SHUVALOV (since 12 May 2008); Deputy Premiers Arkadiy Vladimirovich DVORKOVICH (since 21 May 2012), Olga Yuryevna GOLODETS (since 21 May 2012), Aleksandr Gennadiyevich KHLOPONIN (since 19 January 2010), Dmitriy Nikolayevich KOZAK (since 14 October 2008), Dmitriy Olegovich ROGOZIN (since 23 December 2011), Sergey Eduardovich PRIKHODKO (since 22 May 2013), Yuriy Petrovich TRUTNEV (since 31 August 2013)
cabinet: the "Government" is composed of the premier, his deputies, and ministers; all are appointed by the president, and the premier is also confirmed by the Duma
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
note: there is also a Presidential Administration (PA) that provides staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a Security Council also reports directly to the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2018); note - the term length was extended from four to six years in late 2008 and went into effect after the 2012 election; there is no vice president; if the president dies in office, cannot exercise his powers because of ill health, is impeached, or resigns, the premier serves as acting president until a new presidential election is held, which must be within three months; premier appointed by the president with the approval of the Duma
election results: Vladimir PUTIN elected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN 63.6%, Gennadiy ZYUGANOV 17.2%, Mikhail PROKHOROV 8%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY 6.2%, Sergey MIRONOV 3.9%, other 1.1%; Dmitriy MEDVEDEV approved as premier by Duma 299 to 144
Legislative branch:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists of an upper house, the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (166 seats; members appointed by the top executive and legislative officials in each of the 83 federal administrative units - oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federal cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg; members to serve four-year terms) and a lower house, the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats; as of 2007, all members elected by proportional representation from party lists winning at least 7% of the vote; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: State Duma - last held on 4 December 2011 (next to be held in December 2015)
election results: State Duma - United Russia 49.6%, CPRF 19.2%, Just Russia 13.2%, LDPR 11.7%, other 6.3%; total seats by party - United Russia 238, CPRF 92, Just Russia 64, LDPR 56
Judicial branch:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (consists of 23 members); Constitutional Court (consists of 19 members); Superior Court of Arbitration (consists of a chairman and 4 deputy chairmen); note - as of January 2014 legislation was pending that would merge the Constitutional Court and Superior Court of Arbitration
judge selection and term of office: all members of Russia's three highest courts nominated by the president and appointed by the Federation Council (the upper house of the legislature); members of all three courts appointed for life
subordinate courts: Higher Arbitration Court; regional (kray) and provincial (oblast) courts; Moscow and St. Petersburg city courts; autonomous province and district courts; note - the 14 Russian Republics have court systems specified by their own constitutions
Political parties and leaders:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
seventy eight political parties are registered with Russia's Ministry of Justice (as of January 2014), but only four parties maintain representation in Russia's national legislature:
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR)
International organization participation:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, BSEC, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN (observer), CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-8, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
chief of mission: Ambassador Sergey Ivanovich KISLYAK (since 16 September 2008)
chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5700, 5701, 5704, 5708
FAX: [1] (202) 298-5735
consulate(s) general: Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael A. MCFAUL (since 10 January 2012)
embassy: Bolshoy Deviatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099 Moscow
mailing address: PSC-77, APO AE 09721
telephone: [7] (495) 728-5000
FAX: [7] (495) 728-5090
consulate(s) general: Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg
Flag description:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
note: the colors may have been based on those of the Dutch flag; despite many popular interpretations, there is no official meaning assigned to the colors of the Russian flag; this flag inspired other Slav countries to adopt horizontal tricolors of the same colors but in different arrangements, and so red, blue, and white became the Pan-Slav colors
National symbol(s):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
bear; double-headed eagle
National anthem:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
name: "Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii" (National Anthem of the Russian Federation)
lyrics/music: Sergey Vladimirovich MIKHALKOV/Aleksandr Vasilyevich ALEKSANDROV
note: in 2000, Russia adopted the tune of the anthem of the former Soviet Union (composed in 1939); the lyrics, also adopted in 2000, were written by the same person who authored the Soviet lyrics in 1943
Economy:
Economy - overview:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Russia has undergone significant changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union, moving from a globally-isolated, centrally-planned economy to a more market-based and globally-integrated economy. Economic reforms in the 1990s privatized most industry, with notable exceptions in the energy and defense-related sectors. The protection of property rights is still weak and the private sector remains subject to heavy state interference. In 2011, Russia became the world's leading oil producer, surpassing Saudi Arabia; Russia is the second-largest producer of natural gas; Russia holds the world's largest natural gas reserves, the second-largest coal reserves, and the eighth-largest crude oil reserves. Russia is also a top exporter of metals such as steel and primary aluminum. Russia's reliance on commodity exports makes it vulnerable to boom and bust cycles that follow the volatile swings in global prices. The government since 2007 has embarked on an ambitious program to reduce this dependency and build up the country's high technology sectors, but with few visible results so far. The economy had averaged 7% growth in the decade following the 1998 Russian financial crisis, resulting in a doubling of real disposable incomes and the emergence of a middle class. The Russian economy, however, was one of the hardest hit by the 2008-09 global economic crisis as oil prices plummeted and the foreign credits that Russian banks and firms relied on dried up. According to the World Bank the government's anti-crisis package in 2008-09 amounted to roughly 6.7% of GDP. The economic decline bottomed out in mid-2009 and the economy began to grow again in the third quarter of 2009. High oil prices buoyed Russian growth in 2011-12 and helped Russia reduce the budget deficit inherited from 2008-09. Russia has reduced unemployment to a record low and has lowered inflation below double digit rates. Russia joined the World Trade Organization in 2012, which will reduce trade barriers in Russia for foreign goods and services and help open foreign markets to Russian goods and services. At the same time, Russia has sought to cement economic ties with countries in the former Soviet space through a Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan, and, in the next several years, through the creation of a new Russia-led economic bloc called the Eurasian Economic Union. Russia has had difficulty attracting foreign direct investment and has experienced large capital outflows in the past several years, leading to official programs to improve Russia's international rankings for its investment climate. Russia's adoption of a new oil-price-based fiscal rule in 2012 and a more flexible exchange rate policy have improved its ability to deal with external shocks, including volatile oil prices. Russia's long-term challenges also include a shrinking workforce, rampant corruption, and underinvestment in infrastructure.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$2.486 trillion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$2.002 trillion (2012 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
3.4% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$17,500 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
Gross national saving:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
29.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
GDP - composition, by end use:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
household consumption: 49.2%
government consumption: 18.6%
investment in fixed capital: 22%
investment in inventories: 2.6%
exports of goods and services: 29.7%
imports of goods and services: -22.1%
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
agriculture: 4.2%
industry: 37.5%
services: 58.4% (2012 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk
Industries:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
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; defense industries including radar, missile production, and advanced electronic components, 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
Industrial production growth rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
3.1% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 86
Labor force:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
75.68 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
Labor force - by occupation:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
agriculture: 7.9%
industry: 27.4%
services: 64.7% (2011)
Unemployment rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
5.5% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
Population below poverty line:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
12.7% (2011)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
lowest 10%: 5.7%
highest 10%: 42.4% (2011 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
41.7 (2011)
country comparison to the world: 52
Budget:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
revenues: $416.8 billion
expenditures: $418 billion (2012 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
20.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
-0.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Public debt:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
7.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
Fiscal year:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
5.1% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
Central bank discount rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
8.25% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
note: this is the so-called refinancing rate, but in Russia banks do not get refinancing at this rate; this is a reference rate used primarily for fiscal purposes
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
9.1% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Stock of narrow money:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$452.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
Stock of broad money:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$1.061 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Stock of domestic credit:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$922.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$845.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
Current account balance:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$71.43 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
Exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$528 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
Exports - commodities:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, metals, wood and wood products, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures
Exports - partners:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Netherlands 14.4%, China 6.4%, Italy 5.3%, Germany 4.5% (2012)
Imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$335.7 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
Imports - commodities:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
machinery, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, plastic, semi-finished metal products, meat, fruits and nuts, optical and medical instruments, iron, steel
Imports - partners:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
China 15.5%, Germany 9.5%, Ukraine 5.5% (2012)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$537.6 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
Debt - external:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$631.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$497.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
$387.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
Exchange rates:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Russian rubles (RUB) per US dollar -
Energy:
Electricity - production:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1.064 trillion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Electricity - consumption:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1.038 trillion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Electricity - exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
19.14 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Electricity - imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
2.661 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
223.1 million kW (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
67.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
17.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
15.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Crude oil - production:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
10.4 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Crude oil - exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4.69 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Crude oil - imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
16,380 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Crude oil - proved reserves:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
80 billion bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 8
Refined petroleum products - production:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4.812 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
3.341 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
Refined petroleum products - exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
2.699 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
Refined petroleum products - imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
24,300 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Natural gas - production:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
673.2 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Natural gas - consumption:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
460 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Natural gas - exports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
200.1 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
Natural gas - imports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
32.5 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
47.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 1
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1.788 billion Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Communications:
Telephones - main lines in use:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
42.9 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 6
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
261.9 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 5
Telephone system:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
general assessment: the telephone system is experiencing significant changes; there are more than 1,000 companies licensed to offer communication services; access to digital lines has improved, particularly in urban centers; Internet and e-mail services are improving; Russia has made progress toward building the telecommunications infrastructure necessary for a market economy; the estimated number of mobile subscribers jumped from fewer than 1 million in 1998 to more than 235 million in 2011; fixed line service has improved but a large demand remains
domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, the telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low density
international: country code - 7; Russia is connected internationally by undersea fiber optic cables; satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems (2011)
Broadcast media:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
6 national TV stations with the federal government owning 1 and holding a controlling interest in a second; state-owned Gazprom maintains a controlling interest in a third national channel; government-affiliated Bank Rossiya owns controlling interest in a fourth and fifth, while the sixth national channel is owned by the Moscow city administration; roughly 3,300 national, regional, and local TV stations with over two-thirds completely or partially controlled by the federal or local governments; satellite TV services are available; 2 state-run national radio networks with a third majority-owned by Gazprom; roughly 2,400 public and commercial radio stations (2007)
Internet country code:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
.ru; note - Russia also has responsibility for a legacy domain ".su" that was allocated to the Soviet Union and is being phased out
Internet hosts:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
14.865 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 10
Internet users:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
40.853 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 10
Transportation:
Airports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
1,218 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 5
Airports - with paved runways:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 594
over 3,047 m: 54
2,438 to 3,047 m: 197
1,524 to 2,437 m: 123
914 to 1,523 m: 95
under 914 m: 125 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 624
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 69
914 to 1,523 m: 81
under 914 m:
Heliports:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
49 (2013)
Pipelines:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
condensate 122 km; gas 163,872 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,378 km; oil 80,820 km; oil/gas/water 40 km; refined products 13,658 km; water 23 km (2013)
Railways:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 87,157 km
country comparison to the world: 2
broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)
note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve industries (2006)
Roadways:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 1,283,387 km
country comparison to the world: 5
paved: 927,721 km (includes 39,143 km of expressways)
unpaved: 355,666 km (2012)
Waterways:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
102,000 km (including 48,000 km with guaranteed depth; the 72,000 km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 2
Merchant marine:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
total: 1,143
country comparison to the world: 11
by type: bulk carrier 20, cargo 642, carrier 3, chemical tanker 57, combination ore/oil 42, container 13, passenger 15, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 244, refrigerated cargo 84, roll on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: 155 (Belgium 4, Cyprus 13, Estonia 1, Ireland 1, Italy 14, Latvia 2, Netherlands 2, Romania 1, South Korea 1, Switzerland 3, Turkey 101, Ukraine 12)
registered in other countries: 439 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Belgium 1, Belize 30, Bulgaria 2, Cambodia 50, Comoros 12, Cook Islands 1, Cyprus 46, Dominica 3, Georgia 6, Hong Kong 1, Kiribati 1, Liberia 109, Malaysia 2, Malta 45, Marshall Islands 5, Moldova 5, Mongolia 2, Panama 49, Romania 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 13, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 11, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 2, Spain 6, Vanuatu 7, unknown 19) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
major seaport(s): Kaliningrad, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk, Primorsk, Vostochnyy
river port(s): Saint Petersburg (Neva River)
oil terminal(s): Kavkaz oil terminal
container port(s) (TEUs): Saint Petersburg (2,365,174)
Military:
Military branches:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Ground Troops (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Air Forces (Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily, VVS); Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnyye Voyska, VDV), Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN) referred to commonly as Strategic Rocket Forces, and Aerospace Defense Troops (Voyska Vozdushno-Kosmicheskoy Oborony or Voyska VKO) are independent "combat arms," not subordinate to any of the three branches; Russian Ground Troops include the following combat arms: motorized-rifle troops, tank troops, missile and artillery troops, air defense of the Ground Troops (2014)
Military service age and obligation:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; service obligation is 1 year (conscripts can only be sent to combat zones after 6 months of training); reserve obligation for non-officers to age 50; enrollment in military schools from the age of 16, cadets classified as members of the armed forces
note: the chief of the General Staff Mobilization Directorate announced in May 2013 that for health reasons, only 65% of draftees called up during the spring 2013 draft campaign were fit for military service, and over 12% of these were sent for an additional medical examination (by way of comparison, 69.9% in 2012 and 57.7% in 2011 were deemed fit for military service); approximately 50% of draft-age Russian males receive some type of legal deferment each draft cycle (2014)
Manpower available for military service:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
males age 16-49: 34,765,736
females age 16-49: 35,410,779 (2013 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
males age 16-49: 22,597,728
females age 16-49: 23,017,006 (2013 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
male: 696,768
female: 664,847 (2013 est.)
Military expenditures:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
4.47% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 24
Transnational Issues:
Disputes - international:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with the 2004 Agreement, ending their centuries-long border disputes; the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kurils," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Russia's military support and subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence in 2008 continue to sour relations with Georgia; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea; Norway and Russia signed a comprehensive maritime boundary agreement in 2010; various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia (Kareliya) and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union following World War II but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands; Russia and Estonia signed a technical border agreement in May 2005, but Russia recalled its signature in June 2005 after the Estonian parliament added to its domestic ratification act a historical preamble referencing the Soviet occupation and Estonia's pre-war borders under the 1920 Treaty of Tartu; Russia contends that the preamble allows Estonia to make territorial claims on Russia in the future, while Estonian officials deny that the preamble has any legal impact on the treaty text; Russia demands better treatment of the Russian-speaking population in Estonia and Latvia; Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as an EU member state with an EU external border, where strict Schengen border rules apply; preparations for the demarcation delimitation of land boundary with Ukraine have commenced; the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov remains unresolved despite a December 2003 framework agreement and on-going expert-level discussions; Kazakhstan and Russia boundary delimitation was ratified on November 2005 and field demarcation should commence in 2007; Russian Duma has not yet ratified 1990 Bering Sea Maritime Boundary Agreement with the US; Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
IDPs: 8,500-28,450 (displacement from Chechnya and North Ossetia-Alania) (2011)
stateless persons: 178,000 (2012); note - Russia's stateless population consists of Roma, Meskhetian Turks, and ex-Soviet citizens from the former republics; between 2003 and 2010 more than 600,000 stateless people were naturalized; most Meskhetian Turks, followers of Islam with origins in Georgia, fled or were evacuated from Uzbekistan after a 1989 pogrom and have lived in Russia for more than the required five-year residency period; they continue to be denied registration for citizenship and basic rights by local Krasnodar Krai authorities on the grounds that they are temporary illegal migrants
Trafficking in persons:
Field Background: For all countries in alphabetical order
current situation: Russia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking, although labor trafficking is the predominant problem; people from Russia and other countries in Europe, Central Asia, and Asia, including Vietnam and North Korea, are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Russia's construction, manufacturing, agriculture, repair shop, and domestic services industries, as well as forced begging and narcotics cultivation; North Koreans contracted under bilateral government arrangements to work in the timber industry in the Russian Far East reportedly are subjected to forced labor; Russian women and children were reported to be victims of sex trafficking in Russia, Northeast Asia, Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, while women from European, African, and Central Asian countries were reportedly forced into prostitution in Russia
tier rating: Tier 3 - Russia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and because it is not deemed to be making significant efforts to do so was downgraded to Tier 3 after the maximum of two consecutive annual waivers; the number of prosecutions remains low compared to estimates of Russia's trafficking problem; the government did not develop or deploy a formal system for the identification of trafficking victims or their referral to protective services, although some victims were reportedly cared for through ad hoc efforts; the government has reported minimal efforts to identify or care for the large number of migrant workers vulnerable to labor exploitation and has not investigated allegations of slave-like conditions in North Korean-operated timber camps (2013)