Russia

Russia

Introduction

Background

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 whose legitimacy is buttressed, in part, by carefully managed national elections, former President PUTIN’s genuine popularity, and the prudent management of Russia’s windfall energy wealth. Russia has severely disabled a Chechen rebel movement, although violence still occurs throughout the North Caucasus.

Geography

Location

Northern Asia (the area west of the Urals is considered part of Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates

60 00 N, 100 00 E

Map references

Asia

Area

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

approximately 1.8 times the size of the US

Land boundaries

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

37,653 km

Maritime claims

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

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, reserves of rare earth elements, timber
note:formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources

Land use

arable land: 7.17%
permanent crops:0.11%
other:92.72% (2005)

Irrigated land

43,460 sq km (2008)

Total renewable water resources

4,498 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 76.68cu km/yr (19%/63%/18%)
per capita:535cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

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:Russia experiences 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

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

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

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

People and Society

Nationality

noun: Russian(s)
adjective:Russian

Ethnic groups

Russian 79.8%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 2%, Bashkir 1.2%, Chuvash 1.1%, other or unspecified 12.1% (2002 census)

Languages

Russian (official), many minority languages

Religions

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

138,739,892 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9

Age structure

0-14 years: 15.2% (male 10,818,203/female 10,256,611)
15-64 years:71.8% (male 47,480,851/female 52,113,279)
65 years and over:13% (male 5,456,639/female 12,614,309) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 38.7 years
male:35.5 years
female:41.9 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.47% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222

Birth rate

11.05 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173

Death rate

16.04 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5

Net migration rate

0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68

Urbanization

urban population: 73% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:-0.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population

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

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.44 male(s)/female
total population:0.85 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

39 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 104

Infant mortality rate

total: 10.08 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 147 male:11.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female:8.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 66.29 years
country comparison to the world: 161 male:59.8 years
female:73.17 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.42 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196

Health expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 132

Physicians density

4.3089 physicians/1,000 population (2006)
country comparison to the world: 8

Hospital bed density

9.66 beds/1,000 population (2006)
country comparison to the world: 5

Drinking water source

improved:
urban: 98% of population
rural: 89% of population
total: 96% of population
unimproved:
urban: 2% of population
rural: 11% of population
total: 4% of population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

improved:
urban: 93% of population
rural: 70% of population
total: 87% of population
unimproved:
urban: 7% of population
rural: 30% of population
total: 13% of population (2008)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

980,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10

HIV/AIDS – deaths

NA

Major infectious diseases

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 (2009)

Education expenditures

3.9% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 107

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:99.4%
male:99.7%
female:99.2% (2002 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years
male:14 years
female:15 years (2008)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 18.3%
country comparison to the world: 64 male:17.7%
female:19.1% (2009)

Government

Country name

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

federation

Capital

name: Moscow
geographic coordinates:55 45 N, 37 35 E
time difference:UTC+3 (8 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

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

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

Russia Day, 12 June (1990)

Constitution

adopted 12 December 1993

Legal system

civil law system

judicial review of legislative acts

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration

non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage

18 years of age

universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV (since 7 May 2008)
head of government:Premier Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 8 May 2008)

First Deputy Premiers Igor Ivanovich SHUVALOV and Viktor Alekseyevich ZUBKOV (since 12 May 2008)

Deputy Premiers Sergey Borisovich IVANOV (since 12 May 2008), Aleksandr Gennadiyevich KHLOPONIN (since 19 January 2010), Dmitriy Nikolayevich KOZAK (since 14 October 2008), Igor Ivanovich SECHIN (since 12 May 2008), Vyacheslav Viktorovich VOLODIN (since 21 October 2010), Aleksandr Dmitriyevich ZHUKOV (since 9 March 2004)
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 )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 four-year term (eligible for a second term)

election last held 2 March 2008 (next to be held in March 2012)

note – the term length was extended to six years in late 2008, to go into effect following the 2012 presidential 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:Dmitriy MEDVEDEV elected president

percent of vote – Dmitriy MEDVEDEV 70.2%, Gennady ZYUGANOV 17.7%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKY 9.4%, Andrey BOGDANOV 1.3%, other 1.4%

Legislative branch

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 2 December 2007 (next to be held in December 2011)
election results:State Duma – United Russia 64.3%, CPRF 11.5%, LDPR 8.1%, Just Russia 7.7%, other 8.4%

total seats by party – United Russia 315, CPRF 57, LDPR 40, Just Russia 38

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court

Supreme Court

Supreme Arbitration Court

judges for all courts are appointed for life by the Federation Council on the recommendation of the president

Political parties and leaders

A Just Russia [Sergey MIRONOV]

Communist Party of the Russian Federation or CPRF [Gennadiy Andreyevich ZYUGANOV]

Liberal Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR [Vladimir Volfovich ZHIRINOVSKIY]

Patriots of Russia [Gennadiy SEMIGIN]

Right Cause [Leonid Yakovlevich GOZMAN, Boris Yuriyevich TITOV, and Georgiy Georgiyevich BOVT] (formed from merger of Civic Force, Democratic Party of Russia, and Union of Right Forces)

United Russia [Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN]

Yabloko Party [Sergey Sergeyevich MITROKHIN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Association of Citizens with Initiative of Russia (TIGR)

Confederation of Labor of Russia (KTR)

Federation of Independent Labor Unions of Russia

Freedom of Choice Interregional Organization of Automobilists

Glasnost Defense Foundation

Golos Association in Defense of Voters’ Rights

Greenpeace Russia

Human Rights Watch (Russian chapter)

Institute for Collective Action

Memorial (human rights group)

Movement Against Illegal Migration

Pamjat (preservation of historical monuments and recording of history)

Russian Orthodox Church

Russian Federation of Car Owners

Russian-Chechen Friendship Society

SOVA Analytical-Information Center

Union of the Committees of Soldiers’ Mothers

World Wildlife Fund (Russian chapter)

International organization participation

APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BSEC, CBSS, CE, CERN (observer), CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-8, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OECD (accession state), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sergey Ivanovich KISLYAK
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

chief of mission: Ambassador John R. BEYRLE
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

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)

bear

double-headed eagle

National anthem

name: “Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii” (National Anthem of the Russian Federation)
lyrics/music:Sergei Vladimirovich MIKHALKOV/Alexandr Vasilievich ALEXANDROV
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

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. Russian industry is primarily split between globally-competitive commodity producers – in 2009 Russia was the world’s largest exporter of natural gas, the second largest exporter of oil, and the third largest exporter of steel and primary aluminum – and other less competitive heavy industries that remain dependent on the Russian domestic market. This reliance on commodity exports makes Russia vulnerable to boom and bust cycles that follow the highly volatile swings in global commodity 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 results so far. The economy had averaged 7% growth since 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. The Central Bank of Russia spent one-third of its $600 billion international reserves, the world’s third largest, in late 2008 to slow the devaluation of the ruble. The government also devoted $200 billion in a rescue plan to increase liquidity in the banking sector and aid Russian firms unable to roll over large foreign debts coming due. The economic decline bottomed out in mid-2009 and the economy began to grow in the first quarter of 2010. However, a severe drought and fires in central Russia reduced agricultural output, prompting a ban on grain exports for part of the year, and slowed growth in other sectors such as manufacturing and retail trade. High oil prices buoyed Russian growth in the first quarter of 2011 and could help Russia reduce the budget deficit inherited from the lean years of 2008-09, but inflation and increased government expenditures may limit the positive impact of these revenues. Russia’s long-term challenges include a shrinking workforce, a high level of corruption, difficulty in accessing capital for smaller, non-energy companies, and poor infrastructure in need of large investments.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.223 trillion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7 $2.138 trillion (2009 est.)
$2.319 trillion (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.465 trillion (2010 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96 -7.8% (2009 est.)
5.2% (2008 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$15,900 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71 $15,300 (2009 est.)
$16,500 (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP – composition by sector

agriculture: 4%
industry:36.8%
services:59.1% (2010 est.)

Labor force

75.49 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7

Labor force – by occupation

agriculture: 10%
industry:31.9%
services:58.1% (2008)

Unemployment rate

7.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79 8.4% (2009 est.)

Population below poverty line

13.1% (2009)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%:33.5% (2008)

Distribution of family income – Gini index

42.2 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 52 39.9 (2001)

Investment (gross fixed)

21.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Budget

revenues: $273.4 billion
expenditures:$333 billion (2010 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

18.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123

Public debt

9% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123 8.3% of GDP (2009 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174 11.7% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate

5.5% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39 8.75% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

10.817% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47 15.308% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$268.7 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16 $213.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$780.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19 $631.5 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$573.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24 $437.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$1.005 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15 $861.4 billion (31 December 2009)
$397.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Agriculture – products

grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits

beef, milk

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

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

8.2% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39

Electricity – production

925.9 billion kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5

Electricity – consumption

857.6 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5

Electricity – exports

17.7 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity – imports

14.63 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Oil – production

10.13 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2

Oil – consumption

2.937 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6

Oil – exports

7.301 million bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2

Oil – imports

42,750 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Oil – proved reserves

60 billion bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8

Natural gas – production

610.1 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2

Natural gas – consumption

424.9 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3

Natural gas – exports

223.4 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1

Natural gas – imports

38.2 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8

Natural gas – proved reserves

47.57 trillion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1

Current account balance

$71.13 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4 $49.37 billion (2009 est.)

Exports

$400.1 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11 $303.4 billion (2009 est.)

Exports – commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, metals, wood and wood products, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures

Exports – partners

Germany 8.2%, Netherlands 6%, US 5.6%, China 5.4%, Turkey 4.6% (2010)

Imports

$248.7 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18 $191.8 billion (2009 est.)

Imports – commodities

machinery, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, plastic, semi-finished metal products, meat, fruits and nuts, optical and medical instruments, iron, steel

Imports – partners

Germany 14.7%, China 13.5%, Ukraine 5.5%, Italy 4.7%, Belarus 4.5% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$479.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3 $439.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt – external

$538.6 billion (30 June 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22 $393.5 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment – at home

$297.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18 $256.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad

$274.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17 $222.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Exchange rates

Russian rubles (RUB) per US dollar -
30 (2010)
31.74 (2009)
24.853 (2008)
25.581 (2007)
27.191 (2006)

Transportation

Airports

1,213 (2010)
country comparison to the world:5

Airports – with paved runways

total: 593
over 3,047 m:51
2,438 to 3,047 m:201
1,524 to 2,437 m:126
914 to 1,523 m:98
under 914 m:117 (2010)

Airports – with unpaved runways

total: 620
over 3,047 m:3
2,438 to 3,047 m:13
1,524 to 2,437 m:68
914 to 1,523 m:84
under 914 m:452 (2010)

Heliports

50 (2010)

Pipelines

condensate 122 km

gas 160,952 km

liquid petroleum gas 127 km

oil 77,630 km

oil/gas/water 38 km

refined products 13,658 km (2010)

Railways

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 (2010)

Roadways

total: 982,000 km
country comparison to the world: 7 paved:776,000 km (includes 30,000 km of expressways)
unpaved:206,000 km
note:includes public, local, and departmental roads (2009)

Waterways

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

total: 1,097
country comparison to the world: 11 by type:bulk carrier 22, cargo 634, carrier 2, chemical tanker 38, combination ore/oil 39, container 13, passenger 15, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 236, refrigerated cargo 77, roll on/roll off 11, specialized tanker 4
foreign-owned:145 (Belgium 4, Cyprus 11, Italy 9, South Korea 1, Switzerland 4, Turkey 104, Ukraine 12)
registered in other countries:443 (Antigua and Barbuda 3, Belize 32, Bulgaria 2, Cambodia 60, Comoros 21, Cook Islands 1, Cyprus 47, Dominica 6, Georgia 7, Hong Kong 1, Liberia 108, Malaysia 2, Malta 47, Marshall Islands 6, Moldova 5, Mongolia 4, Panama 39, Saint Kitts and Nevis 11, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15, Sierra Leone 6, Vanuatu 1, unknown 19) (2010)

Ports and terminals

Kaliningrad, Kavkaz, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk, Primorsk, Saint Petersburg, Vostochnyy

Military

Military branches

Ground Forces (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Air Forces (Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily, VVS)

Airborne Troops (VDV), Strategic Rocket Forces (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN), and Space Troops (Kosmicheskiye Voyska, KV) are independent “combat arms,” not subordinate to any of the three branches

Russian Ground Forces include the following combat arms: motorized-rifle troops, tank troops, missile and artillery troops, air defense of the ground troops (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service

males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age

service obligation – 1 year (conscripts can only be sent to combat zones after 6 months training)

reserve obligation to age 50
note:over 60% of draft-age Russian males receive some type of deferment – generally health related – each draft cycle (2009)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 34,132,156
females age 16-49:34,985,115 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 20,431,035
females age 16-49:26,381,518 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 693,843
female:660,359 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

3.9% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 25

Transnational Issues

Disputes – international

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 lake

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 the Second World War but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands

in May 2005, Russia recalled its signatures to the 1996 border agreements with Estonia (1996) and Latvia (1997), when the two Baltic states announced issuance of unilateral declarations referencing Soviet occupation and ensuing territorial losses

Russia demands better treatment of ethnic Russians in Estonia and Latvia

Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia

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

IDPs: 18,000-160,000 (displacement from Chechnya and North Ossetia) (2007)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Russia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for various purposes

people from Russia and other countries, including Belarus, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, are subjected to conditions of forced labor in Russia

children are subjected to prostitution in large Russian cities and to forced begging

Russian women were reported to be victims of sex trafficking in many countries, including in Northeast Asia, Europe, and throughout the Middle East
tier rating:Tier 2 Watch List – Russia failed to show evidence of increased efforts to combat trafficking

victim protection in Russia remains very weak, as the government allocated scant funding for victim shelters and little funding for anti-trafficking efforts by governmental or non-governmental organizations

the government did not make discernible efforts to fund a national awareness campaign, although some local efforts were assisted by local government funding (2011)

Illicit drugs

limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption

government has active illicit crop eradication program

used as transshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin American cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extent Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US

major source of heroin precursor chemicals

corruption and organized crime are key concerns

major consumer of opiates