Europe: Russia
About Russia
The defeat of the Russian Empire in World War I led to the seizure of power by the communists and the formation of the USSR. The brutal rule of Josef STALIN (1924-53) strengthened 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 15 independent republics. Since then, Russia has struggled in its efforts to build a democratic political system and market economy to replace the strict social, political, and economic controls of the communist period.
| Vital Statistics | |
| Capitol City: | Moscow |
| Population: | 145,470,197 (July 2001 est.) |
| Percent below poverty: | 40% (1999 est.) |
| Language: | Russian, other |
| Date of independence: | 24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
| Form of government: | federation |
| Title of Leader: | president |
| Natural Resources: | wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber |
| Environmental 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 sea coasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from impr |
| Agricultural Products: | grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk |
| Imports: | machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat, grain, sugar, semifinished metal products |
| Exports: | petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures |
| Trading Partners: | IMPORTSGermany 13.8%, Belarus 10.7%, Ukraine 8.3%, US 7.9%, Kazakhstan 4.6%, Italy 3.8% (1999) EXPORTS:US 8.8%, Germany 8.5%, Ukraine 6.5%, Belarus 5.1%, Italy 5%, Netherlands 4.8% (1999) |
Russia Headlines
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[Ad - World3News.com/JOBS] - Sep 7 2010 11:55 a.m.
PwC to feature in Yukos trial
[Accountancy Age] - Sep 7 2010 11:55 a.m.
UPDATE 1-EU exec sees compromise on Poland-Russia gas deal
[FinanzNachrichten.de] - Sep 7 2010 11:54 a.m.
Russian Minister: Slow Response Let Fires Spread
[ABC News] - Sep 7 2010 11:54 a.m.
Russian minister: Slow response let fires spread
[Yahoo! Canada] - Sep 7 2010 11:54 a.m.
FDR Served Four Terms So I Can Too, Says Russia's Manliest Man [Hints]
[Gawker] - Sep 7 2010 11:53 a.m.
Kazakh leader proposes Siberian river diversion
[Reuters India] - Sep 7 2010 11:53 a.m.
OSCE Minsk Group inadequate towards Azerbaijani provocations, RPA MP says
[News.am] - Sep 7 2010 11:52 a.m.
Russia: Reactions to the ?Buckwheat Panic?
[Elites TV] - Sep 7 2010 11:52 a.m.
Armenia CIS leader in exports
[News.am] - Sep 7 2010 11:51 a.m.
Russian minister: Slow response let fires spread
[Washington Post] - Sep 7 2010 11:51 a.m.
Research and Markets: Belarus Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report Q3 2010
[MyNewsDesk] - Sep 7 2010 11:48 a.m.
Research and Markets: Gazprom Management: Structure and Personalities - Detailed Information about Top Managers of Gazprom and Relevant Personalities
[MyNewsDesk] - Sep 7 2010 11:47 a.m.
Soul of Japan int'l fest to open at Moscow Conservatory Tue.
[Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies] - Sep 7 2010 11:44 a.m.
CIS Economic Court grants Russia's request for out-of-court settlement in oil dispute with Belarus
[Interfax] - Sep 7 2010 11:42 a.m.
ACI Europe reports European passenger traffic up 6.3% during July
[Just 4 Airlines] - Sep 7 2010 11:42 a.m.
Russian minister: Slow response let fires spread
[Daily Caller] - Sep 7 2010 11:39 a.m.
Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Kazakhstan
[Russian Information Agency Novosti] - Sep 7 2010 11:38 a.m.
Russia plans to explore gas deposits in northwest Siberia - paper
[Russian Information Agency Novosti] - Sep 7 2010 11:38 a.m.
Foreign ministers of Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine to meet in Minsk on Wednesday
[BelaPAN] - Sep 7 2010 11:38 a.m.
World Cup of Pool: Russia eliminates Canada
[ABS-CBN News] - Sep 7 2010 11:37 a.m.
Chinese army's delegation staying in Belarus
[BelaPAN] - Sep 7 2010 11:37 a.m.
Banks start appraising
[EurActiv.com] - Sep 7 2010 11:37 a.m.
Russia may sign strategic partnership deal with Ukraine by end of year
[Russian Information Agency Novosti] - Sep 7 2010 11:37 a.m.
Chandrayaan-2 Will Try Out New Ideas, Technologies
[Outlook India] - Sep 7 2010 11:37 a.m.
Russia wants clarity on JI?s future
[Point Carbon] - Sep 7 2010 11:37 a.m.
EU: Confident Poland/Russia Gas Deal Will Fit EU Rules
[ADVFN India] - Sep 7 2010 11:36 a.m.
Magnit's Russian sales rocket
[Stock Market Wire] - Sep 7 2010 11:31 a.m.
Magnit's Russian sales rocket
[Stock Market Wire] - Sep 7 2010 11:31 a.m.
Russia, Kazakhstan ink accord to explore Caspian Sea gas field
[PRIME-TASS] - Sep 7 2010 11:30 a.m.
Pension Fund head: Russia to inevitably raise retirement age
[PRIME-TASS] - Sep 7 2010 11:30 a.m.
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