Russian Federation

Russian Federation
Flag Coat of arms
Capital and largest city	Moscow
Official languages	Russian
Government	Federal republic semi-presidential constitutional republic
• President	Vladimir Putin
• Prime Minister	Mikhail Mishustin
Area
• Total	17,098,242 km2 (6,601,668 sq mi)
Population
• 2021 estimate	146,748,590
Currency	Ruble (₽) (RUB)
ISO 3166 code	[[ISO 3166-2:RU |RU ]]

The Russian Federation (Rossiyskaya Federatsiya), commonly known as Russia, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world by land area and the ninth-most populous. The nation features a wide range of environments and landforms, from tundras and forests to subtropical beaches. It has a federal government, with the President of Russia as the head of state and the Prime Minister of Russia as the head of government.

History

Russia's history begins with the East Slavs, who emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. The Medieval state of Kievan Rus' formed in the 9th century but disintegrated in the 12th century. By the 18th century, the nation had greatly expanded through conquest, annexation, and exploration to become the Russian Empire, which was the third largest empire in history. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Soviet Union was established, eventually becoming a superpower. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the world's first human-made satellite and the first human spaceflight. In 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved and the Russian Federation emerged as its legal successor state.

Geography

Russia is a country with a vast and diverse geography. It encompasses much of northern Eurasia and stretches from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the south. Russia's terrain varies from broad plains with low hills west of the Ural Mountains to vast coniferous forests and tundra in Siberia, and upland and mountainous terrain in the south along the Caucasus Mountains.

Politics

Russia is a federal republic, with the federal government consisting of three branches:

• Executive: The President of Russia is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government.
• Legislative: The federal legislature is bicameral, consisting of the Federation Council (upper house) and the State Duma (lower house).
• Judicial: The judiciary is independent of the other two branches, with the Constitutional Court of Russia, Supreme Court of Russia, and lower federal courts.

Economy

Russia has an economy that is largely based on natural resources, particularly oil and natural gas. It has the largest reserves of mineral and energy resources in the world, making it the leading producer of oil and natural gas globally. The country also has a large and sophisticated arms industry, capable of designing and manufacturing high-tech military equipment.

Culture

Russian culture has a rich history, strong ties to the Orthodox Church, and a long tradition in the arts, especially in literature and philosophy. Russian literature has produced some of the most acclaimed writers in the world, including Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Anton Chekhov. The nation's classical music tradition includes famous composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Demographics

Russia is a multiethnic society, with over 190 ethnic groups designated as nationalities. The majority ethnic group is Russian, but there are numerous minority groups, including Tatars, Ukrainians, Bashkirs, Chuvash, Chechens, and Armenians. Russian is the official language and is the only federally recognized language.

See also

• Foreign relations of Russia
• Military of Russia
• Federal districts of Russia
• Political status of Crimea