Russia
Straddling two continents (Northern Asia and Eastern Europe), Russia borders the Arctic Ocean between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean. Russia is nearly twice the size of the US (1.8 times) and spans 9 time zones. Ranked 9th in the world in terms of population, Russia has 138,739,892 citizens living within its borders (July 2011 Census). Its major cities are: Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk.
Notable Personages:
Ivan the Terrible
Peter the Great
Catherine the Great
Vladimir Lenin
Joseph Stalin
Leo Tolstoy
Alexander Pushkin
Grigori Rasputin
Ethnic groups:
Russian 79.8%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 2%, Bashkir 1.2%, Chuvash 1.1%, other or unspecified 12.1% (2002 census)
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
Languages:
Russian (official), many minority languages.
Useful Russian Phrases:
Здравcтвуйте (hello): pronounced “zdrah-stvooy-tee”
До свидания (goodbye): pronounced “duh svee-dah-nee-ye”
Спасибо (thank you): pronounced “spa see ba”
Извините (excuse me): pronounced “eez ven itsee ye”
Capital City:
Moscow
Economy:
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. 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.
Country Bio:
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 Josef 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, it is generally perceived that 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.
Sources
Religion in Russia
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