At a glance

Official Name:
Russian Federation

Capital: Moscow

Population: 142,754 (2006 est.)

Languages: Russian

Life Expectancy:
Male: 59 Female: 72

Currency: Ruble (RUB)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity):
$1.7 trillion (2006 est.)

National Holidays:
Victory Day (9 May), Defender of the Fatherland Day (23 February)

Industries: Mining, Machine Building, Defense, Shipbuilding, Agricultural Machinery, Construction Equipment, Consumer Durables, Textiles

Russia
Russia is by far the largest country in the world; it is almost double the size of the next-largest country, Canada. It has a great supply of national resources that largely fuel its still developing economy. It was once part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which, earlier this century, was one of the major superpowers in the world. However, the economy has been slow to recover after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as the privatization process was very difficult. Much of the country was initially thrust into poverty when the state-owned companies initially privatized. However, Vladimir Putin has been able to stabilize the recently struggling economy with his strict but controversial style of government.