Russia - SoulBook

Capital

Moscow

Population

140,134,279 (2025 est.)

Area

17,098,242 sq km

Location

North Asia bordering the Arctic Oceanextending from Eastern Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean

🧭 Background

Founded in the 12th centurythe Principality of Muscovy emerged from over 200 years of Mongol domination (13th-15th centuries) and gradually conquered and absorbed surrounding principalities. In the early 17th centurya new ROMANOV dynasty continued this policy of expansion across Siberia to the Pacific. Under PETER I (1682-1725)hegemony was extended to the Baltic Sea and the country was renamed the Russian Empire. During the 19th centurymore territorial acquisitions were made in Europe and Asia. Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 contributed to the Revolution of 1905which resulted in the formation of a parliament and other reforms. Devastating defeats and food shortages in World War I led to widespread rioting in the major cities of the Russian Empire and to the overthrow of the ROMANOV Dynasty in 1917. The communists under Vladimir LENIN seized power soon after and formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The brutal rule of Iosif STALIN (1928-53) strengthened communist control and Russian dominance of the Soviet Union at a cost of tens of millions of lives. After defeating Germany in World War II as part of an alliance with the US (1939-1945)the USSR expanded its territory and influence in Eastern Europe and emerged as a global power. The USSR was the principal US adversary during the Cold War (1947-1991). The Soviet economy and society stagnated in the decades following Stalin's ruleuntil General Secretary Mikhail GORBACHEV (1985-91) introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize communism. His initiatives inadvertently released political and economic forces that by December 1991 led to the dissolution of the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent states. In response to the ensuing turmoil during President Boris YELTSIN's term (1991-99)Russia shifted toward a centralized authoritarian state under President Vladimir PUTIN (2000-20082012-present) in which the regime seeks to legitimize its rule through managed electionspopulist appealsa foreign policy focused on enhancing the country's geopolitical influenceand commodity-based economic growth. In 2014Russia purported to annex Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and occupied large portions of two eastern Ukrainian oblasts. In sporadic fighting over the next eight yearsmore than 14,000 civilians were killed or wounded as a result of the Russian invasion in eastern Ukraine. On 24 February 2022Russia escalated its conflict with Ukraine by invading the country on several fronts in what has become the largest conventional military attack on a sovereign state in Europe since World War II. The invasion received near-universal international condemnationand many countries imposed sanctions on Russia and supplied humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. In September 2022Russia unilaterally declared its annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts -- DonetskKhersonLuhanskand Zaporizhzhia -- even though none were fully under Russian control. The annexations remain unrecognized by the international community.

🗺️ Geography

Location

North Asia bordering the Arctic Oceanextending from Eastern Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates

60 00 N100 00 E

Map references

Asia

Area — total

17,098,242 sq km

Area — land

16,377,742 sq km

Area — water

720,500 sq km

Area - comparative

Approximately 1.8 times the size of the US

Land boundaries — total

22,407 km

Land boundaries — border countries

Azerbaijan 338 km; Belarus 1,312 km; China (southeast) 4,133 km and China (south) 46 km; Estonia 324 km; Finland 1,309 km; Georgia 894 km; Kazakhstan 7,644 km; North Korea 18 km; Latvia 332 km; Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 261 km; Mongolia 3,452 km; Norway 191 km; Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 209 km; Ukraine 1,944 km

Coastline

37,653 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — contiguous zone

24 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Maritime claims — 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 — highest point

Gora El'brus (highest point in Europe) 5,642 m

Elevation — lowest point

Caspian Sea -28 m

Elevation — mean elevation

600 m

Natural resources

Wide natural-resource base including major deposits of oilnatural gascoaland many strategic mineralsbauxitereserves of rare earth elementstimber

Land use — agricultural land

13.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 7.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 5.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

50.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

35.9% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

43,000 sq km (2012)

Major lakes (area sq km) — fresh water lake(s)

Lake Baikal - 31,500 sq km; Lake Ladoga - 18,130 sq km; Lake Onega - 9,720 sq km; Lake Khanka (shared with China) - 5,010 sq km; Lake Peipus - 4,300 sq km (shared with Estonia); Ozero Vygozero - 1,250 sq km; Ozero Beloye - 1,120 sq km

Major lakes (area sq km) — salt water lake(s)

Caspian Sea (shared with IranAzerbaijanTurkmenistanand Kazakhstan) - 374,000 sq km; Ozero Malyye Chany - 2,500 sq km; Curonian Lagoon (shared with Lithuania) - 1,620 sq km note - the Caspian Sea is the World's largest lake

Major rivers (by length in km)

Yenisey-Angara - 5,539 km; Ob-Irtysh - 5,410 km; Amur river mouth (shared with China [s] and Mongolia) - 4,444 km; Lena - 4,400 km; Volga - 3,645 km; Kolyma - 2,513 km; Ural river source (shared with Kazakhstan [m]) - 2,428 km; Dnepr (Dnieper) river source (shared with Belarus and Ukraine [m]) - 2,287 km; Don - 1,870 km; Pechora - 1,809 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km) — Arctic Ocean drainage

Kolyma (679,934 sq km)Lena (2,306,743 sq km)Ob (2,972,493 sq km)Pechora (289,532 sq km)Yenisei (2,554,388 sq km)

Major watersheds (area sq km) — Atlantic Ocean drainage

(Black Sea) Don (458,694 sq km)Dnieper (533,966 sq km)

Major watersheds (area sq km) — Pacific Ocean drainage

Amur (1,929,955 sq km)

Major watersheds (area sq km) — Internal (endorheic basin) drainage

(Caspian Sea basin) Volga (1,410,951 sq km)

Major aquifers

Angara-Lena BasinPechora BasinNorth Caucasus BasinEast European Aquifer SystemWest Siberian BasinTunguss BasinYakut Basin

Population distribution

Population is heavily concentrated in the westernmost fifth of the countryextending from the Baltic Sea south to the Caspian Seaand eastward parallel to the Kazakh border; elsewheresizeable population pockets are isolated and generally found in the south

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 in Siberia and parts of European Russia volcanism: Kamchatka Peninsula is home to 29 historically active volcanoeswith dozens more in the Kuril Islands; Kliuchevskoi (4,835 m) is Kamchatka's most active volcano; Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoeswhich pose a threat to the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskyhave been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interiorworthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include BezymiannyChikurachkiEbekoGorelyGroznyKarymskyKetoiKronotskyKsudachMedvezhiaMutnovskySarychev PeakShiveluchTiatiaTolbachikand Zheltovsky; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Geography - note

Note 1: largest country in the world in terms of area; despite its sizemuch of the country lacks the soil and climate (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture note 2: Russia's far eastparticularly the Kamchatka Peninsulalies along the Ring of Firewhich is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes note 3: Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak; Lake Baikalthe deepest lake in the worldis estimated to hold one fifth of the world's fresh surface water note 4: Kaliningrad oblast is an exclave annexed from Germany after World War II; its capital city of Kaliningrad -- formerly Koenigsberg -- is the only Baltic port in Russia that remains ice-free in the winter

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

140,134,279 (2025 est.)

Population — male

65,166,555

Population — female

74,967,724

Nationality — noun

Russian(s)

Nationality — adjective

Russian

Ethnic groups

Russian 77.7%Tatar 3.7%Ukrainian 1.4%Bashkir 1.1%Chuvash 1%Chechen 1%other 10.2%unspecified 3.9% (2010 est.)

Languages — Languages

Russian (official) 85.7%Tatar 3.2%Chechen 1%other 10.1% (2010 est.)

Languages — major-language sample(s)

Книга фактов о мире – незаменимый источник базовой информации. (Russian) The World Factbookthe indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Russian Orthodox 15-20%Muslim 10-15%other Christian 2% (2006 est.)

Age structure — 0-14 years

16.5% (male 11,956,284/female 11,313,829)

Age structure — 15-64 years

65.7% (male 45,007,073/female 47,518,221)

Age structure — 65 years and over

17.8% (2024 est.) (male 8,533,448/female 16,491,955)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

52.6 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

24.7 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

27.9 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

3.6 (2025 est.)

Median age — total

42.3 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

39.4 years

Median age — female

44.5 years

Population growth rate

-0.49% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

8.27 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

13.93 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

0.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

Population is heavily concentrated in the westernmost fifth of the countryextending from the Baltic Sea south to the Caspian Seaand eastward parallel to the Kazakh border; elsewheresizeable population pockets are isolated and generally found in the south

Urbanization — urban population

75.3% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

12.680 million MOSCOW (capital)5.561 million Saint Petersburg1.695 million Novosibirsk1.528 million Yekaterinburg1.292 million Kazan1.251 million Nizhniy Novgorod (2023)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.52 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

0.87 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

25.2 years (2013 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

9 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate — total

6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

7.2 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

5.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

72.3 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

67.4 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

77.4 years

Total fertility rate

1.52 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.74 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 98.9% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 91.5% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 97.1% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 8.5% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 2.9% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

7.4% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

13.8% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

5.11 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Hospital bed density

7 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 95.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 71.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 89.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 4.6% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 28.6% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 10.6% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

23.1% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

7.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

3.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

3.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

26.5% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

40.2% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

15.1% (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.6% (2021 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

0.3% (2017)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

6.2% (2017)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

14.3% national budget (2018 est.)

Literacy — total population

99.9% (2021 est.)

Literacy — male

99.9% (2021 est.)

Literacy — female

99.9% (2021 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — total

15 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — male

15 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — female

15 years (2023 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

Air pollution from heavy industrycoal-fired electric plantsand transportation in major cities; industrialmunicipaland agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from agricultural chemicals; nuclear waste disposal; scattered areas of radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid-waste management; abandoned stocks of pesticides

International environmental agreements — party to

Air PollutionAir Pollution-Nitrogen OxidesAir Pollution-Sulphur 85Antarctic-Environmental ProtectionAntarctic-Marine Living ResourcesAntarctic SealsAntarctic TreatyBiodiversityClimate ChangeClimate Change-Kyoto ProtocolClimate Change-Paris AgreementComprehensive Nuclear Test BanDesertificationEndangered SpeciesEnvironmental ModificationHazardous WastesLaw of the SeaMarine Dumping-London ConventionNuclear Test BanOzone Layer ProtectionShip PollutionWetlandsWhaling

International environmental agreements — signedbut not ratified

Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

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

Land use — agricultural land

13.2% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 7.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 0.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 5.6% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

50.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

35.9% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

75.3% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

1.844 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from coal and metallurgical coke

479.311 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

453.103 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from consumed natural gas

912.076 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

9.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Methane emissions — energy

13,815.3 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Methane emissions — agriculture

1,972.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — waste

4,069.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — other

363.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

60 million tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

5.3% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

17.15 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

29.03 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

18.64 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

4.53 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Geoparks — total global geoparks and regional networks

1

Geoparks — global geoparks and regional networks

Yangan-Tau (2023)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Russian Federation

Country name — conventional short form

Russia

Country name — local long form

Rossiyskaya Federatsiya

Country name — local short form

Rossiya

Country name — former

Russian EmpireRussian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

Country name — etymology

Russian lands were referred to as Muscovy until PETER I declared the Empire of All Russias in 1721; the new name aimed at identifying the new Russia with European political tradition; "Rus" was the Old Finnish name given to Varangians (eastern Vikings) who entered the area in the 9th century

Government type

Semi-presidential federation

Capital — name

Moscow

Capital — geographic coordinates

55 45 N37 36 E

Capital — time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of WashingtonDCduring Standard Time)

Capital — daylight saving time

Does not observe daylight savings time (DST)

Capital — time zone note

Russia has 11 time zonesthe largest number of contiguous time zones of any country in the world; in 2014two time zones were added and DST dropped

Capital — etymology

Named after the Moskva River; the origin of the river's name is unclear

Administrative divisions

46 provinces (oblastisingular - oblast)21 republics (respublikisingular - respublika)4 autonomous districts (avtonomnyye okrugisingular - avtonomnyy okrug)9 federal subjects (krayasingular - kray)2 federal cities (gorodasingular - gorod)and 1 autonomous province (avtonomnaya oblast') oblasts: Amur (Blagoveshchensk)ArkhangelskAstrakhanBelgorodBryanskChelyabinskIrkutskIvanovoKaliningradKalugaKemerovoKirovKostromaKurganKurskLeningrad (Gatchina)LipetskMagadanMoscowMurmanskNizhniy NovgorodNovgorodNovosibirskOmskOrenburgOrelPenzaPskovRostovRyazanSakhalin (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk)SamaraSaratovSmolenskSverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg)TambovTomskTulaTverTyumenUlyanovskVladimirVolgogradVologdaVoronezhYaroslavl 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 districts: Chukotka (Anadyr')Khanty-Mansi-Yugra (Khanty-Mansiysk)Nenets (Nar'yan-Mar)Yamalo-Nenets (Salekhard) federal subjects: Altay (Barnaul)Kamchatka (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy)KhabarovskKrasnodarKrasnoyarskPermPrimorskiy [Maritime] (Vladivostok)StavropolZabaykalsk [Transbaikal] (Chita) federal cities: Moscow [Moskva]Saint Petersburg [Sankt-Peterburg] autonomous province: Yevreyskaya [Jewish] (Birobidzhan)

Legal system

Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Constitution — history

Several previous (during Russian Empire and Soviet era); latest drafted 12 July 1993adopted by referendum 12 December 1993effective 25 December 1993

Constitution — amendment process

Proposed by the president of the Russian Federationby either house of the Federal Assemblyby the government of the Russian Federationor by legislative (representative) bodies of the Federation's constituent entities; proposals to amend the government’s constitutional systemhuman and civil rights and freedomsand procedures for amending or drafting a new constitution require formation of a Constitutional Assembly; passage of such amendments requires two-thirds majority vote of its total membership; passage in a referendum requires participation of an absolute majority of eligible voters and an absolute majority of valid votes; approval of proposed amendments to the government structureauthoritiesand procedures requires approval by the legislative bodies of at least two thirds of the Russian Federation's constituent entities

International law organization participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

No

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

At least one parent must be a citizen of Russia

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

Yes

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

3-5 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 7 May 2012)

Executive branch — head of government

Premier Mikhail Vladimirovich MISHUSTIN (since 16 January 2020)

Executive branch — cabinet

The government is composed of the premierhis deputiesand ministersall appointed by the president; the premier is also confirmed by the Duma

Executive branch — election/appointment process

President directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 roundsif neededfor a 6-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term)

Executive branch — most recent election date

15-17 March 2024

Executive branch — election results

2024: Vladimir PUTIN reelected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN (independent) 88.5%Nikolay KHARITONOV (Communist Party) 4.4%Vladislav DAVANKOV (New People party) 3.9%Leonid SLUTSKY (Liberal Democrats) 3.2% 2018: Vladimir PUTIN reelected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN (independent) 77.5%Pavel GRUDININ (CPRF) 11.9%Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY (LDPR) 5.7%other 4.9%; Mikhail MISHUSTIN (independent) approved as premier by Duma; vote - 383 to 0

Executive branch — expected date of next election

2030

Legislative branch — legislature name

Federal Assembly (Federalnoye Sobraniye)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber — chamber name

State Duma (Gossoudarstvennaya Duma)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — number of seats

450 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — electoral system

Mixed system

Legislative branch - lower chamber — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch - lower chamber — term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - lower chamber — most recent election date

9/19/2021

Legislative branch - lower chamber — parties elected and seats per party

United Russia (326); Communist Party (KPRF) (57); A Just Russia (28); Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) (23); Other (16)

Legislative branch - lower chamber — percentage of women in chamber

16.4%

Legislative branch - lower chamber — expected date of next election

September 2026

Legislative branch - upper chamber — chamber name

Council of the Federation (Soviet Federatsii)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — number of seats

170 (all appointed)

Legislative branch - upper chamber — percentage of women in chamber

18.5%

Judicial branch — highest court(s)

Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (consists of 170 members organized into the Judicial Panel for Civil Affairsthe Judicial Panel for Criminal Affairsand the Military Panel); Constitutional Court (consists of 11 membersincluding the chairperson and deputy)

Judicial branch — judge selection and term of office

All members of Russia's 3 highest courts nominated by the president and appointed by the Federation Council (the upper house of the legislature); members of all 3 courts appointed for life

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

Regional (kray) and provincial (oblast) courts; Moscow and St. Petersburg city courts; autonomous province and district courts (the 21 Russian republics have court systems specified by their own constitutions)

Political parties

A Just Russia for Truth or SRZP Civic Platform or CP Communists of Russia or CPCR Communist Party of the Russian Federation or CPRF Cossack Party of the Russian Federation or CosPRF Democratic Party of Russia or DPR Green Alternative or GA Liberal Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR New People or NP Party for Fairness! or PARZAS! Party of Direct Democracy or PDD Party of Progress or PP Party of Pensioners or RPPSJ Party of Russia's Rebirth or PRR Party of Social Protection or PSP Rodina Russian Ecological Party or The Greens Russian Party of Freedom and Justice or RPFJ Russia United Democratic Party or Yabloko United Russia or UR

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

Ambassador Alexander Nikitich DARCHIEV (since 11 June 2025)

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

2650 Wisconsin Avenue NWWashingtonDC 20007

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 298-5700

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 298-5735

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

[email protected] https://washington.mid.ru/en/

Diplomatic representation in the US — consulate(s) general

HoustonNew York

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires J. Douglas DYKHOUSE (since June 2025)

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

55,75566° N37,58028° E

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

5430 Moscow PlaceWashington DC 20521-5430

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

[7] (495) 728-5000

Diplomatic representation from the US — FAX

[7] (495) 728-5090

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

[email protected] https://ru.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation from the US — consulate(s) general

Vladivostok (suspended status)Yekaterinburg (suspended status)

International organization participation

APECArctic CouncilARFASEAN (dialogue partner)BISBRICSBSECCBSSCDCECERN (observer)CICACISCSTOEAECEAEUEAPCEASEBRDFAOFATFG-20GCTUIAEAIBRDICAOICC (national committees)ICRMIDAIFADIFCIFRCSIHOILOIMFIMOIMSOInterpolIOCIOM (observer)IPUISOITSOITUITUC (NGOs)LAIA (observer)MIGAMINURSOMONUSCONEANSGOAS (observer)OIC (observer)OPCWOSCEParis ClubPCAPFPSCOUNUNCTADUNESCOUNHCRUNIDOUNISFAUNMILUNMISSUNOCIUNOOSAUN Security Council (permanent)UNTSOUNWTOUPUWassenaar ArrangementWCOWFTU (NGOs)WHOWIPOWMOWTOZC

Independence

25 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union; Russian SFSR renamed Russian Federation); 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 Day12 June (1990)

Flag

Description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top)blueand red meaning: colors may have been based on the Dutch flagbut no official meaning is assigned history: created when Russia built its first naval vesselsand was used mostly as a naval flag until the 19th century

National symbol(s)

Beardouble-headed eagle

National color(s)

Whitebluered

National coat of arms

The current coat of arms of Russia was adopted by presidential decree on 30 November 1993; the double-headed eagle was adopted as a Russian symbol in 1472 when Ivan III married Sophia Palaiologinaniece of the last Byzantine emperor in Constantinople -- the eagle was her family's emblem

National anthem(s) — title

“Gosudarstvenny Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii” (National Anthem of the Russian Federation)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Sergey Vladimirovich MIKHALKOV/Aleksandr Vasilyevich ALEKSANDROV

National anthem(s) — history

Adopted 2000; Russia adopted the tune of the Soviet Union's anthem (composed in 1939)as well as new lyrics; MIKHALKOVwho wrote the new lyricsalso authored the Soviet lyrics in 1943

National heritage — total World Heritage Sites

33 (22 cultural11 natural)

National heritage — selected World Heritage Site locales

Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments (c); Kizhi Pogost (c); Kremlin and Red SquareMoscow (c); Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings (c); White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal (c); Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad (c); Church of the AscensionKolomenskoye (c); Lake Baikal (n); Volcanoes of Kamchatka (n); Ensemble of the Ferapontov Monastery (c); Historic and Architectural Complex of the Kazan Kremlin (c); CitadelAncient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent (c); Uvs Nuur Basin (n); Ensemble of the Novodevichy Convent (c); Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve (n); Historical Centre of the City of Yaroslavl (c); Lena Pillars Nature Park (n); Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex (c); Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk (c); Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture (c); Petroglyphs of Lake Onega and the White Sea (c); Rock Paintings of Shulgan-Tash Cave (c)

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Economic overview

Natural resource-rich Eurasian economy; leading energy exporter to Europe and Asia; decreased oil export reliance; endemic corruptionUkrainian invasionand lack of green infrastructure limit investment and have led to sanctions

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$6.089 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$5.835 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$5.607 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

4.3% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

4.1% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

-1.4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$41,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$39,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$38,200 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.174 trillion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

6.7% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

3.4% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

4.5% (2019 est.)

GDP - compositionby sector of origin — agriculture

2.7% (2024 est.)

GDP - compositionby sector of origin — industry

30.7% (2024 est.)

GDP - compositionby sector of origin — services

57.5% (2024 est.)

GDP - compositionby end use — household consumption

49.4% (2024 est.)

GDP - compositionby end use — government consumption

18.6% (2024 est.)

GDP - compositionby end use — investment in fixed capital

22.1% (2024 est.)

GDP - compositionby end use — investment in inventories

4.2% (2024 est.)

GDP - compositionby end use — exports of goods and services

21.9% (2024 est.)

GDP - compositionby end use — imports of goods and services

-17.6% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

Wheatsugar beetsmilkbarleypotatoessunflower seedsmaizesoybeanschickenpork (2023)

Industries

Complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coaloilgaschemicalsand metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; defense industries (including radarmissile productionadvanced electronic components)shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinerytractorsand construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durablestextilesfoodstuffshandicrafts

Industrial production growth rate

4.1% (2024 est.)

Labor force

72.517 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

2.6% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

3.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

3.9% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

9.3% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

8.8% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

9.8% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

12.1% (2020 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income — Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

35.1 (2021 est.)

Average household expenditures — on food

25.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Average household expenditures — on alcohol and tobacco

5.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — lowest 10%

2.7% (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — highest 10%

26.6% (2021 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2024

0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Budget — revenues

$704.613 billion (2023 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$635.809 billion (2023 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2023

18.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

12.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2024

$62.287 billion (2024 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

$49.439 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

$237.735 billion (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2024

$475.277 billion (2024 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$465.22 billion (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$640.878 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners

China 33%India 17%Turkey 8%Kazakhstan 4%Brazil 3% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Crude petroleumrefined petroleumnatural gascoalfertilizers (2023)

Imports — Imports 2024

$381.45 billion (2024 est.)

Imports — Imports 2023

$379.659 billion (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$347.384 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners

China 53%Turkey 5%Germany 5%Kazakhstan 5%Italy 2% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Carspackaged medicinebroadcasting equipmentgarmentsplastic products (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$597.217 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$581.71 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$632.242 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external — Debt - external 2022

$135.301 billion (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

Russian rubles (RUB) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

85.162 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

68.485 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

73.654 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

72.105 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2019

64.738 (2019 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity access — electrification - urban areas

99.1%

Electricity access — electrification - rural areas

100%

Electricity — installed generating capacity

301.926 million kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

1.011 trillion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — exports

18.66 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — imports

2.852 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

97.301 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

61.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — nuclear

19.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — wind

0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — hydroelectricity

17.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — biomass and waste

0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Nuclear energy — Number of operational nuclear reactors

36 (2025)

Nuclear energy — Number of nuclear reactors under construction

4 (2025)

Nuclear energy — Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

26.8GW (2025 est.)

Nuclear energy — Percent of total electricity production

18.4% (2023 est.)

Nuclear energy — Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

11 (2025)

Coal — production

531.13 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — consumption

290.763 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — exports

211.944 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

20.765 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — proven reserves

162.166 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — total petroleum production

10.879 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

3.863 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — crude oil estimated reserves

80 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas — production

613.447 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — consumption

474.448 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — exports

124.479 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — imports

5.724 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — proven reserves

47.805 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

224.858 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

20,816,300 (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

15 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

270 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

186 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

13 national TV stations: the federal government owns 1 and controls a secondstate-owned Gazprom controls 2state-affiliated Bank Rossiya controls 2Moscow city administration runs 1the Russian Orthodox Church owns 1and the Russian military owns 1; around 3,300 nationalregionaland local TV stationswith over two-thirds completely or partially state-controlled; satellite TV available; 2 state-run national radio networkswith a third majority-owned by Gazprom; around 2,400 public and commercial radio stations

Internet country code

.ru

Internet users — percent of population

92% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

35.9 million (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25 (2022 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

RA

Airports

905 (2025)

Heliports

494 (2025)

Railways — total

85,494 km (2019)

Railways — narrow gauge

957 km

Merchant marine — total

2,910 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

Bulk carrier 15container ship 20general cargo 976oil tanker 387other 1,512

Ports — total ports

67 (2024)

Ports — large

4

Ports — medium

5

Ports — small

19

Ports — very small

38

Ports — size unknown

1

Ports — ports with oil terminals

32

Ports — key ports

Arkhangels'kDe KastriDudinkaKaliningradMurmanskNovorossiyskSankt-PeterburgVladivostokVyborg

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: Ground Forces (SV)Aerospace Forces (VKS)Navy (VMF); separate or independent troop branches include the Airborne Forces (VDV)Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (RVSN; commonly to as Strategic Rocket Forces)Special Operations Forcesand Unmanned Systems Forces Federal National Guard Troops Service of the Russian Federation (FSVNGNational GuardRussian Guardor Rosgvardiya) Federal Security Services (FSB): Federal Border Guard Service (includes land and maritime forces) (2025)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2024

7% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2023

5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2022

4.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2021

4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2020

4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

Estimated 1.1-1.2 million active Armed Forces; estimated 350,000 Federal National Guard Troops (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

The Russian Federation's military and paramilitary services are equipped with domestically produced weapons systemsalthough in recent years Russia has imported military hardware from external suppliers such as Iran and North Korea to support its war on Ukraine; the Russian defense industry is capable of producing a full range of advanced airlandmissileand naval systems; Russia is one of the world's largest exporters of military hardware (2025)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for compulsory service for men; 18-65 years of age for voluntary/contractual service; women and non-Russian citizens (18-30) may volunteer; minimum 12-month service obligation (2025)

Military deployments

Estimated 600,000 in Ukraine; more than 20,000 additional military personnel deployed in former Soviet states and elsewhereincluding ArmeniaBelarusGeorgiaKyrgyzstanLibyaMoldovaSyriasub-Saharan Africaand Tajikistan (2025)

Military - note

The Russian military is responsible for protecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrityproviding maritime securityand supporting Moscow's national security objectivesincluding projecting influence and power abroad and deterring perceived external threats; its missions include airlandmaritimestrategic missileand expeditionary operations; it is also active in the areas of cyber warfareelectronic warfareand space; the Russian military's focus is its ongoing war on Ukraine and the perceived threat from NATO and the US in February 2022Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukrainebeginning what is the largest war in Europe since World War II ended in 1945; Russian military forces occupied Ukraine’s province of Crimea in 2014and Moscow subsequently backed separatist forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine with armsequipmentand trainingas well as Russian military troopsalthough Moscow denied their presence prior to 2022 Russia intervened in the Syrian civil war at the request of the Syrian Government from September 2015 until the collapse of the ASAD regime in December 2024; it was Moscow’s first overseas military expeditionary operation since the Soviet era; Russian assistance included air supportarms and equipmentintelligencemilitary advisorsprivate military contractorsspecial operations forcesand training; Russia seized the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by force in 2008 (2025)

🛰️ Space⬆️ Top

Space agency/agencies

State Space Corporation of the Russian Federation (Roscosmos; established 2015); Russian Space Forces (Kosmicheskie voyska RossiiKV; under the Russian Aerospace Forces) (2025)

Space launch site(s)

Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakhstan); Vostochny Cosmodrome (Amur Oblast); Plesetsk Cosmodrome (Arkhangel'sk Oblast) (2025)

Space program overview

Has one of the world’s largest space programs and is active across all areas of the space sector; buildslaunchesand operates satellite/space launch vehiclessatellitesspace stationsinterplanetary probesand mannedroboticand re-usable spacecraft; has astronaut (cosmonaut) training program and conducts human space flight; researching and developing a broad range of other space-related technologies; participates in international space programs such as the International Space Station; has had relations with dozens of foreign space agencies and commercial entitiesincluding those of Chinathe ESAIndiaJapanand the US; Roscosmos and its public subsidiaries comprise the majority of the Russian space industry; Roscosmos has eight operating areasincluding manned space flightslaunch systemsunmanned spacecraftrocket propulsionmilitary missilesspace avionicsspecial military space systemsand flight control systems; private companies are also involved in a range of space systems (2025)

Key space-program milestones

1957 - placed world’s first satellite (Sputnik-1) in orbit 1961-1964 - launched first manfirst womanand first multi-member crew into space 1965 - launched first probe to successfully land on the Moon 1967 - initial launch of Soviet-made Soyuz series space launch vehicle (SLV) 1971 - placed first space station (Salyut) in orbit and successfully landed a probe on Venus 1975 - joint Soviet (Soyuz)-US (Apollo) space mission 1986 - began operation of Mir space station (in orbit until 2001) 1995 - Global Navigation Satellite System (GLObalnaya NAvigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema or GLONASS) constellation completed 2014 - initial launch of Angara SLV series 2021 - announced agreements with China to send a robotic probe to an asteroid and jointly establish a station on the Moon 2023 - launch first of a planned series of Moon landers (Luna-25; crashed on Moon's surface); announced intent to place first module of a new space station in orbit by 2027

🚨 Terrorism⬆️ Top

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

11,440 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

172,783 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — stateless persons

90,185 (2024 est.)

Trafficking in persons — tier rating

Tier 3 — Russia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do sothereforeRussia remained on Tier 3; for more detailsgo to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/russia/