Russia

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The Kola-Karelian region
  - The Russian Plain
  - The Ural Mountains
  - The West Siberian Plain
  - The Central Siberian Plateau
  - The mountains of the south and east
- Drainage
  - Rivers
  - Lakes
- Climate
  - Atmospheric pressure and winds
  - Temperature
  - Precipitation
- Soils and plant and animal life
  - Arctic desert
  - Tundra
  - Taiga
  - Mixed and deciduous forest
  - Wooded steppe and steppe
People
- Ethnic groups and languages
  - The Indo-European group
  - The Altaic group
  - The Uralic group
  - The Caucasian group
  - Other groups
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  - Agriculture
  - Forestry
  - Fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
  - Machine building
  - Chemicals
  - Light industry
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Regional and local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- The development of Russian culture
  - The Kievan period
  - The Muscovite period
  - The emergence of modern Russian culture
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
  - Literature
    - The 19th century
    - The 20th century
  - Music
    - The 19th century
    - The 20th century
  - The visual arts
    - The 19th century
    - The 20th century
  - The performing arts
    - The 19th century
    - The 20th century
  - Motion pictures
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- From the beginnings to c. 1700
  - Prehistory and the rise of the Rus
  - Kiev
    - The rise of Kiev
    - The decline of Kiev
    - Social and political institutions
  - The lands of Rus
    - Novgorod
    - The northwest
    - The northeast
    - The southwest
  - The Mongol period
    - The Mongol invasion
    - Tatar rule
    - The rise of Muscovy
    - Cultural life and the “Tatar influence”
    - The post-Sarai period
  - Rurikid Muscovy
    - Ivan III
    - Vasily III
    - Ivan IV (the Terrible)
    - Boris Godunov
    - The Time of Troubles
    - Social and economic conditions
    - Cultural trends
  - Romanov Muscovy
    - Michael
    - Alexis
    - Trends in the 17th century
      Cultural life
      The great schism
- The 18th century
  - The reign of Peter I (the Great; 1689–1725)
    - Peter’s youth and early reign
    - The Petrine state
    - Assessment of Peter’s reign
  - Peter I’s successors (1725–62)
    - Anna (1730–40)
    - Elizabeth (1741–62)
  - The reign of Catherine II (the Great; 1762–96)
    - Expansion of the empire
    - Government administration under Catherine
  - Education and social change in the 18th century
  - The reign of Paul I (1796–1801)
- Russia from 1801 to 1917
  - The reigns of Alexander I and Nicholas I
    - General survey
    - Government
    - Social classes
    - Education and intellectual life
    - The Russian Empire
    - Foreign policy
  - From Alexander II to Nicholas II
    - Emancipation and reform
    - Revolutionary activities
    - Economic and social development
    - Education and ideas
    - Russification policies
    - Foreign policy
  - The last years of tsardom
    - The revolution of 1905–06
    - The State Duma
    - Agrarian reforms
    - War and the fall of the monarchy
- Soviet Russia
  - After the monarchy
  - The October (November) Revolution
  - The Civil War and War Communism (1918–21)
    - The Civil War
    - War Communism
  - New Economic Policy (1921–28)
  - The Stalin era (1928–53)
  - The Khrushchev era (1953–64)
  - The Brezhnev era (1964–82)
  - The Gorbachev era: perestroika and glasnost
  - Collapse of the Soviet Union
- Post-Soviet Russia
  - The Yeltsin presidency (1991–99)
    - Economic reforms
    - Political and social changes
    - Ethnic relations and Russia’s “near-abroad”
    - Foreign affairs
    - Rewriting history
  - The Putin presidency
    - Separatism
    - Foreign affairs
    - The oligarchs
    - Political and economic reforms
  - The Medvedev presidency
  - The second Putin presidency
    - The Ukraine crisis
    - Consolidation of power, Syria, and campaign against the West
    - Putin’s fourth term as president, novichok attacks, and military action against Ukraine
Leaders of Russia from 1276

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

western Greater Caucasus range

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Petersburg, Russia

Russia: administrative divisions

Physical features of Russia

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Russia: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Rossiyskaya Federatsiya • Rossija • Russian Federation • Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic • Russian S.F.S.R. • Rossiya
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Mikhail Mishustin
Capital	Moscow
Population	(2024 est.) 145,165,000
Currency Exchange Rate	1 USD equals 91.296 Russian ruble
Head Of State	President: Vladimir Putin
Form Of Government	federal multiparty republic with a bicameral legislative body (Federal Assembly comprising the Federation Council [170] and the State Duma [450])
Official Language	Russian
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Rossiyskaya Federatsiya (Russian Federation), or Rossia (Russia)
Total Area (Sq Km)	17,075,400
Total Area (Sq Mi)	6,592,850
Monetary Unit	ruble (RUB)
Population Rank	(2023) 9
Population Projection 2030	139,599,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2023) 22
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2023) 8.5
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2018) 74% • Rural: (2018) 26%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 66.9 years • Female: (2022) 78.3 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2020) 100% • Female: (2020) 100%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2022) 1,873,505
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2022) 12,830

Did You Know?

Russia ranks the fourth highest globally in alcohol consumption per capita.
It is customary to gift flowers in odd numbers, as even numbers of flowers are used for funerals.
Since 1745, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg has housed cats to catch mice that damage artwork.
Peter the Great attempted to modernize Russia and imposed a tax on beards in 1698.

Photos and Videos

western Greater Caucasus range

Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Petersburg, Russia

Russia: administrative divisions

Physical features of Russia

typical Russian rural buildings

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The rise and fall of the Russian tsars

The rise and reign of Catherine the Great

National anthem of Russia

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

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Quiz

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Russia: A History Quiz

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Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz

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Countries of the World

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Countries & Their Features

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Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz

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The Country Quiz

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