
ABOUT RUSSIA

FACTS ABOUT RUSSIA
Official Name: Russian Federation
Population: 146 million (2014)
Capital: Moscow
Area: 17,101,670 km²(largest country of the world):Bigger than Pluto
Major language: Russian
Minor languages: English, Finnish, German, French.
Major religions: Christianity, Islam, Buddism, Judaism
Life expectancy: 59 years (men), 73 years (women)
Monetary unit: 1 rouble = 100 kopecks
Internet domain: ru, .su, .rf, .рф
International dialing code: +7
Borders: China, Japan, North Korea, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland and Norway.
Time Zone: Russia has 9 time zones
OTHER FACTS
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Russia has a wide range of natural resources and is one of the world’s largest producers of oil.
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The world’s first satellite, named Sputnik, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.
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The Soviet Union (USSR) was a socialist state that occupied much of Northern Asia and Eastern Europe from 1922 until it was dissolved in 1991. Former Soviet states include Lithuania, Georgia, Latvia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and others.
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The official residence of the Russian president is the Kremlin in Moscow. The name “Kremlin” means “fortress”.
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Russia is one of 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with the US, UK, China and France.
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Russia has over 40 national parks and 100 wildlife reserves.
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Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world. It reaches 1642 metres (5,387 feet) in depth and contains around 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water.
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Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Russia (and Europe), it reaches a height of 5642 metres (18,510 feet).
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Russia’s Volga River is the longest in Europe, with a length of around 3690 kilometres (2293 miles).
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Russia has the world’s largest area of forests.
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Russia produces a large amount of renewable energy thanks to its well developed hydropower stations.