Country Overview
The Russian Federation is a transcontinental state extending across Eastern Europe and northern Asia, with Moscow as its capital and most of its population living west of the Urals. It emerged as the internationally recognized continuation of the Soviet Union’s UN membership following the USSR’s dissolution in December 1991. Russia is governed as a federal republic under a highly centralized political system. Its military invasion of Ukraine began on a large scale in February 2022, following the unrecognized annexation of Crimea in 2014; Moscow’s further territorial annexation claims are not recognized by the United Nations General Assembly. [12]
Identity and State Formation
- Official name
- Russian Federation (Российская Федерация; Rossiyskaya Federatsiya)
- Common name
- Russia (Россия; Rossiya)
- Capital
- Moscow
- UN M49 classification
- Europe / Eastern Europe for UN country statistical listing; physical territory extends into Northern Asia [3]
- State-formation milestones
- Russian principalities and Tsardom predate the Russian Empire (proclaimed 1721); Soviet Union founded 1922
- RSFSR sovereignty declaration
- 12 June 1990, observed as Russia Day
- Current post-Soviet state
- Soviet Union dissolved December 1991; Russia continued the USSR UN membership
- Constitution
- Adopted by referendum 12 December 1993; subsequent amendments including 2020
- National day
- 12 June (Russia Day)
- ISO 3166-1 identifiers
- RU, RUS, 643
Historical context: The political history of lands now in Russia encompasses Rus’ polities, regional principalities, the Muscovite state, the Russian Tsardom and the imperial state that grew under the Romanov dynasty. The revolutions of 1917 ended the monarchy and led to Bolshevik rule and the creation of the USSR in 1922. The Soviet period included Stalinist repression, industrialization and victory over Nazi Germany at enormous human cost; the USSR emerged as a superpower. After the USSR collapsed in 1991, Russia underwent difficult market reforms and constitutional crisis, followed by increasing presidential centralization under Vladimir Putin. Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and leading to widespread sanctions and international condemnation. [9]
Geography and Population
- Conventional total geographical area
- Approximately 17,098,246 km², across Europe and Asia; source convention excludes unrecognized annexation claims
- Land area
- 16,376,870 km² (World Bank/FAO, 2024) [2]
- Population
- 143,513,328 (World Bank, 2025; data source definition, not a territorial claim) [1]
- Annual population growth
- −0.1% (World Bank, 2025) [1]
- Continental distribution
- Territory occupies large portions of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia; most people live in European Russia
- Geographic features
- Ural Mountains, Siberian Plain, Central Siberian Plateau, Caucasus, Volga, Ob, Yenisei and Lena rivers, Lake Baikal
- Seas and oceans
- Arctic Ocean and associated seas, Pacific Ocean, Baltic and Black Sea coasts, Caspian Sea coastline
- Major cities
- Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Vladivostok
- Territorial sovereignty issue
- Crimea and other Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia are internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory; disputed annexations are not added to this conventional area figure
- Subnational organization
- Federal subjects including republics, regions, territories, federal cities and autonomous jurisdictions; official domestic lists include internationally disputed claims
Data interpretation: Conventional international estimates of Russia’s area and population may differ from Russian state figures because of timing, migration and territorial coverage. Crimea (annexed by Russia in 2014) and four Ukrainian regions claimed in 2022 remain internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory; this profile does not treat annexation claims as valid borders. Population is the World Bank WDI 2025 series. [12] [1]
Economy and International Trade
- Economic structure
- Energy production and exports, metals, chemicals, mining, heavy manufacturing, agriculture, transport, services and defense-related industries
- Nominal GDP
- Approximately US$2.56 trillion (World Bank, 2025 current dollars; exchange-rate sensitive) [1]
- Nominal GDP per capita
- US$17,546.6 (World Bank, 2025 current dollars; country-site reported indicator) [1]
- Real GDP growth
- 1.0% (World Bank, 2025) [1]
- Currency
- Russian ruble (RUB)
- Merchandise exports
- US$418.3 billion (2025, Russian Federal Customs Service figures reported 10 February 2026)
- Merchandise imports
- US$279.0 billion (2025, Federal Customs Service)
- Goods-trade surplus
- US$139.3 billion (2025, Federal Customs Service)
- Export composition
- Crude petroleum, natural gas and petroleum products; metals, coal, fertilizers, agricultural commodities and other manufactures
- Trading geography
- Asian markets dominate trade turnover after major shifts in routes and sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine
- Comparison caution
- War-related sanctions, sanctions circumvention, reporting restrictions and exchange-rate fluctuations complicate trade and GDP series
Principal Merchandise Export Categories (2025 goods trade, Russian Federal Customs Service reported totals; representative product composition)
| Category | Illustrative exported products |
|---|---|
| Crude oil and refined petroleum | Crude oil, refined fuels and other petroleum products |
| Natural gas and energy | Pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas, coal and electricity |
| Metals and minerals | Iron and steel, aluminum, nickel, precious metals and ores |
| Fertilizers and chemicals | Mineral fertilizers and associated chemical products |
| Agricultural exports | Wheat and other grains, vegetable oils and related agricultural products |
GDP is not wages: Nominal GDP is aggregate economic output; GDP per capita divides that output by population. Neither measure represents average or median personal earnings. [1]
People and Society
- Federal state language
- Russian; additional co-official regional languages in some constituent republics
- Other languages
- Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Chuvash, Yakut (Sakha), Buryat, Avar, regional minority languages and languages of migration
- Religious landscape
- Russian Orthodox Christianity is the largest self-identified tradition; Islam is prominent in North Caucasus and Volga regions; Buddhism, Judaism and other religions are present
- 2023 identification survey
- An independent Levada Center poll cited by the U.S. State Department reported about 72% Orthodox Christian, 7% Muslim and 18% with no religious faith
- Religious methodology
- Survey categories are not mutually identical to institutional affiliation, church attendance or legally registered religious communities
- Population characteristics
- More densely settled European part, extensive sparsely settled Siberian and Arctic regions; regional and ethnic diversity
- Demographic challenges
- Low fertility, aging and migration alongside deaths, displacement and administrative disruptions associated with the war
Demographic interpretation: Russia’s population census is not a comprehensive census of religion; the religious percentages are from a 2023 opinion poll quoted in the U.S. State Department report. They are indicative survey measures, not audited census shares, and national statistics are affected by regional coverage questions. [8]
Government and Institutions
- Constitutional form
- Federal semi-presidential republic in law, with substantial authority vested in the presidency
- Political practice
- Strong executive concentration, constrained political competition and restrictions on independent media and opposition
- Head of state
- President of the Russian Federation
- Head of government
- Chairman of the Government (Prime Minister)
- Legislature
- Federal Assembly: State Duma (450 seats) and Federation Council
- Constitution
- 1993 Constitution, amended including 2020
- Federal subjects
- Republics, krais, oblasts, federal cities, autonomous oblast and autonomous okrugs; Russian domestic enumeration includes disputed Ukrainian territories
- Judiciary
- Constitutional and Supreme Courts, federal judicial system; international rule-of-law concerns remain
International Profile
- United Nations
- Permanent member of the Security Council; continued the Soviet Union UN seat in December 1991 [5]
- European Union
- Not a member
- Euro area
- Not a member; uses the ruble
- Schengen area
- Not a member
- NATO
- Not a member
- Other organizations
- WTO, OSCE, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Eurasian Economic Union and CIS framework
- UNESCO World Heritage
- 33 properties, including Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow; Saint Petersburg; Lake Baikal; and Volcanoes of Kamchatka [4]
- Territorial status at UN
- UN General Assembly resolutions 68/262 (2014) and ES-11/4 (2022) support Ukraine’s territorial integrity and reject attempted annexations
- International dialing code
- +7 (shared use with Kazakhstan under historical numbering arrangements)
- Time zones
- 11 time zones spanning UTC+2 to UTC+12; no nationwide seasonal clock changes
Sources and Verification
Editorial cutoff: November 6, 2026. Headline population is World Bank 2025; economic indicators are World Bank 2025 except where a distinct reference year is printed (notably San Marino, 2023). Separate national releases and census figures have different statistical coverage and dates; figures may be updated retrospectively.
- World Bank, World Development Indicators: country data — Population, nominal GDP, GDP per capita and real GDP growth, identified by reference year.
- World Bank / FAO, land area, 2024 — Land area excluding inland waters.
- United Nations Statistics Division, M49 classification — Geographic region and subregion.
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, State Party listing — World Heritage properties inscribed as of November 2026.
- United Nations, Member States — United Nations membership.
- World Bank / FAO land area Russia; geographic comparisons — World Bank land area benchmark and geographic area convention.
- Interfax, Russian Federal Customs Service 2025 goods trade report — Federal Customs Service exports, imports, trade balance and partner regions, 10 February 2026.
- U.S. Department of State, 2023 International Religious Freedom Report: Russia — Levada Center 2023 poll on religious identity and methodological context.
- Constitution of the Russian Federation, text available via Constitute Project — Institutions under constitutional framework; further amendments after this edition.
- Constitutional governance: Federal Assembly and presidency (general reference) — Bicameral institutions and executive system; text predates 2020 amendments.
- United Nations General Assembly resolution 68/262 (2014) — Territorial integrity of Ukraine, Crimea.
- United Nations General Assembly resolution ES-11/4 (2022) — Non-recognition of attempted annexations of occupied Ukrainian regions.
- UNESCO, Russian Federation World Heritage State Party — 33 properties as of November 2026.
Methodology: Population is the World Bank 2025 country series; GDP and GDP per capita use the explicitly printed year and are in current U.S. dollars and real GDP growth is a volume change, not an exchange-rate change. Land area excludes inland waters under the FAO definition, whereas the country-specific total area can be a distinct national or regional surface measure. Export tables are illustrative merchandise categories, not services data or a harmonized ranking. Religious figures identify their census or survey reference year and denominator.