Russia
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Geographical Location
Russia is the largest country in the world, with a total area of 17,075,200 sq km it covers more than one eight of the world’s landmass. Russia shares boundaries with the Arctic Ocean on the North; northern Pacific Ocean on the East; China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia on the South; and the Black Sea, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, Finland on the West. The country’s total land border is 20,096.5 km and its’ coastline is 37,653 km. From east to west, there are a total of 11 time zones.
The terrain to the West of the Urals is made up from a broad plain with low hills. Syberia is covered by vast forests and tundra and the southern border regions are mainly uplands and mountains.
Population
The population of Russia is estimated at around 141,377,752, this puts it in 8th position in the world. The country is currently experiencing a population crisis, as the growth rate is negative, and the average age is climbing. This means that the ever smaller working class has to provide for a growing number of elderly people. The largest city — Moscow is also one of the largest in the world (around 10 million inhabitants), it is followed by St. Petersburg (5 million). Population distribution is very uneven, with some rural areas being very sparsely populated. The literacy rate is high, which is due to the priority position of education during the Soviet era.
Political Situation
According to its’ Constitution, Russia is a federation and a presidential republic. The president is the head of state and the prime minister — the head of government. The national legislature is the Federal Assembly which consists of two chambers; the 450-member “State Duma” and the 176-member Federation Council. The president is elected by popular vote, with a 4 year term. He has the power to appoint the prime minister. The president also acts as the commander in chief.
Today, Russia is led by Vladimir Putin. He is nearing the end of his second and last term (the Constitution only allows the president to serve two terms). Putin succeeded Boris Yeltsin to the presidency. In his two terms he became immensely popular among Russians and restored Russia’s important position on the international scene.
Putin has already given his complete support for the current prime minister Medvedev to succeed him in power. This act is almost sure to guarantee Medvedev the victory. Most observers believe that Putin will be in term appointed prime minister and will continue to decide the faith of the country, even though not as actual president.
Economy
“Russia ended 2007 with its ninth straight year of growth, averaging 7% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. Although high oil prices and a relatively cheap ruble initially drove this growth, since 2003 consumer demand and, more recently, investment have played a significant role. Over the last six years, fixed capital investments have averaged real gains greater than 10% per year and personal incomes have achieved real gains more than 12% per year. During this time, poverty has declined