01
Physical geography
Broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions.
Local timeMoscow ·
Europe / Eastern Europe · Card 043
Russia
Russia is a country in Eastern Europe. Its capital is Moscow.
Find Russia
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. Regional map spans Russia in Europe and Asia across the 180° meridian. The locator shows its European position. Crimea is shown with Ukraine, consistent with internationally recognized borders.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers. Regional map spans Russia in Europe and Asia across the 180° meridian. The locator shows its European position. Crimea is shown with Ukraine, consistent with internationally recognized borders.
At a glance
- Capital
- Moscow
- Languages
- Russian
- Currency
- Russian ruble (RUB)
- Population
- 143.5 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 17,098,242 km²6,601,665.43 square miles
- Federation
- 1991Separate successor state after the USSR dissolved.
Russia in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Moscow; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Russian.
03
Location
North Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Eastern Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN General Assembly · Ukraine’s territorial integrity
History & status
Russia expanded from a medieval principality into an empire spanning Europe and Asia. The 1917 revolutions ended the monarchy and led to Soviet rule. The Russian Federation emerged as a separate successor state when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Revolutions end imperial rule
-
The Soviet Union dissolves
-
Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN General Assembly · Ukraine’s territorial integrity
Economy
Main activities
Oil, natural gas, metals and other natural resources are important exports. Manufacturing, agriculture and services also contribute. War-related expenditure, sanctions and changes in trading relationships affect economic activity and investment.
Industry and production
complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; defense industries (including radar, missile production, advanced electronic components), shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scie
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN General Assembly · Ukraine’s territorial integrity
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people143.52025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 130,404,000 | 130.404 |
| 1980 | 139,010,000 | 139.010 |
| 1990 | 147,969,406 | 147.969 |
| 2000 | 146,596,869 | 146.597 |
| 2010 | 142,849,468 | 142.849 |
| 2020 | 145,245,148 | 145.245 |
| 2025 | 143,513,328 | 143.513 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Trillions of constant 2015 US dollars1.62025 · trillions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Trillions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,161,488,648,472 | 1.161 |
| 1991 | 1,102,869,019,648 | 1.103 |
| 1992 | 942,610,308,784 | 0.943 |
| 1993 | 860,899,753,894 | 0.861 |
| 1994 | 752,686,755,595 | 0.753 |
| 1995 | 721,498,966,074 | 0.721 |
| 1996 | 694,406,178,901 | 0.694 |
| 1997 | 704,127,280,753 | 0.704 |
| 1998 | 666,808,805,070 | 0.667 |
| 1999 | 709,483,999,750 | 0.709 |
| 2000 | 780,432,873,757 | 0.780 |
| 2001 | 820,235,350,101 | 0.820 |
| 2002 | 858,786,345,192 | 0.859 |
| 2003 | 921,477,339,138 | 0.921 |
| 2004 | 987,823,227,186 | 0.988 |
| 2005 | 1,051,043,572,413 | 1.051 |
| 2006 | 1,137,229,862,736 | 1.137 |
| 2007 | 1,233,894,148,253 | 1.234 |
| 2008 | 1,298,056,264,713 | 1.298 |
| 2009 | 1,196,807,955,082 | 1.197 |
| 2010 | 1,250,664,313,051 | 1.251 |
| 2011 | 1,304,443,243,532 | 1.304 |
| 2012 | 1,356,935,163,523 | 1.357 |
| 2013 | 1,380,755,103,933 | 1.381 |
| 2014 | 1,390,921,151,171 | 1.391 |
| 2015 | 1,363,482,182,198 | 1.363 |
| 2016 | 1,366,122,853,557 | 1.366 |
| 2017 | 1,391,077,891,792 | 1.391 |
| 2018 | 1,430,116,278,514 | 1.430 |
| 2019 | 1,461,551,317,112 | 1.462 |
| 2020 | 1,422,766,794,860 | 1.423 |
| 2021 | 1,506,233,291,829 | 1.506 |
| 2022 | 1,484,613,261,468 | 1.485 |
| 2023 | 1,544,986,751,583 | 1.545 |
| 2024 | 1,621,026,050,317 | 1.621 |
| 2025 | 1,637,255,383,315 | 1.637 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.832Very High human developmentRank 64 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.762
20000.750
20100.808
20200.818
20230.832
73.2 yearsLife expectancy at birth
12.4 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Semi-presidential federation. Federal Assembly (Federalnoye Sobraniye) has two chambers (a bicameral legislature).
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN General Assembly · Ukraine’s territorial integrity
Knowledge check
Three questions about Russia.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Russia spans which two continents?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · UN General Assembly · Ukraine’s territorial integrity
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.