Russia | Facts & Information

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

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Facts & Figures

  • Official name: Russian Federation (Rossiyskaya Federatsiya)

    Land area: 494,208,000 sq mi (16,377,742 sq km)

    Total area: 496,223,000 sq mi (17,098,242 sq km)

    President: Vladimir Putin (Since 2012)

    Prime Minister: Mikhail Mishustin (Since 2020)

    See also: Rulers of Russia Since 1533

    Current government officials

    Capital: Moscow, 12.41 million (2018)

    Other large cities: Saint Petersburg 5.383 million; Novosibirsk 1.636 million; Yekaterinburg 1.482 million; Nizhniy Novgorod 1.264 million; Samara 1.164 million (2018)

    Currency: Russian ruble

    National Holiday: Among others, the most celebrated is Victory Day (5/9), celebrating the defeat of the Nazis.

     

    Population: 146,039,519 (March 2022 est.)

    Population Change: Growth rate: -0.08%; 11 births/1,000 population, 13.5 deaths/1,000 population, 1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population; infant mortality rate: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

    Life Expectancy: 73 years

     

    Nationality/Demonym: Russian (Rossiyane for the nationality, Russkiye for the ethnicity)

    Languages: Russian (official) 85.7%, Tatar 3.2%, Chechen 1%, other 10.1% (2010 est.)

    Ethnicity/race: Russian 77.7%, Tatar 3.7%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Bashkir 1.1%, Chuvash 1%, Chechen 1%, other 10.2%, unspecified 3.9% (2010 est.)

    Religions: Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.)

    Note: A majority of Russians are non-practicing or are not members of any religion, largely as a result of suppression of religion in the Soviet Union. Russia officially recognizes Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism as traditional religions

    Literacy rate: 99.7% (2015 est.)

     

    Major sources and definitions