Geography of Russia Continued

Government of Russia

Today, Russia is still considered a federation and it has a chief of state and a head of government filled by the president and prime minister. The legislative branch is made up of a bicameral Federal Assembly which consists of the Federation Council and the State Duma. The judicial branch is made up of the Constitutional, Supreme and Supreme Arbitration Courts. Russia is divided into 46 oblasts, 21 republics, four autonomous okrugs, nine krays, two federal cities and one autonomous oblast.

Economics and Land Use in Russia

Since the collapse of the USSR, Russia has undergone significant changes to its economy. Today, it is market-based and since the 1990s, it has grown considerably. The main industries in Russia include the mining of natural minerals and resources like coal and various metals, defense industries, missile production, shipbuilding, various high tech industries, construction goods, consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs and handicrafts. Tourism and agriculture also play a role in Russia's economy and the largest agricultural products are grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits, beef and milk.

Geography and Climate of Russia

Because Russia is the world's largest country based on area, its topography (map) varies highly based on location within the country. Russian landscapes include a broad plain with low hills west of the Ural Mountains, large undeveloped forests and tundra in Siberia and uplands and mountains along the southern part of the country. Russia's largest cities are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny and Novgorod. Much of the country however is not developed. As a result, Russia is known for having the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain a quarter of the world's freshwater. It is also rich in plant and animal biodiversity.

Russia's climate, like its topography also varies but ranges mainly from steppes in the south to humid continental in the European portions. Siberia is subarctic and the north is polar tundra. Winters are very cold throughout the country and summers vary from warm in the steppe to cool along the coast. Moscow's July average high is 73.8˚F (23.2˚C) and its average January low is 13.5˚F (-10.3˚C).

To learn more about Russia, visit the Russia News section of the New York Times.

References

Central Intelligence Agency. (3 August 2010). CIA - The World Factbook - Russia. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html

Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Russia: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107909.html#axzz0wynpi032

United States Department of State. (14 June 2010). Russia. Retrieved from: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3183.htm

Wikipedia.com. (17 August 2010). Russia - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia

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