Russia
Country Facts
- Abbreviation: RU
- Capital: Moscow
- Largest City: Moscow
- Area: 6.602 million square miles
- Population:143.5 million people
Country Symbols
- Nickname: Russian Federation
- Motto: God is with Us
- Song: National Anthem
- Bird: Eagle
- Flower: Camomile
- Tree: Birch
National Flag
The flag of Russia consists of three-equal size stripes. The design of the the Russian flag is based of the Netherlands. The colors represent pan-Slavic. There is no official meaning behind the Russian flag, but many believe that the white represents generosity, the blue stands for loyalty, and the red stands for courage. The current Russian flag was adopted on August 21, 1991.
Location and physical characteristics
Russia lies in northern Asia between the North Pacific Ocean and Europe. It is surrounded by China, North Korea, Mongolia, and many other countries. Russia's coast line extends into the arctic and pacific oceans. The Ural mountain range split Asian Russia from European Russia. The Bronso lake is very popular in Russia.
History
In 1500 BC Slavs ruled over Russia. They were an Indo-European group who settled in Poland and western Russia. In the 9th century the vikings ruled it. From the 10th to 11th century it was ruled by the first Russians. They persuaded the start of the Greek Orthodox church in Russia. Today Russia is a Federation . They are ruled by a prime minister with other members. The main relgion is Orthodox Christianity with 75% of there people practicing.
Industry and Ag
Industry is important in Russia. Their main industries consist of oil, gas, mining, stone and metals, and many more. At the end of 2015 they entered a recession which is due to last until the end of 2016. Russia's GDP is 2.097 trillion USD. Their unemployment rate is at 5.2%. For each hour worked Russian workers contribute $25.90 to Russia's GDP while US workers contribute $67.40. More than 73% of Russians are unhappy with the economy and 7 out of 10 approve the way that Putin is handling it .
People and Culture
The official language of Russia is Russian but many of them also speak English and more than 100 minority languages are spoken. The main religion is Orthodox Christianity, and Islam is the second largest religion.