Russia's Flag
The Russian Federation is a federation of 85 federal subjects that spans both Europe and Asia, stretching from the Black Sea and Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. Russia's capital has been Moscow for centuries, though for a period (1712–1918) it was Sankt Petersburg. Russia has been a collection of republics and federal subjects since the time of the Soviet Union (USSR), during which the USSR was composed of several Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs), Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics (ASSRs), and Oblasts. On 25 December 1991, Russia was left as the largest of the post-Soviet states after the breakup of the USSR at the end of the Cold War, and it currently consists of multiple federal subjects of several cultures.
Russia is considered to be a rising superpower due to the decline of the United States, and Russia has been feared due to the power of its dictator Vladimir Putin and its partnerships with North Korea, China, Iran, and Syria. Russia was involved in controversial wars in Chechnya in the 1990s-2010s and Ukraine in the 2010s-20s, and Russia also contributed its air force and special forces to the Syrian Civil War to help the Syrian Arab Army; Russia was more interventionist in world matters than the USA at times. As of 2016, Russia rivalled the United States and China as the strongest country in the world, causing international concern. On the other hand, Russia's population is shrinking due to low birth rate, and countries like Mexico and Ethiopia are expected to overtake it in the 2030s.
The topic has been often debated whether Russia belongs to Western civilization. The country has been Christian since the 10th century, has a mostly European culture but there are also strong Mongol or "Turanian" influences, especially the preferrence for centralized authoritarian government. Russia under the tsars claimed to be "Third Rome". There has for a long time been a debate between pro-Western "Occidentalists" (now represented by Russian liberals) and anti-Western "Slavophiles" (now represented by Eurasianists). Russian art, music, literature and philosophy are an integral part of the Western canon.
Demographics[]
Russia had a population of 144,192,450 people in 2016, with 80.9% being Russians, 3.9% Tatars, 1.4% Ukrainians, 1.15% Bashkirs, 1.05% Chuvashes, 1.04% Chechens, .86% Armenians, .66% Avars, .54% Mordvins, .47% Kazakhs, .44% Azeris, .43% Dargins, .4% Udmurts, .4% Mari, .38% Ossetians, .38% Belarusians, .38% Kabardians, .37% Kumyks, .35% Yakuts, .34% Lezgians, .34% Buryats, .32% Ingushes, .29% Germans, .21% Uzbeks, .19% Tuvans, .17% Komi, .16% Karachays, .15% Roma, .15% Tajiks, .13% Kalmyks, .13% Laks, .11% Georgians, .11% Jews, .11% Moldovans, .11% Koreans, .09% Tabasarans, .08% Circassians, .08% Balkars, .08% Turks, .08% Nogais, .07% Kyrgyz, .06% Komi-Permyak, .06% Altays, .05% Pontic Greeks, .05% Adyghes, .04% Khakas, .03% Karelians, .03% Poles, .03% Nenets, .03% Abazas, .03% Yazidis, .03% Evenks, .03% Turkmens, and very small minorities such as Rutuls, Aghuls, Lithuanians, Khanty, Chinese, Bulgarians, Kurds, Evens, Finns, Latvians, Estonians, Chukchi, Vietnamese, Gagauz, Shors, Tsakhurs, Mansi, Nanais, Abhkazians, Assyrians, Arabs, Nagaybak, Koryaks, Dolgans, Veps, Afghans, Meskhetian Turks, Nivkh, Udis, Indians, Shapsugs, Iranians, Uyghurs, Selkups, Soyots, Serbs, Romanians, Itelmeni, Mongols, Kumandins, Hungarians, Ulchs, Teleuts, Talysh, Crimean Tatars, Besermyan, Hemshins, Kamchadals, Czechs, Sami, Dungans, Eskimos, Yukaghirs, Tats, Udege, French, Karakalpaks, Italians, Ket, Spanish, Slovenes, Chuvans, English, Japanese, Nganasans, Tofalars, Orochs, Negidals, Aleuts, Pamiris, Chulyms, Macedonians, Slovaks, Croats, Oroks, Taz, Izhorians, Bosnians, Enets, Ruthenians, Karaites, Montenegrins, Krymchaks, Vods, Kereks, Dagestanis, and Siberians. Russian is the main language of the country. In 2012, 41% of the population was Russian Orthodox Christian, 6.5% Muslim, 4.1% unaffiliated Christian, 1.5% other Orthodox faiths, 1.2% pagans or Tengris, .5% Tibetan Buddhists, 1.7% other religions, 25% agnostic, 13% atheist, and 5.5% undecided.