Official name: Russian Federation
System of government: Federal republic
Head of state: President Vladimir Putin (since 2000)
Head of government: Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov (since March 2004)
Legislature: Bicameral Federal Assembly — Federal Council (Upper House) and State Duma (Lower House)
Capital city: Moscow
Major cities: Moscow (approximately 14 million), St. Petersburg (4.5 million), Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk
Total area: 17,075,200 square kilometres
Land borders: 20,017 kilometres
Coastline: 37,653 kilometres
Arable land: 7.33%
Population: 143 million (July 2005 estimate)
Population growth: -0.37% per annum (2005 estimate)
Birth rate: 9.8 births per 1000 population
Age structure: 0–14 years: 14.6%, 15–64 years: 71.3%, over 65 years: 14.2%
Life expectancy: male 60.55 years, female 74.04 years
Major ethnic groups: Russian (81.5%), Tatar (3.8%), Ukrainian (3.0%), Chuvash (1.2%), others (10.5%).
Major languages: Russian, other
Major religions: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other
Literacy: 99.6%