| |
| Russian
Federation |
| Introduction
(Basic Data) |
| Land Area |
17,075,400 sq.km |
| Population |
147.10 million (1998) |
| Languages |
Official language is Russian, but other
languages are also used. |
Religion
|
Christianity is the main religion. Others
include Russian Orthodox, Islam, Judaism, Roman Catholic,
Protestant and Buddhism. |
| Education |
Compulsory for nine years and generally
is provided free of charge. But in 1992, some higher education
establishments began charging tuition fees. In 1993, total
enrolment at primary and secondary schools were equivalent
to 93% of the school age. |
| Literacy Rate |
98% |
| Capital |
Moscow (Population - 9 million) |
| Major Ports |
Basle |
| Major Cities |
St. Petersburg (5 mn), Zizhnii Novgorod
(1.3 mn), Novosibirsk (1.4 mn), Yekaterinburg, Samara,
Omsk, Ufa, Chelyabinsk |
| Climate |
Extremely varied, ranging from extreme
Arctic conditions in northern areas and much of Siberia,
to general temperatures in the south. Average annual rainfall
in Moscow in July is 19C whereas in January it is an average
of -9C. Average annual rainfall in Moscow is 575 mm. |
| Public Holidays |
January 1-2
January 07
February 2-3
March 08, April 02
April 20, May 1-2
May 09, June 12
August 22
November 07
December 31 |
| Working Hours |
Government - 9.00 a.m to 6.00 p.m. Private
- 10.00 a.m to 5.00 p.m. Banks - 9.30 a.m to 4.00 p.m. |
| Time |
3 hours ahead of GMT |
| Visa Requirement |
Similar to those of neighbouring European
countries. For information & documents, one should
contact the Swiss Embassy. |
| Weights and Measures |
The metric system is used |
| Currency |
Ruble |
| Government |
Russian Federation is a democratic, federative
multi ethnic republic, in which state power is divided
between the legislature, executive and judiciary which
are independent of one another. The President is the head
of state and holds broad executive powers. The President
appoints the Prime Minister. The Supreme legislative power
is vested in the bicameral Federal Assembly's Upper Chamber,
which is the 178 Member Federation Council and Lower Chamber
is the 450 Member State Dump. |
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