The changes that Russia has experienced within one generation help to explain why it sometimes comes across as oversensitive, self-absorbed, and clumsily defensive about its imperfections in democracy and law. But its periodic snarls can be deceptive. The Russia that is emerging into the twenty-first century is more prosperous, more secure within its borders, and more at ease with itself than for many a year - perhaps even for more than a century.
PART I
CONTEXT
RUSSIA - FACTS AND FIGURES
Official name: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya {Russian Federation).
Form of government: federal multiparty republic with a bicameral legislative body (Federal Assembly comprising the Federation Counciclass="underline" 172 members'; State Duma: 450).
Head of state: President.
Head of government: Prime Minister,
Capitaclass="underline" Moscow.
Official language: Russian.
Official religion: none.
Monetary unit: ruble (RUB). Demography
Population (2007): 141,378,000.
Density (2007): persons per sq mile 21.4, persons per sq kilometre 8.3.
Urban-rural (2007)2: urban 73.0%; rural 27.0%. Sex distribution (2004): male 46.49%; female 53.51%. Age breakdown (2006)г: under 15. 14.9%; 15-29, 24.7%; 3044, 21.5%; 45-59. 21.9%; 60-69. 8.4%; 70 and over, 8.6%. Population projection: (2010) 139,390,000; (2020) 132,242,000.
Ethnic composition (2002): Russian 79,82%; Tatar 3,83%; Ukrainian 2.03%; Bashkir I,i5%; Chuvash 1.13%; Chechen 0.94%; Armenian 0.78%; Mordvin 0.58%; Belarusian 0.56%; Avar 0.52%; Kazakh 0.45%; Udmurt 0.44%; Azerbaijani 0.43%; Mari 0.42%; German 0.41%; Kabardinian 0.36%; Ossetian 0.35%; Dargin 0.35%; Buryat 0.31%; Sakha 0.31%; other 4,83%. Religious affiliation (200S): Christian 58.4%, of which Russian Orthodox 53.1%, Roman Cathotic 1.0%, Ukrainian Orthodox 0.9%, Protestant 0.9%; Muslim 8.2%3, 4; traditional beliefs 0.8%; Jewish 0.6%; nonreligious 25.8%; atheist 5.0%; other 1.2%. Major cities (2006)2: Moscow 10,425,075; St Petersburg 4,580,620; Novosibirsk 1,397,015; Yekaterinburg 1,308,441; Nizhny Novgorod 1,283,553; Samara 1,143,346; Omsk 1. 138,822; Kazan 1,112,673; Chelyabinsk 1,092,958; Rostov-na-Donu 1,054,865; Ufa 1,029,616; Perm 993,319. Households (2004): Total households 51,209,000; average household size 2.8; distribution by size (1995): I person 19.2%; 2 persons 26.2%; 3 persons 22.6%; 4 persons 20.5%; 5 persons or more I i.5%.
Vital statistics
Birth rate per 1,000 population (2006); 10.3 (world average 20.3); (2005) within marriage 70.0%, outside marriage 30.0%.
Death rate per 1,000 population (2006): 15.2 (world average 8.6).
Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (2006): —4,9 {world average i 1.7).
Total fertility rate (average births per childbearing woman; 2006): 1.38,
Marriage/divorce rates per 1,000 population (2006): 7.8/ 4.5.
Life expectancy at birth (2005): male 58.9 years; female 72.4 years.
Major causes of death per 100,000 population (2006): circulatory diseases 860; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 200; accidents, poisoning, and violence 191, of which suicide 30, transport accidents 27, alcohol poisoning 20; diseases of the digestive system 62; diseases of the respiratory system 58; infectious and parasitic diseases 25. Adult population {ages 15—49) living with HIV (2005); 1.1% (world average 1.0%).
Social indicators
Educational attainment (2002). Percentage of population age 15 and over having no formal schooling 2.1%;
primary education 7.7%; some secondary 18.1%; complete secondary/basic vocational 53.0%; incomplete higher 3.1%; complete higher 16.0%, of which advanced degrees 0.3%. Quality of working life (2006). Average workweek (2004): 40 hours. Annual rate per 100,000 workers of: injury or accident 290; industrial illness 16.0; death I 1.8. Average working days lost to labour strikes per 1,000 employees 0.2.
Social participation. Eligible voters participating in last national election (2003); 55.7%. Trade union membership in total workforce (2003): c. 45%5. Social deviance. Offence rate per 100,000 population (2006) for: murder and attempted murder 19.4; rape and attempted rape 6.3; serious injury 36.2; theft I,ISO.4. Incidence per 100,000 popuiation of: alcoholism (1992) 1,727.5; substance abuse (2000) 25.6; suicide (2006) 30.0. Material well-being (2002): durable goods possessed per 100 households: automobiles 27; persona! computers 7; television receivers 126; refrigerators and freezers I 13; washing machines 93; VCRs 50; motorcycles 26; bicycles 71.
National economy
Public debt (external, outstanding; 2005): US$75,359,000,000.
Budget (2006). Revenue: RUB 6,276,300,000,000 (VAT 24.1%; taxes on natural resources 17.8%; corporate taxes 8.1%; single social tax 5.0%). Expenditures: RUB 4,281,300,000,000 (transfers 21.4%; defence 15.9%; social and cultural services 14.4%; law enforcement 12.9%; debt service 3.9%).
Gross national income (2006): US$956,557,000,000 {US$6,679 per capita).
Production (in metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (2006): wheat 45,006,300, potatoes 38,572,640, sugar beets 30,861,230, barley 18,153,550. sunflower seeds 6,752,860, oats 4,880,270, cabbages 4,073,240, corn (maize) 3,668,560, rye 2,965,060, tomatoes 2,414,860, carrots and turnips 1,918,370, onions 1.788.750, apples 1,617,000, cucumbers 1,423,210, peas 1,157,640; livestock (number of live animals) 21,473,926 cattle, 16,074,449 sheep, 13,454,876 pigs; roundwood {2005) 186.500,000 cu m, of which fuelwood 25%; fisheries production (2005) 3,305,698 {from aquaculture 3%); aquatic plants production {2005) 50,507 {from aquaculture, negligible). Mining and quarrying {2005): nickel 315,ООО6 [world rank: I]; mica 101,500 [world rank: I]; platinum-group metals 123,000 [world rank: 2]; gem diamonds 21,400,000 carats [world rank: 2]; industrial diamonds 10,400,000 carats [world rank: 3]; vanadium 9,0006 [world rank: 3]; iron ore {2004) 56,200,ООО6 [world rank: 5]; cobalt 5,0006 [world rank: 5]; copper ore 675,0006 [world rank: 6]; gold 165,000 kg [world rank: 6]; tin 3,0006 [world rank: 7]; molybdenum 3,0006 [world rank: 7]. Manufacturing {value added in US$'000,000; 2004): refined petroleum products 14,329; iron and steel 11,801; food products 8,933; chemicals and chemical products 7,709; nonferrous base metals 7,600; beverages 4,446; transportation equipment 4,255; general purpose machinery 3,369; cement, bricks, and ceramics 3,266;
fabricated metai products 1,949; wood products {excluding furniture) 1,922; printing and publishing 1,648; paper products 1,508; textiles and wearing apparel 1,374; rubber products 1,359; electrical equipment 1,165; tobacco products 1,055. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kWhr; 20064)7) 989,017,000,000 ([2005] 940,000,000,000); hard coal {metric tons; 2006-07) 237,700,000 ([2004] 144,978,000); lignite (metric tons; 2006-07) 70,300,000 {[2004] 75,460,000); crude petroleum (barrels; 2006-07) 3,482,900,000 ([2005] 1,022,000,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 2004) 175,486,000 (94,312,000); natural gas {cu m; 2006-07) 865,524,000,000 {[2005] 402,100,000,000). Population economically active (2006): total 74,146,000; activity rate of total population 52.0% (participation rates: ages 15-64, 73.0%; female 49.4%; unemployed 7.2%). Land use as % of total land area (2003): in temporary crops 7.5%, in permanent crops 0.1%, in pasture 5.6%; overall forest area (2005) 47.9%.