Russia (, Rossija; pronounced ), alsoFrom Article 1 of Constitution of Russia: "The names "Russian Federation" and "Russia" shall be equivalent." the Russian Federation (, Rossijskaja Federacija; pronounced , ), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of Europe and Asia. With an area of 17,075,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by land mass, covering almost twice the territory of the next-largest country, Canada. It ranks as the world's eighth largest population. Russia shares land borders with the following countries (counter-clockwise from NW to SE): Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and North Korea. It is also close to the United States, Canada, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey, Sweden, and Japan across stretches of water.

Formerly the dominant republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Russia is now an independent country and an influential member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, since the Union's dissolution in December 1991. During the Soviet era, Russia was officially called the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR). Russia is considered the Soviet Union's successor state in diplomatic matters.

Most of the area, population, and industrial production of the Soviet Union, then one of the world's two superpowers, lay in Russia. After the breakup of the USSR, Russia's global role was greatly diminished compared to that of the former Soviet Union. In October 2005, the federal statistics agency reported that Russia's population has shrunk by more than half a million people dipping to 143 million, although Russia remains the second country in the world by the number of immigrants from abroad.

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Russia to prospect for oil in Cuba (source: Big News Network): Havana, Nov 5 : Russian and Cuban governments ha.. http://bit.ly/1umh2P
jamaicacalling (Jamaica Calling) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:22:58 -0000
Russia to prospect for oil in Cuba (source: Big News Network): Havana, Nov 5 : Russian and Cuban governments ha.. http://bit.ly/1umh2P
GM-Magna Fallout: What Business As Usual Is in Russia | Reaction Radio http://cli.gs/m2uXb
Adrianebf9 (Adrian Kirkton) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:20:22 -0000
GM-Magna Fallout: What Business As Usual Is in Russia | Reaction Radio http://cli.gs/m2uXb
Post: "Germany and Russia furious at Opel blow – Financial Times" http://tinyurl.com/yfclc2l
DENewsOverviews (Germany News) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:19:50 -0000
Post: "Germany and Russia furious at Opel blow – Financial Times" http://tinyurl.com/yfclc2l
Russia Police Raided Bulgaria Diplomatic Building over Businessman http://bit.ly/qOoIq
novinite_com (Novinite.com) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:19:28 -0000
Russia Police Raided Bulgaria Diplomatic Building over Businessman http://bit.ly/qOoIq
Carlsberg beer sales slump in Russia | Business News | Food and Drink Digital: http://bit.ly/1DGDPi via @addthis
FandDDigital (FoodandDrink) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:18:30 -0000
Carlsberg beer sales slump in Russia | Business News | Food and Drink Digital: http://bit.ly/1DGDPi via @addthis
RT @Dutchy123 Russia-25-year-old man dies from swine flu in Bashkiria http://bit.ly/pyRtX #swineflu #H1N1 #grippe
1grippe (Grippe) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:17:48 -0000
RT @Dutchy123 Russia-25-year-old man dies from swine flu in Bashkiria http://bit.ly/pyRtX #swineflu #H1N1 #grippe

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