Part 695

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m highest point: Mount El'brus 5,633 m

Natural resources: wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources

Land use: arable land : 8% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 46% other: 42% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 40,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula

Environment - current issues: air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and sea coasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination

Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note: largest country in the world in terms of area but unfavorably located in relation to major sea lanes of the world; despite its size, much of the country lacks proper soils and climates (either too cold or too dry) for agriculture

@Russia:People

Population: 147,305,569 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years : 20% (male 15,258,810; female 14,683,485) 15-64 years: 67% (male 47,945,470; female 51,067,792) 65 years and over: 13% (male 5,645,915; female 12,704,097) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.29% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 9.52 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 14.84 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.44 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 23.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.81 years male: 58.39 years female: 71.56 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.35 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Russian(s) adjective: Russian

Ethnic groups: Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Byelorussian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1%

Religions: Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other

Languages: Russian, other

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male : 100% female: 97% (1989 est.)

@Russia:Government

Country name: conventional long form : Russian Federation conventional short form: Russia local long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya local short form: Rossiya former: Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

Data code: RS

Government type: federation