RUB to ZAR Live Rate

North Asia bordering the Arctic Ocean, extending from Europe (the portion west of the Urals) to the North Pacific Ocean

Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

60 00 N, 100 00 E

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Asia

Africa

total: 17,098,242 sq km

land: 16,377,742 sq km

water: 720,500 sq km

country comparison to the world: 1

total: 1,219,090 sq km

land: 1,214,470 sq km

water: 4,620 sq km

note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

country comparison to the world: 26

total: 22,408 km

border countries (14): Azerbaijan 338 km, Belarus 1,312 km, China (southeast) 4,133 km, China (south) 46 km, Estonia 324 km, Finland 1,309 km, Georgia 894 km, Kazakhstan 7,644 km, North Korea 18 km, Latvia 332 km, Lithuania (Kaliningrad Oblast) 261 km, Mongolia 3,452 km, Norway 191 km, Poland (Kaliningrad Oblast) 210 km, Ukraine 1,944 km

total: 5,244 km

border countries (6): Botswana 1,969 km, Lesotho 1,106 km, Mozambique 496 km, Namibia 1,005 km, Eswatini 438 km, Zimbabwe 230 km

37,653 km

2,798 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

ranges from steppes in the south through humid continental in much of European Russia; subarctic in Siberia to tundra climate in the polar north; winters vary from cool along Black Sea coast to frigid in Siberia; summers vary from warm in the steppes to cool along Arctic coast

mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

broad plain with low hills west of Urals; vast coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia; uplands and mountains along southern border regions

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

mean elevation: 600 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m

highest point: Gora El'brus 5,642 m (highest point in Europe)

mean elevation: 1,034 m

elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, reserves of rare earth elements, timber

note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources

gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

agricultural land: 13.1%

arable land 7.3%; permanent crops 0.1%; permanent pasture 5.7%

forest: 49.4%

other: 37.5% (2011 est.)

agricultural land: 79.4%

arable land 9.9%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 69.2%

forest: 7.6%

other: 13% (2011 est.)

43,000 sq km (2012)

16,700 sq km (2012)

population is heavily concentrated in the westernmost fifth of the country extending from the Baltic Sea, south to the Caspian Sea, and eastward parallel to the Kazakh border; elsewhere, sizeable pockets are isolated and generally found in the south

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Petoria; the eastern half of the country is more densly populated than the west

permafrost over much of Siberia is a major impediment to development; volcanic activity in the Kuril Islands; volcanoes and earthquakes on the Kamchatka Peninsula; spring floods and summer/autumn forest fires throughout Siberia and parts of European Russia

volcanism: significant volcanic activity on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands; the peninsula alone is home to some 29 historically active volcanoes, with dozens more in the Kuril Islands; Kliuchevskoi (4,835 m), which erupted in 2007 and 2010, is Kamchatka's most active volcano; Avachinsky and Koryaksky volcanoes, which pose a threat to the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Bezymianny, Chikurachki, Ebeko, Gorely, Grozny, Karymsky, Ketoi, Kronotsky, Ksudach, Medvezhia, Mutnovsky, Sarychev Peak, Shiveluch, Tiatia, Tolbachik, and Zheltovsky

prolonged droughts

volcanism: the volcano forming Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands, which last erupted in 2004, is South Africa's only active volcano

air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and seacoasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; groundwater contamination from toxic waste; urban solid waste management; abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides

lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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; Mount El'brus is Europe's tallest peak; Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, is estimated to hold one fifth of the world's fresh water

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Eswatini

142,257,519 (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

54,841,552

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

noun: Russian(s)

adjective: Russian

noun: South African(s)

adjective: South African

Russian 77.7%, Tatar 3.7%, Ukrainian 1.4%, Bashkir 1.1%, Chuvash 1%, Chechen 1%, other 10.2%, unspecified 3.9%

note: nearly 200 national and/or ethnic groups are represented in Russia's 2010 census (2010 est.)

black African 80.2%, white 8.4%, colored 8.8%, Indian/Asian 2.5%

note: colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry (2014 est.)

Russian (official) 85.7%, Tatar 3.2%, Chechen 1%, other 10.1%

note: data represent native language spoken (2010 est.)

isiZulu (official) 22.7%, isiXhosa (official) 16%, Afrikaans (official) 13.5%, English (official) 9.6%, Sepedi (official) 9.1%, Setswana (official) 8%, Sesotho (official) 7.6%, Xitsonga (official) 4.5%, siSwati (official) 2.5%, Tshivenda (official) 2.4%, isiNdebele (official) 2.1%, sign language 0.5%, other 1.6% (2011 est.)

Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2% (2006 est.)

note: estimates are of practicing worshipers; Russia has large populations of non-practicing believers and non-believers, a legacy of over seven decades of Soviet rule; Russia officially recognizes Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism as traditional religions

Protestant 36.6% (Zionist Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%), Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 est.)

total dependency ratio: 43.5

youth dependency ratio: 24.2

elderly dependency ratio: 19.4

potential support ratio: 5.2 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio: 52.5

youth dependency ratio: 44.8

elderly dependency ratio: 7.7

potential support ratio: 12.9 (2015 est.)

total: 39.6 years

male: 36.6 years

female: 42.5 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 53

total: 27.1 years

male: 26.9 years

female: 27.3 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 145

-0.08% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 205

0.99% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 114

11 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 178

20.2 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

13.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 58

1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 52

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 136

population is heavily concentrated in the westernmost fifth of the country extending from the Baltic Sea, south to the Caspian Sea, and eastward parallel to the Kazakh border; elsewhere, sizeable pockets are isolated and generally found in the south

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Petoria; the eastern half of the country is more densly populated than the west

urban population: 74.2% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: -0.15% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population: 65.8% of total population (2017)

rate of urbanization: 1.33% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

MOSCOW (capital) 12.166 million; Saint Petersburg 4.993 million; Novosibirsk 1.497 million; Yekaterinburg 1.379 million; Nizhniy Novgorod 1.212 million; Samara 1.164 million (2015)

Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni) 9.399 million; Cape Town (legislative capital) 3.66 million; Durban 2.901 million; PRETORIA (capital) 2.059 million; Port Elizabeth 1.179 million; Vereeniging 1.155 million (2015)

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.75 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.45 male(s)/female

total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

24.6 years (2009 est.)

25 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

138 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 63

total: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 7.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 163

total: 31 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 34.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 62

total population: 71 years

male: 65.3 years

female: 77.1 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 154

total population: 63.8 years

male: 62.4 years

female: 65.3 years (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 190

1.61 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 179

2.29 children born/woman (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 91

68%

note: percent of women aged 15-44 (2011)

7.1% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 80

8.8% of GDP (2014)

country comparison to the world: 44

3.98 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

0.82 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

8.2 beds/1,000 population (2013)

improved:

urban: 98.9% of population

rural: 91.2% of population

total: 96.9% of population

unimproved:

urban: 1.1% of population

rural: 8.8% of population

total: 3.1% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 99.6% of population

rural: 81.4% of population

total: 93.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0.4% of population

rural: 18.6% of population

total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 77% of population

rural: 58.7% of population

total: 72.2% of population

unimproved:

urban: 23% of population

rural: 41.3% of population

total: 27.8% of population (2015 est.)

improved:

urban: 69.6% of population

rural: 60.5% of population

total: 66.4% of population

unimproved:

urban: 30.4% of population

rural: 39.5% of population

total: 33.6% of population (2015 est.)

NA

18.9% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

NA

7.1 million (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

NA

110,000 (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

degree of risk: intermediate

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2016)

degree of risk: intermediate

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2016)

23.1% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 70

28.3% (2016)

country comparison to the world: 30

3.8% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 110

5.9% of GDP (2016)

country comparison to the world: 42

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.7%

male: 99.7%

female: 99.6% (2015 est.)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 94.4%

male: 95.4%

female: 93.4% (2015 est.)

total: 15 years

male: 15 years

female: 15 years (2014)

total: 13 years

male: 12 years

female: 13 years (2012)

total: 16%

male: 15.3%

female: 16.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 85

total: 50.1%

male: 46.3%

female: 54.9% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

South Africa’s youthful population is gradually aging, as the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) has declined dramatically from about 6 children per woman in the 1960s to roughly 2.2 in 2014. This pattern is similar to fertility trends in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and sets South Africa apart from the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, where the average TFR remains higher than other regions of the world. Today, South Africa’s decreasing number of reproductive age women is having fewer children, as women increase their educational attainment, workforce participation, and use of family planning methods; delay marriage; and opt for smaller families.

As the proportion of working-age South Africans has grown relative to children and the elderly, South Africa has been unable to achieve a demographic dividend because persistent high unemployment and the prevalence of HIV/AIDs have created a larger-than-normal dependent population. HIV/AIDS was also responsible for South Africa’s average life expectancy plunging to less than 43 years in 2008; it has rebounded to 63 years as of 2017. HIV/AIDS continues to be a serious public health threat, although awareness-raising campaigns and the wider availability of anti-retroviral drugs is stabilizing the number of new cases, enabling infected individuals to live longer, healthier lives, and reducing mother-child transmissions.

Migration to South Africa began in the second half of the 17th century when traders from the Dutch East India Company settled in the Cape and started using slaves from South and southeast Asia (mainly from India but also from present-day Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia) and southeast Africa (Madagascar and Mozambique) as farm laborers and, to a lesser extent, as domestic servants. The Indian subcontinent remained the Cape Colony’s main source of slaves in the early 18th century, while slaves were increasingly obtained from southeast Africa in the latter part of the 18th century and into the 19th century under British rule.

After slavery was completely abolished in the British Empire in 1838, South Africa’s colonists turned to temporary African migrants and indentured labor through agreements with India and later China, countries that were anxious to export workers to alleviate domestic poverty and overpopulation. Of the more than 150,000 indentured Indian laborers hired to work in Natal’s sugar plantations between 1860 and 1911, most exercised the right as British subjects to remain permanently (a small number of Indian immigrants came freely as merchants). Because of growing resentment toward Indian workers, the 63,000 indentured Chinese workers who mined gold in Transvaal between 1904 and 1911 were under more restrictive contracts and generally were forced to return to their homeland.

In the late 19th century and nearly the entire 20th century, South Africa’s then British colonies’ and Dutch states’ enforced selective immigration policies that welcomed “assimilable” white Europeans as permanent residents but excluded or restricted other immigrants. Following the Union of South Africa’s passage of a law in 1913 prohibiting Asian and other non-white immigrants and its elimination of the indenture system in 1917, temporary African contract laborers from neighboring countries became the dominant source of labor in the burgeoning mining industries. Others worked in agriculture and smaller numbers in manufacturing, domestic service, transportation, and construction. Throughout the 20th century, at least 40% of South Africa’s miners were foreigners; the numbers peaked at over 80% in the late 1960s. Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, and Eswatini were the primary sources of miners, and Malawi and Zimbabwe were periodic suppliers.

Under apartheid, a “two gates” migration policy focused on policing and deporting illegal migrants rather than on managing migration to meet South Africa’s development needs. The exclusionary 1991 Aliens Control Act limited labor recruitment to the highly skilled as defined by the ruling white minority, while bilateral labor agreements provided exemptions that enabled the influential mining industry and, to a lesser extent, commercial farms, to hire temporary, low-paid workers from neighboring states. Illegal African migrants were often tacitly allowed to work for low pay in other sectors but were always under threat of deportation.

The abolishment of apartheid in 1994 led to the development of a new inclusive national identity and the strengthening of the country’s restrictive immigration policy. Despite South Africa’s protectionist approach to immigration, the downsizing and closing of mines, and rising unemployment, migrants from across the continent believed that the country held work opportunities. Fewer African labor migrants were issued temporary work permits and, instead, increasingly entered South Africa with visitors’ permits or came illegally, which drove growth in cross-border trade and the informal job market. A new wave of Asian immigrants has also arrived over the last two decades, many operating small retail businesses.

In the post-apartheid period, increasing numbers of highly skilled white workers emigrated, citing dissatisfaction with the political situation, crime, poor services, and a reduced quality of life. The 2002 Immigration Act and later amendments were intended to facilitate the temporary migration of skilled foreign labor to fill labor shortages, but instead the legislation continues to create regulatory obstacles. Although the education system has improved and brain drain has slowed in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, South Africa continues to face skills shortages in several key sectors, such as health care and technology.

South Africa’s stability and economic growth has acted as a magnet for refugees and asylum seekers from nearby countries, despite the prevalence of discrimination and xenophobic violence. Refugees have included an estimated 350,000 Mozambicans during its 1980s civil war and, more recently, several thousand Somalis, Congolese, and Ethiopians. Nearly all of the tens of thousands of Zimbabweans who have applied for asylum in South Africa have been categorized as economic migrants and denied refuge.

8.7% (2008)

country comparison to the world: 72

conventional long form: Russian Federation

conventional short form: Russia

local long form: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya

local short form: Rossiya

former: Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

etymology: Russian lands were generally referred to as Muscovy until PETER I officially declared the Russian Empire in 1721; the new name sought to invoke the patrimony of the medieval eastern European Rus state centered on Kyiv in present-day Ukraine; the Rus were a Varangian (eastern Viking) elite that imposed their rule and eventually their name on their Slavic subjects

conventional long form: Republic of South Africa

conventional short form: South Africa

former: Union of South Africa

abbreviation: RSA

etymology: self-descriptive name from the country's location on the continent; "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

semi-presidential federation

parliamentary republic

name: Moscow

geographic coordinates: 55 45 N, 37 36 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

note: Russia has 11 time zones, the largest number of contiguous time zones of any country in the world; in 2014, two time zones were added and DST was dropped

name: Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

46 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast), 21 republics (respubliki, singular - respublika), 4 autonomous okrugs (avtonomnyye okrugi, singular - avtonomnyy okrug), 9 krays (kraya, singular - kray), 2 federal cities (goroda, singular - gorod), and 1 autonomous oblast (avtonomnaya oblast')

oblasts: Amur (Blagoveshchensk), Arkhangel'sk, Astrakhan', Belgorod, Bryansk, Chelyabinsk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Kurgan, Kursk, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Magadan, Moscow, Murmansk, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Orel, Penza, Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan', Sakhalin (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Samara, Saratov, Smolensk, Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg), Tambov, Tomsk, Tula, Tver', Tyumen', Ul'yanovsk, Vladimir, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh, Yaroslavl'

republics: Adygeya (Maykop), Altay (Gorno-Altaysk), Bashkortostan (Ufa), Buryatiya (Ulan-Ude), Chechnya (Groznyy), Chuvashiya (Cheboksary), Dagestan (Makhachkala), Ingushetiya (Magas), Kabardino-Balkariya (Nal'chik), Kalmykiya (Elista), Karachayevo-Cherkesiya (Cherkessk), Kareliya (Petrozavodsk), Khakasiya (Abakan), Komi (Syktyvkar), Mariy-El (Yoshkar-Ola), Mordoviya (Saransk), North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz), Sakha [Yakutiya] (Yakutsk), Tatarstan (Kazan'), Tyva (Kyzyl), Udmurtiya (Izhevsk)

autonomous okrugs: Chukotka (Anadyr'), Khanty-Mansi-Yugra (Khanty-Mansiysk), Nenets (Nar'yan-Mar), Yamalo-Nenets (Salekhard)

krays: Altay (Barnaul), Kamchatka (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy), Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Perm', Primorskiy [Maritime] (Vladivostok), Stavropol', Zabaykal'sk [Transbaikal] (Chita)

federal cities: Moscow [Moskva], Saint Petersburg [Sankt-Peterburg]

autonomous oblast: Yevreyskaya [Jewish] (Birobidzhan)

note 1: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

note 2: the United States does not recognize Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the municipality of Sevastopol, nor their redesignation as the Republic of Crimea and the Federal City of Sevastopol

9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape

24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier dates: 1157 (Principality of Vladimir-Suzdal created); 16 January 1547 (Tsardom of Muscovy established); 22 October 1721 (Russian Empire proclaimed); 30 December 1922 (Soviet Union established)

31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

Russia Day, 12 June (1990)

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

history: several previous (during Russian Empire and Soviet era); latest drafted 12 July 1993, adopted by referendum 12 December 1993, effective 25 December 1993

amendments: proposed by the president of the Russian Federation, by either house of the Federal Assembly, by the government of the Russian Federation, or by legislative (representative) bodies of the Federation's constituent entities; proposals to amend the government’s constitutional system, human and civil rights and freedoms, and procedures for amending or drafting a new constitution require formation of a Constitutional Assembly; passage of such amendments requires two-thirds majority vote of its total membership; passage in a referendum requires participation of an absolute majority of eligible voters and an absolute majority of valid votes; approval of proposed amendments to the government structure, authorities, and procedures requires approval by the legislative bodies of at least two-thirds of the Russian Federation's constituent entities; amended 2008, 2014 (2017)

history: several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved by Constitutional Court 4 December 1996, effective 4 February 1997

amendments: proposed by the National Assembly of Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional sections on human rights and freedoms, non-racism and non-sexism, supremacy of the constitution, suffrage, the multi-party system of democratic government, and amendment procedures requires at least 75% majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council of Provinces, and assent by the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting the Bill of Rights, and those related to provincial boundaries, powers, and authorities requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council, and assent by the president; amended many times, last in 2013 (2017)

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Russia

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 3-5 years

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa

dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission of the government

residency requirement for naturalization: 1 year

18 years of age; universal

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since 7 May 2012)

head of government: Premier Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV (since 8 May 2012); First Deputy Premier Igor Ivanovich SHUVALOV (since 12 May 2008); Deputy Premiers Arkadiy Vladimirovich DVORKOVICH (since 21 May 2012), Olga Yuryevna GOLODETS (since 21 May 2012), Aleksandr Gennadiyevich KHLOPONIN (since 19 January 2010), Dmitriy Nikolayevich KOZAK (since 14 October 2008), Vitaliy Leontyevich MUTKO (since 19 October 2016), Dmitriy Olegovich ROGOZIN (since 23 December 2011), Sergey Eduardovich PRIKHODKO (since 22 May 2013); Yuriy Petrovich TRUTNEV (since 31 August 2013)

cabinet: the "Government" is composed of the premier, his deputies, and ministers, all appointed by the president; the premier is also confirmed by the Duma

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 18 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2024); note - term length extended to 6 years from 4 years in late 2008, effective after the 2012 election; there is no vice president; premier appointed by the president with the approval of the Duma

election results: Vladimir PUTIN reelected president; percent of vote - Vladimir PUTIN (independent) 77.5%, Pavel GRUDININ (CPRF) 11.9%, Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY (LDPR) 5.7%, other 5.8%; Dmitriy MEDVEDEV (United Russia) reapproved as premier by Duma on 8 May 2018; vote - 374 to 56

note: there is also a Presidential Administration that provides staff and policy support to the president, drafts presidential decrees, and coordinates policy among government agencies; a Security Council also reports directly to the president

chief of state: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); Deputy President David MABUZA (26 February 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Jacob ZUMA resigned the presidency on 14 February 2018

head of government: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 15 February 2018); deputy president David MABUZA (26 February 2018); note - Jacob ZUMA resigned the presidency on 14 February 2018

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 February 2018 to elect Cyril RAMAPHOSA as acting president to replace ZUMA for the remainder of his term (next to be held in May 2019)

election results: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed

description: bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists of the Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (170 seats; 2 members in each of the 83 federal administrative units (see note below) - oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and the federal cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg - appointed by the top executive and legislative officials; members serve 4-year terms) and the State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats; as of February 2014, the electoral system reverted to a mixed electoral system for the 2016 election, in which one-half of the members are directly elected by simple majority vote and one-half directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

elections: State Duma - last held on 18 September 2016 (next to be held in fall 2021)

election results: State Duma - United Russia 54.2%, CPRF 13.3%, LDPR 13.1%, A Just Russia 6.2%, Rodina 1.5%, CP 0.2%; seats by party - United Russia 343, CPRF 42, LDPR 39, A Just Russia 23, Rodina 1, CP 1, independent 1

note: the State Duma now includes 3 representatives and the Federation Council 2 each from the Republic of Crimea and the Federal City of Sevastopol, two regions that Russia occupied and attempted to annex from Ukraine and that the US does not recognize as part of Russia

description: bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats; 10-member delegations appointed by each of the 9 provincial legislatures to serve 5-year terms; note - this council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections: National Council of Provinces and National Assembly - last held on 7 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

election results: National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 60, DA 20, EFF 7, IFP 1, NFP 1, UDM 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 62.2%, DA 22.2%, EFF 6.4%, IFP 2.4%, NFP 1.6%, UDM 1.0%, other 4.2%; seats by party - ANC 249, DA 89, EFF 25, IFP 10, NFP 6, UDM 4, other 17

highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (consists of 170 members organized into the Judicial Panel for Civil Affairs, the Judicial Panel for Criminal Affairs, and the Military Panel); Constitutional Court (consists of 19 members); note - in February 2014, Russia’s Superior Court of Arbitration was abolished and its former authorities transferred to the Supreme Court, which in addition to being the country’s highest judicial authority for appeals, civil, criminal, administrative, and military cases, and the disciplinary judicial board now has jurisdiction over economic disputes

judge selection and term of office: all members of Russia's 3 highest courts nominated by the president and appointed by the Federation Council (the upper house of the legislature); members of all 3 courts appointed for life

subordinate courts: Higher Arbitration Court; regional (kray) and provincial (oblast) courts; Moscow and St. Petersburg city courts; autonomous province and district courts; note - the 21 Russian Republics have court systems specified by their own constitutions

highest court(s): Supreme Court of Appeals (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 21 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Appeals president and vice president appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), a 23-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes other judges and judicial executives, members of parliament, practicing lawyers and advocates, a teacher of law, and several members designated by the national president; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service by an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the JSC and with heads of the National Assembly; other Constitutional Court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the chief justice and leaders of the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 12-year non-renewable terms or until age 70

subordinate courts: High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts

A Just Russia [Sergey MIRONOV]

Civic Platform or CP [Rifat SHAYKHUTDINOV]

Communist Party of the Russian Federation or CPRF [Gennadiy ZYUGANOV]

Liberal Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR [Vladimir ZHIRINOVSKIY]

Rodina [Aleksei ZHURAVLYOV]

United Russia [Dmitriy MEDVEDEV]

note: 72 political parties are registered with Russia's Ministry of Justice (as of August 2017), but only six parties maintain representation in Russia's national legislature, and two of these only have one deputy apiece

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]

African Independent Congress or AIC [Mandla GALO]

African National Congress or ANC [Cyril RAMAPHOSA]

African People's Convention or APC [Themba GODI]

Agang SA [Mike TSHISHONGA]

Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA]

Democratic Alliance or DA [Mmusi MAIMANE]

Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF [Julius Sello MALEMA]

Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter GROENEWALD]

Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]

National Freedom Party or NFP [Zanele kaMAGWAZA-MSIBI]

Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania or PAC [Luthanado MBINDA]

United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Isaac Sipho MFUNDISI]

United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

Committees of Soldiers' Mothers

Confederation of Labor of Russia or KTR

Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia

Golos Association in Defense of Voters' Rights

Memorial

Movement Against Illegal Migration

Russkiye

Solidarnost

The World Russian People's Congress

Union of Russian Writers

other: business associations; environmental organizations; religious groups (especially those with Orthodox or Muslim affiliation); veterans groups

Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Sdumo DLAMINI]

South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE]

South African National Civic Organization or SANCO [Richard MDAKANE]

note: COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the African National Congress

APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, BSEC, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN (observer), CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAEU, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission: Ambassador Anatoliy Ivanovich ANTONOV (since 8 September 2017)

chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone: [1] (202) 298-5700, 5701, 5704, 5708

FAX: [1] (202) 298-5735

consulate(s) general: Houston, New York, Seattle

chief of mission: Ambassador Mninwa Johannes MAHLANGU (since 23 February 2015)

chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400 [1] (202) 232-4400

FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607

consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission: Ambassador Jon HUNTSMAN (since 3 October 2017)

embassy: Bolshoy Deviatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099 Moscow

mailing address: PSC-77, APO AE 09721

telephone: [7] (495) 728-5000

FAX: [7] (495) 728-5090

consulate(s) general: Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jessica "Jessye" LAPENN (since 16 December 2016)

embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria

mailing address: P.O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001

telephone: [27] (12) 431-4000

FAX: [27] (12) 342-2299

consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red

note: the colors may have been based on those of the Dutch flag; despite many popular interpretations, there is no official meaning assigned to the colors of the Russian flag; this flag inspired several other Slav countries to adopt horizontal tricolors of the same colors but in different arrangements, and so red, blue, and white became the Pan-Slav colors

two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era

note: the South African flag is one of only two national flags to display six colors as part of its primary design, the other is South Sudan's

bear, double-headed eagle; national colors: white, blue, red

springbok (antelope), king protea flower; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

name: "Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii" (National Anthem of the Russian Federation)

lyrics/music: Sergey Vladimirovich MIKHALKOV/Aleksandr Vasilyevich ALEKSANDROV

note: in 2000, Russia adopted the tune of the anthem of the former Soviet Union (composed in 1939); the lyrics, also adopted in 2000, were written by the same person who authored the Soviet lyrics in 1943

name: "National Anthem of South Africa"

lyrics/music: Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers

note: adopted 1994; a combination of "N'kosi Sikelel' iAfrica" (God Bless Africa) and "Die Stem van Suid Afrika" (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid; official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English (i.e., the five most widely spoken of South Africa's 11 official languages); music incorporates the melody used in the Tanzanian and Zambian anthems

Russia has undergone significant changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union, moving from a centrally planned economy towards a more market-based system. Both economic growth and reform have stalled in recent years, however, and Russia remains a predominantly statist economy with a high concentration of wealth in officials' hands. Economic reforms in the 1990s privatized most industry, with notable exceptions in the energy, transportation, banking, and defense-related sectors. The protection of property rights is still weak, and the state continues to interfere in the free operation of the private sector.

Russia is one of the world's leading producers of oil and natural gas, and is also a top exporter of metals such as steel and primary aluminum. Russia is heavily dependent on the movement of world commodity prices as reliance on commodity exports makes it vulnerable to boom and bust cycles that follow the volatile swings in global prices. The economy, which had averaged 7% growth during the 1998-2008 period as oil prices rose rapidly, has seen diminishing growth rates since then due to the exhaustion of Russia’s commodity-based growth model.

A combination of falling oil prices, international sanctions, and structural limitations pushed Russia into a deep recession in 2015, with GDP falling by close by 2.8%. The downturn continued through 2016, with GDP contracting another 0.2%, but was reversed in 2017 as world demand picked up. Government support for import substitution has increased recently in an effort to diversify the economy away from extractive industries.

South Africa is a middle-income emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; and a stock exchange that is Africa’s largest and among the top 20 in the world.

Economic growth has decelerated in recent years, slowing to an estimated 0.7% in 2017. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality - among the highest in the world - remain a challenge. Official unemployment is roughly 27% of the workforce, and runs significantly higher among black youth. Even though the country's modern infrastructure supports a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region, unstable electricity supplies retard growth. Eskom, the state-run power company, is building three new power stations and is installing new power demand management programs to improve power grid reliability but has been plagued with accusations of mismanagement and corruption and faces an increasingly high debt burden.

South Africa's economic policy has focused on controlling inflation while empowering a broader economic base; however, the country faces structural constraints that also limit economic growth, such as skills shortages, declining global competitiveness, and frequent work stoppages due to strike action. The government faces growing pressure from urban constituencies to improve the delivery of basic services to low-income areas, to increase job growth, and to provide university level-education at affordable prices. Political infighting among South Africa’s ruling party and the volatility of the rand risks economic growth. International investors are concerned about the country’s long-term economic stability; in late 2016, most major international credit ratings agencies downgraded South Africa’s international debt to junk bond status.

$4 trillion (2017 est.)

$3.93 trillion (2016 est.)

$3.938 trillion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 7

$757.3 billion (2017 est.)

$752.1 billion (2016 est.)

$750 billion (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 31

$1.469 trillion (2017 est.)

$344.1 billion (2017 est.)

1.8% (2017 est.)

-0.2% (2016 est.)

-2.8% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 162

0.7% (2017 est.)

0.3% (2016 est.)

1.3% (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 193

$27,900 (2017 est.)

$27,400 (2016 est.)

$27,500 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 71

$13,400 (2017 est.)

$13,500 (2016 est.)

$13,700 (2015 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

country comparison to the world: 115

26.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

27.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

27.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

16.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

16.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

16.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 116

household consumption: 52.4%

government consumption: 17.8%

investment in fixed capital: 21.1%

investment in inventories: 2.5%

exports of goods and services: 25.6%

imports of goods and services: -19.4% (2017 est.)

household consumption: 59.8%

government consumption: 20.7%

investment in fixed capital: 20%

investment in inventories: -0.4%

exports of goods and services: 26.9%

imports of goods and services: -27% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 4.7%

industry: 32.4%

services: 62.3% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 2.8%

industry: 29.7%

services: 67.5% (2017 est.)

grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk

corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

complete range of mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; defense industries (including radar, missile production, advanced electronic components), shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts

mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

1.1% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 160

0.5% (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

76.53 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

22.19 million (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 30

agriculture: 9.4%

industry: 27.6%

services: 63% (2016 est.)

agriculture: 4.6%

industry: 23.5%

services: 71.9% (2014 est.)

5.5% (2017 est.)

5.5% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 76

27.6% (2017 est.)

26.7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 199

13.3% (2015 est.)

16.6% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%: 2.3%

highest 10%: 32.2% (2012 est.)

lowest 10%: 1.2%

highest 10%: 51.3% (2011 est.)

41.2 (2015 est.)

41.9 (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 59

62.5 (2013 est.)

63.4 (2011 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

revenues: $253.9 billion

expenditures: $287.5 billion (2017 est.)

revenues: $92.38 billion

expenditures: $103.3 billion (2017 est.)

17.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 175

26.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 104

-2.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 95

-3.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 122

11.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

10% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment, debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

country comparison to the world: 197

50.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

50.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 103

calendar year

1 April - 31 March

4.2% (2017 est.)

7% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 161

5.4% (2017 est.)

6.3% (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 175

10% (31 December 2016 est.)

11% (03 August 2015 est.)

note: this is the so-called refinancing rate, but in Russia banks do not get refinancing at this rate; this is a reference rate used primarily for fiscal purposes

country comparison to the world: 21

5.75% (31 December 2014 est.)

7% (31 December 2009 est.)

country comparison to the world: 73

10.3% (31 December 2017 est.)

12.59% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 80

10.4% (31 December 2017 est.)

10.46% (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 78

$204.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$195.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

$116.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$117.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 35

$688.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$633.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 20

$183.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$189.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 44

$825.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$770.1 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

$237.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$244.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 42

$635.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$393.2 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$385.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

$735.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$933.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$942.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

$41.46 billion (2017 est.)

$25.54 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

$-9.81 billion (2017 est.)

$-9.624 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 184

$336.8 billion (2017 est.)

$281.9 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 17

$78.25 billion (2017 est.)

$75.16 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, metals, wood and wood products, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures

gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment

Netherlands 10.5%, China 10.3%, Germany 7.8%, Turkey 5%, Italy 4.4%, Belarus 4.3% (2016)

China 9.2%, Germany 7.5%, US 7.4%, Botswana 5%, Namibia 4.8%, Japan 4.6%, India 4.3%, UK 4.2% (2016)

$212.7 billion (2017 est.)

$191.6 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

$80.22 billion (2017 est.)

$74.17 billion (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

machinery, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, plastic, semi-finished metal products, meat, fruits and nuts, optical and medical instruments, iron, steel

machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs

China 21.6%, Germany 11%, US 6.3%, France 4.8%, Italy 4.4%, Belarus 4.3% (2016)

China 18.1%, Germany 11.8%, US 6.7%, India 4.2% (2016)

$418.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$377.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

$48.18 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$47.23 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

$451.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$434.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

$144.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$144.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 43

$479.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$461.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

$139.2 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$136.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 40

$443 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$418 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

$176.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$172.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 28

Russian rubles (RUB) per US dollar -

58.39 (2017 est.)

67.06 (2016 est.)

67.06 (2015 est.)

60.94 (2014 est.)

38.38 (2013 est.)

rand (ZAR) per US dollar -

13.67 (2017 est.)

14.69 (2016 est.)

14.69 (2015 est.)

12.76 (2014 est.)

10.85 (2013 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

population without electricity: 7,700,000

electrification - total population: 85%

electrification - urban areas: 90%

electrification - rural areas: 77% (2013)

1.008 trillion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

229.2 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

890.1 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

207.7 billion kWh (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 21

13.13 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

16.55 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 12

3.194 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 50

10.56 billion kWh (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 24

263.5 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

47.28 million kW (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 23

70.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 104

86.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 72

9.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 16

3.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 25

19% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 92

1.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 144

0.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 148

7.1% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 82

10.55 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

2,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 89

5.116 million bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 186

15,110 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 67

434,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 22

80 billion bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 8

15 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 88

6.174 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 4

431,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 37

3.594 million bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 6

660,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 32

3.133 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

78,110 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 48

47,770 bbl/day (2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 84

164,700 bbl/day (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 41

598.6 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 2

1.1 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 66

418.9 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 3

8.66 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 57

197.7 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

0 cu m (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 178

18 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 20

3.8 billion cu m (2015 est.)

country comparison to the world: 38

47.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)

country comparison to the world: 1

15.01 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

country comparison to the world: 79

1.756 billion Mt (2014 est.)

country comparison to the world: 5

482 million Mt (2013 est.)

country comparison to the world: 14

total subscriptions: 32,276,615

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 9

total subscriptions: 4,522,850

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 33

total: 229,126,152

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 161 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

total: 82,412,880

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150 (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 19

general assessment: telecom sector impacted by sanctions related to the annexations in Ukraine; mobile market dominaed by four major operators; the estimated number of mobile subscribers jumped from fewer than 1 million in 1998 to 255 million in 2016; fixed-line service has improved but a large demand remains

domestic: cross-country digital trunk lines run from Saint Petersburg to Khabarovsk, and from Moscow to Novorossiysk; the telephone systems in 60 regional capitals have modern digital infrastructures; cellular services, both analog and digital, are available in many areas; in rural areas, telephone services are still outdated, inadequate, and low-density

international: country code - 7; connected internationally by undersea fiber -optic cables; satellite earth stations provide access to Intelsat, Intersputnik, Eutelsat, Inmarsat, and Orbita systems (2016)

general assessment: the system is the best-developed and most modern in Africa

domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 145 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria

international: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber-optic submarine cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; the EASSy fiber-optic cable system connects with Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

13 national TV stations with the federal government owning 1 and holding a controlling interest in a second; state-owned Gazprom maintains a controlling interest in 2 of the national channels; government-affiliated Bank Rossiya owns controlling interest in a fourth and fifth, while a sixth national channel is owned by the Moscow city administration; the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian military, respectively, own 2 additional national channels; roughly 3,300 national, regional, and local TV stations with over two-thirds completely or partially controlled by the federal or local governments; satellite TV services are available; 2 state-run national radio networks with a third majority-owned by Gazprom; roughly 2,400 public and commercial radio stations (2016)

the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well-developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas (2007)

.ru; note - Russia also has responsibility for a legacy domain ".su" that was allocated to the Soviet Union and is being phased out

.za

total: 108,772,470

percent of population: 76.4% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 7

total: 29,322,380

percent of population: 54.0% (July 2016 est.)

country comparison to the world: 26

number of registered air carriers: 32

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 661

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 76,846,126

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 4,761,047,070 mt-km (2015)

number of registered air carriers: 23

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 216

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 17,188,887

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 885,277,991 mt-km (2015)

RA (2016)

ZS (2016)

1,218 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 5

566 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 11

total: 594

over 3,047 m: 54

2,438 to 3,047 m: 197

1,524 to 2,437 m: 123

914 to 1,523 m: 95

under 914 m: 125 (2017)

total: 144

over 3,047 m: 11

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7

1,524 to 2,437 m: 52

914 to 1,523 m: 65

under 914 m: 9 (2013)

total: 624

over 3,047 m: 4

2,438 to 3,047 m: 13

1,524 to 2,437 m: 69

914 to 1,523 m: 81

under 914 m: 457 (2013)

total: 422

2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 31

914 to 1,523 m: 258

under 914 m: 132 (2013)

49 (2013)

1 (2013)

gas 177,700 km; oil 54,800 km; refined products 19,300 km (2016)

condensate 94 km; gas 1,293 km; oil 992 km; refined products 1,460 km (2013)

total: 87,157 km

broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)

note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve industries (2014)

country comparison to the world: 3

total: 20,986 km

standard gauge: 80 km 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 19,756 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)

other: 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified) (2014)

country comparison to the world: 13

total: 1,283,387 km

paved: 927,721 km (includes 39,143 km of expressways)

unpaved: 355,666 km (2012)

country comparison to the world: 5

total: 747,014 km

paved: 158,952 km

unpaved: 588,062 km (2014)

country comparison to the world: 10

102,000 km (including 48,000 km with guaranteed depth; the 72,000-km system in European Russia links Baltic Sea, White Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov, and Black Sea) (2009)

country comparison to the world: 2

total: 2,572

by type: bulk carrier 16, container ship 13, general cargo 874, oil tanker 411, other 1,258 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 10

total: 82

by type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 1, oil tanker 5, other 74 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 96

major seaport(s): Kaliningrad, Nakhodka, Novorossiysk, Primorsk, Vostochnyy

river port(s): Saint Petersburg (Neva River)

oil terminal(s): Kavkaz oil terminal

container port(s) (TEUs): Saint Petersburg (2,365,174)

LNG terminal(s) (export): Sakhalin Island

major seaport(s): Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay

container port(s) (TEUs): Durban (2,770,000) (2015)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Mossel Bay

5.4% of GDP (2016)

4.86% of GDP (2015)

4.1% of GDP (2014)

3.96% of GDP (2013)

3.75% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 8

1.07% of GDP (2016)

1.09% of GDP (2015)

1.11% of GDP (2014)

1.12% of GDP (2013)

1.13% of GDP (2012)

country comparison to the world: 109

Ground Troops (Sukhoputnyye Voyskia, SV), Navy (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot, VMF), Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily, VKS); Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnyye Voyska, VDV) and Missile Troops of Strategic Purpose (Raketnyye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN) referred to commonly as Strategic Rocket Forces, are independent "combat arms," not subordinate to any of the three branches (2017)

South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services (2013)

18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; 1-year service obligation (conscripts can only be sent to combat zones after 6 months of training); reserve obligation for non-officers to age 50; enrollment in military schools from the age of 16, cadets classified as members of the armed forces

note: the chief of the General Staff Mobilization Directorate announced in March 2015 that for health reasons, only 76% of draftees called up during the spring 2015 draft campaign were fit for military service (2015)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2012)

Russia remains concerned about the smuggling of poppy derivatives from Afghanistan through Central Asian countries; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with the 2004 Agreement, ending their centuries-long border disputes; the sovereignty dispute over the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group, known in Japan as the "Northern Territories" and in Russia as the "Southern Kurils," occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, and claimed by Japan, remains the primary sticking point to signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities; Russia's military support and subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence in 2008 continue to sour relations with Georgia; Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea; Norway and Russia signed a comprehensive maritime boundary agreement in 2010; various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia (Kareliya) and other areas ceded to the Soviet Union following World War II but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands; Russia and Estonia signed a technical border agreement in May 2005, but Russia recalled its signature in June 2005 after the Estonian parliament added to its domestic ratification act a historical preamble referencing the Soviet occupation and Estonia's pre-war borders under the 1920 Treaty of Tartu; Russia contends that the preamble allows Estonia to make territorial claims on Russia in the future, while Estonian officials deny that the preamble has any legal impact on the treaty text; Russia demands better treatment of the Russian-speaking population in Estonia and Latvia; Russia remains involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine while also occupying Ukraine’s territory of Crimea

Lithuania and Russia committed to demarcating their boundary in 2006 in accordance with the land and maritime treaty ratified by Russia in May 2003 and by Lithuania in 1999; Lithuania operates a simplified transit regime for Russian nationals traveling from the Kaliningrad coastal exclave into Russia, while still conforming, as an EU member state with an EU external border, where strict Schengen border rules apply; preparations for the demarcation delimitation of land boundary with Ukraine have commenced; the dispute over the boundary between Russia and Ukraine through the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov is suspended due to the occupation of Crimea by Russia; Kazakhstan and Russia boundary delimitation was ratified on November 2005 and field demarcation should commence in 2007; Russian Duma has not yet ratified 1990 Bering Sea Maritime Boundary Agreement with the US; Denmark (Greenland) and Norway have made submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and Russia is collecting additional data to augment its 2001 CLCS submission

South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration; the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River

refugees (country of origin): 427,240 (Ukraine) (2017)

IDPs: 19,000 (armed conflict, human rights violations, generalized violence in North Caucasus, particularly Chechnya and North Ossetia) (2017)

stateless persons: 90,771 (2016); note - Russia's stateless population consists of Roma, Meskhetian Turks, and ex-Soviet citizens from the former republics; between 2003 and 2010 more than 600,000 stateless people were naturalized; most Meskhetian Turks, followers of Islam with origins in Georgia, fled or were evacuated from Uzbekistan after a 1989 pogrom and have lived in Russia for more than the required five-year residency period; they continue to be denied registration for citizenship and basic rights by local Krasnodar Krai authorities on the grounds that they are temporary illegal migrants

refugees (country of origin): 28,695 (Somalia); 17,776 (Ethiopia); 5,394 (Republic of the Congo) (2016); 66,528 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2018)

current situation: Russia is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; with millions of foreign workers, forced labor is Russia’s predominant human trafficking problem and sometimes involves organized crime syndicates; workers from Russia, other European countries, Central Asia, and East and Southeast Asia, including North Korea and Vietnam, are subjected to forced labor in the construction, manufacturing, agricultural, textile, grocery store, maritime, and domestic service industries, as well as in forced begging, waste sorting, and street sweeping; women and children from Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Central Asia are subject to sex trafficking in Russia; Russian women and children are victims of sex trafficking domestically and in Northeast Asia, Europe, Central Asia, Africa, the US, and the Middle East

tier rating: Tier 3 - Russia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making a significant effort to do so; prosecutions of trafficking offenders remained low in comparison to the scope of Russia’s trafficking problem; the government did not develop or employ a formal system for identifying trafficking victims or referring them to protective services, although authorities reportedly assisted a limited number of victims on an ad hoc basis; foreign victims, the largest group in Russia, were not entitled to state-provided rehabilitative services and were routinely detained and deported; the government has not reported investigating reports of slave-like conditions among North Korean workers in Russia; authorities have made no effort to reduce the demand for forced labor or to develop public awareness of forced labor or sex trafficking (2015)

limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of methamphetamine, mostly for domestic consumption; government has active illicit crop eradication program; used as transshipment point for Asian opiates, cannabis, and Latin American cocaine bound for growing domestic markets, to a lesser extent Western and Central Europe, and occasionally to the US; major source of heroin precursor chemicals; corruption and organized crime are key concerns; major consumer of opiates

transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy