The Russian Federation - Russia is a
democratic federal rule-of-law state with the republican form of
government. It consists of republics, territories, regions, federal
cities, an autonomous region and autonomous areas - equal subjects
of the Russian Federation. It is one of the largest countries of the
world.
Formal Name: Russian Federation.
Short Form: Russia.
Term for
Citizen(s): Russian(s).
Capital: Moscow.
Russian Flag: Three equal-sized horizontal bands of
white (top), blue and red.
Language: Russian.
Some
people speak English, French, and German.
Population: Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%,
Bashkir 0.9%, Belarusian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1%
Religion: Orthodox Christian, Islam, Judaism,
Buddhism.
Size: 17,075,200 square kilometers.
Geography: Broad plain with low hills west of Urals
in European Russia and vast coniferous forests and tundra east of
Urals in Siberia. Uplands and mountains along southern border
regions in Caucasus Mountains. About 10 percent of land area
swampland, about 45 percent covered by forest. Its land ranges from
the highest mountains in Europe to some of the lowest spots in the
world, and from Arctic tundra to seemingly endless plains.
Climate: Ranges from temperate to Arctic continental.
Winter weather varies from short-term and cold along Black Sea to
long-term and frigid in Siberia. Summer conditions vary from warm on
steppes to cool along Arctic coast. Much of Russia covered by snow
six months of year. Weather is usually harsh and unpredictable.
Average annual temperature of European Russia 0°C, lower in Siberia.
Precipitation low to moderate in most areas; highest amounts in
northwest, North Caucasus, and Pacific coast.
| City |
Average temperature
July (Centigrade) |
Average temperature
January (Centigrade) |
| Moscow |
22 |
-15 |
| Saint Petersburg |
22 |
-12 |
| Vladimir |
20 |
-15 |
| Irkutsk (Lake Baikal) |
20 |
-23 |
Time:
Moscow and St. Petersburg are eight hours ahead of U.S. Eastern
Standard Time and two hours ahead of Europe. Russia spans 11 time
zones. The difference between Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT) and the
time in some Russian cities are: Moscow and Saint Petersburg +3,
Volga-river towns +4, Krasnoyarsk and Enisei-river towns +7,
Kamchatka +12.
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
| Jan 1-2 |
New Year |
| Jan 7 |
Orthodox (Russian) Christmas |
| Feb 23 |
Day of Defender of Motherland |
| Mar 8 |
International Women's Day |
| May 1-2 |
Spring and Labor Day |
| May 9 |
Victory Day |
| Jun 12 |
Russian Independence Day |
| Nov 7 |
National Accord Day |
| Dec 12 |
Constitution
Day |
Currency: The
Russian currency is Rouble.
Phone Dialing Information: IDD is available. Country
Code: 7. Outgoing international code: 8-"wait for a tone"-10. Most
international calls made from large cities can be dialed directly,
but in smaller cities and towns it may be necessary to go through
the international operator and these should be booked well in
advance. Telephone booths for international phone calls are
available at main post offices. International calls can be booked by
dialing 8-"wait for a tone"-194. Some Moscow hotels have telephone
booths with IDD.
Food and drink: A restaurant meal in
Russia is an event to be enjoyed for the best part of an evening.
You will have a choice Russian cuisine as well as Georgian,
Armenian, Uzbek, to name just some. There are many international
restaurants offering American, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and
Mexican menus, too.
Tipping: If a service charge is
not already included in your restaurant bill, you might wish to
leave the small change that is returned to you. Tips are not
obligatory, but welcomed in Russia - from 5 per cent to 10 per cent
of the total is normal.
Electricity: 220 volts AC,
50Hz.
European type of outlets is required.
TRANSPORTATION
Urban: Public
transport in the cities is comprehensive and cheap. Many services
are electric traction (metro, tramway, trolleybus). Stations on the
Moscow metro are always elegant and often palatial. Fares are
standard for the various modes. Taxis are also available; they can
be hailed in the street, hired at a rank or booked by telephone. It
is safer to use officially marked taxis which should not be shared
with strangers.
Metro: 7 days a week from 6 am to 1
am. Most convenient transportation in Moscow and Saint Petersburg
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Post
office service: is available in all hotels in Russia.
Fax: Services are available in numerous business
centers and hotels.
Post: There are mailboxes and
post offices in every hotel.
Internet services:
Available in business centers and modern large hotels.
Mobile phones for rent: You can rent a phone in some
large cities.
Traveling time: for all type of
transportation, the time posted on tickets for both Departure and
Arriving is a local time.
Business hours: government
offices and other service offices open Monday trough Friday from 9
am to 6 pm
Shopping hours: 9 am to 9-10 pm Monday to
Saturday. Department stores and supermarkets are open throughout
lunchtime. Stores which are open 24 hours a day are becoming more
common.
Restaurants and other type of cuisine: usually open
7 days a week and business hours are 11 am to 1-2 am, some of them
to 6 am. Fast food is also available (McDonald's, Burger King,
Kentucky Fried Chicken, and many others).
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