Russia

             Russia is the largest country in the world, extending from the.
             Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the East. Russia is bordered.
             on the west by Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, and Ukraine; on.
             the south by the Black Sea, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and.
             China; on the east by the Pacific Ocean, and on the north by the Arctic.
             Ocean. The area west of the Ural Mountains is called European Russia; the.
             Asian part of the country, east of the Urals, is called Siberia. Russia's.
             capital city is Moscow.
             With a total population of 149,300,359, Russia is sixth in the.
             world in population, after China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and.
             Brazil. From 1990 to 1992 Russia's population had a slow rate of increase.
             at 0.4 to 0.5 percent per year.
             The value of Russia's money, the ruble, has dropped from the rate.
             of 2/3 of a ruble for every one dollar in 1988 to more than 1000 rubles.
             for every dollar in 1993. The large government deficit, equals about one-.
             fifth of total yearly economy.
             The total work force in Russia numbers 72.5 million. Industry is.
             the country's leading employer, with about 30 percent. Agriculture takes13.
             percent of all, and construction has 12 percent. Only about 1 million.
             people, 1.5%, are registered unemployed, but the unemployment rate is much.
             higher. Thousands work with no pay or with very few hours.
             Russia was the main country in the Union of Soviet Socialist.
             Republics(USSR).
             The East European Plain is full of rolling lowlands. The eastern.
             boundary of this region, the Urals, are old mountains that have eroded. The.
             Urals do not go above 6,200 ft. The Caucasus Mountains form the southern.
             border of the Russian plain. West Siberia is swampy and has many features.
             in common with the rest of Russia. Eastern Siberia includes the Central.
             Siberian Uplands .The Kamchatka Peninsula and Sakhalin Island, at the.
             western edge of the Pacific, were formed from young mountains. The.
             Kamchatka mountain ranges contain active volcanoes.