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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BBC News | Europe | World Edition

Search for clues in Madrid crash
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:41:39 -0000
Accident investigators are to scour the wreckage of the plane that crashed at Madrid's Barajas airport, leaving 153 dead.
Russia condemns US missile deal
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:52:28 -0000
Russia says a US-Polish missile defence deal creates a new arms race, warning it will react beyond "diplomatic demarches".
Russia tables own UN Georgia text
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:04:45 -0000
Russia introduces its own draft UN Security Council resolution on Georgia, a day after rejecting a rival French document.

NYT > Europe

More Than 150 Die in Madrid Plane Crash
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:31:46 -0000
More than 150 people were killed when an airliner en route to the Canary Islands swerved off the end of a runway during takeoff, officials said.
Georgian Crisis Brings Attitude Change to a Flush Poland
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:51:58 -0000
The events in the Caucasus, and threats of attack after a deal was signed to place an American missile defense base in Poland, have cast a pall of doubt over the country.
Diplomatic Memo: West Baffled by 2 Heads for Russian Government
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:54:41 -0000
American officials concede that they do not completely understand the balance of power within the new Russian leadership.

L.A. Times - Europe

Russia to keep soldiers in Georgia
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Moscow plans to set up 18 checkpoints, some in Georgia proper, a Kremlin official says. The plan appears to violate the terms of a cease-fire. Russia plans to establish a long-term presence in Georgia and one of its breakaway republics by adding 18 checkpoints, including at least eight within undisputed Georgian territory outside the pro-Russian enclave of South Ossetia, a ranking Russian military official told reporters Wednesday.
NATO calls Russia's use of force in Georgia 'disproportionate'
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Diplomatic moves to isolate Moscow come as Russian troops continue to show little sign of abiding by an agreement to withdraw from Georgia. The Western military alliance Tuesday began curtailing ties with Russia for its "disproportionate" use of force in Georgia, but the foreign ministers at an emergency gathering of North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries stopped short of agreeing to rearm the beleaguered state or to take other such tough measures.
Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili seems to take over TV news
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
It's been hard to miss the besieged leader on U.S. news shows, railing about Russia's invasion of his country. He is the leader of a small country that was, until recently, not on the radar of most Americans. But it's been hard to turn on a news channel this month without encountering the angry, brooding glare of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, railing against the Russian troops pouring across his country's borders, doing his best to turn a military disaster into a media victory.

UN News Centre - Europe

International Criminal Court monitoring events in Georgia, Prosecutor says
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court confirmed today that his Office is analysing information related to alleged crimes committed in Georgia in recent weeks that fall under the Court's jurisdiction.
UN agencies continue to rush aid to Georgia
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations is continuing to send much-needed assistance to the Georgian city of Gori, most of whose population has fled since the start of the conflict in the Caucasus nation.
UN refugee chief begins mission to Georgia
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The top United Nations refugee official arrived today in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, to assess humanitarian operations and meet some of the people displaced by last week's fighting - now estimated to be around 158,700.

Europe - International Herald Tribune

More than 150 die in Madrid plane crash
By CAROLINE BROTHERS Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:28:28 -0000
An airliner en route to the Canary Islands swerved off the end of a runway during takeoff, officials said.
With Russia rising, Poland looks west
By NICHOLAS KULISH Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:28:28 -0000
The events in the Caucasus, and threats of a nuclear attack after Poland signed a missile defense agreement with the U.S., have cast a pall of doubt over the country.
Bush calls Georgia 'under siege'
By Charlie Savage Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:17:28 -0000
President George W. Bush connected the conflict in the Caucuses with the battle against terrorists and U.S. efforts to aid the rise of free societies.
Rice signs missile deal with Poland
By Nicholas Kulish and Tom Rachman Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:20:01 -0000
The agreement to place an American missile defense base on Polish territory is fiercely opposed by Russia.
Despite yielding ground, Russia takes critical spots
By ANDREW E. KRAMER Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:28:28 -0000
Russian troops showed no signs of relaxing their grip on critical Georgian areas despite Russian president Dmitri Medvedev's pledge for a withdrawl of forces.
West baffled by 2 heads for Russian government
By Steven Lee Myers and Thom Shanker Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:24:32 -0000
American officials concede that they do not completely understand the balance of power within the new Russian leadership.

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