Russia, officially known as the Russian Federation is a country located in both Eastern Europe, and North Asia. With over 17 million square kilometers, it is the largest country in the world, and it covers around one-eight of the Earth's inhabited area.
Russia has eleven time zones and shares its borders with sixteen countries. With a population of around 146 million people, it is the most populous country in Europe. Moscow, its capital, is the largest city in Europe.
Russia is considered to be a world superpower. It ranks highly in the Human Development Index, as it has a universal healthcare system, and free university education. The economy is the eleventh largest in the world by nominal GDP. Russia is known for its possession of nuclear weapons, it has the largest stockpile in the world, with the Russian military being the world’s second most powerful. It is also one of the leading producers of natural gas globally.
The Constitution of Russia places the country as an asymmetric federation and semi-presidential republic, where the President is the official head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government. Formally, Russia is structured as a multi-party representative democracy.