Russia has a wide natural resource base including major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, timber and many strategic minerals.

On 31 December 1999, Boris Yeltsin finally stepped down from his position as President, and Vladimir Putin was inaugurated on 26 March 2000.

The Mongol invasion and the rise of Moscow definitely molded a brand new future for Russia, and although their presence can be seen as both good and bad, they played a significant role in the history of Russia, and will remain tied to them in this way, forever.

By 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics was slowly losing their iron-fisted grip on Russia.

The internet is readily available and is used by a large portion of the countries inhabitants.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 is often seen, not as one massive event, but rather as several social and political upheavals which took place in Russia.

Gorbachev's initiatives inadvertently released forces that by December 1991 splintered the USSR into Russia and 14 other independent republics.

In October 1905, Nicholas reluctantly issued the famous October Manifesto, which conceded the creation of a national Duma (legislature) to be called without delay. The right to vote was extended, and no law was to go into force without confirmation by the Duma. The moderate groups were satisfied; but the socialists rejected the concessions as insufficient and tried to organize new strikes. By the end of 1905, there was disunity among the reformers, and the tsar's position was strengthened for the time being.