Presented by: Annette McCormick

1. Presented by: Annette McCormick Russia

2. Russia Fast Facts • conventional long form: Russian Federation • local long form:RossiyskayaFederatsiya • former: Russian Empire, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic • approximately 1.8 times the size of the US • total: 17,075,200 sq km land: 16,995,800 sq km water: 79,400 sq km • Population: 140,702,096 (July 2008 est.) • Life expectancy at birth: total : 65.94 years male: 59.19 years female: 73.1 years Matryoshka

3. Where is Russia? • Location: Northern Asia (the area west of the Urals is considered part of Europe), bordering the Arctic Ocean, between Europe and the North Pacific Ocean • Capital: Moscow

4. Did you know.. • That Russia is divided into 11 time zones • 18 years old to vote • History: Russia is the largest and most powerful of the states to emerge from the former Soviet Union. As the seat of the Soviet empire that existed for over 70 years, the Russians wielded tremendous power both within the U.S.S.R. and in the international sphere. Almost from their emergence as a separate people, the Russians have extended the boundaries of their country to include a wide variety of non-Russian people. Both the Russian Czars and the Bolsheviks who came to power in 1917 have a long history of expansionist policies, which explains why, even today, an important part of the Russian national identity is that of leader of a large empire.(New York Times)

5. Russias’ industries • Agriculture - products: grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk Industries: • Basically everything…mining and extractive industries producing coal, oil, gas, chemicals, and metals; all forms of machine building from rolling mills to high-performance aircraft and space vehicles; defense industries including radar, missile production, and advanced electronic components, shipbuilding; road and rail transportation equipment; communications equipment; agricultural machinery, tractors, and construction equipment; electric power generating and transmitting equipment; medical and scientific instruments; consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, handicrafts

6. Media in Russia •  TV • First Channel-  (in Russian)Rossiya channel -  (in Russian)NTV - (in Russian)Ren-TV - (in Russian) •  Radio • EkhoMoskvy radio - (in Russian)Radio Mayak - (in Russian)Radio of Russia - (in Russian)Voice of Russia •  Newspapers • VedomostiRossiyskayagazeta - (in Russian)Izvestia - (in Russian) •  Magazines • Russia Profile

7. Leaders • Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin's designated successor, came out victorious  in the most one-sided presidential election on March 2nd in Russia's post-Soviet history, winning more than two-thirds of votes. • Medvedev, 42, is the youngest Russian leader since Tsar Nicholas II, sworn in on May 7. Putin, 55, is his prime minister.

8. Gates Says West Should Avoid Extreme Force By THOM SHANKER- Published: September 19, 2008 NYT • WOODSTOCK, England — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates challenged Western powers on Friday to avoid past mistakes of lurching between excessive military resolve and excessive restraint, as the world faces threats from a resurgent Russia, violent Islamic extremism and rogue leaders seeking nuclear arms. • He said policy was still overly influenced by the long shadows of two historic events: that of August 1914, where “miscalculation, hubris, bellicosity, fear of looking weak” led to World War I; and the journey 70 years ago this month by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of Britain to Munich, where he appeased Hitler by acknowledging the Nazi leader’s rights to a portion of Czechoslovakia inhabited by ethnic Germans. • He suggested that Europe and the United States help rebuild Georgia and, at the same time, put the Kremlin’s desired membership in global economic organizations on hold until Russian leaders return to acceptable behavior. • Mr. Gates said Russia faced a choice of whether “to be a fully integrated and responsible partner in the international community” or to be an isolated nation viewed mostly as a source of fuel supplies for Europe. • Russia’s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, addressed that subject on Friday, suggesting that the West was unfairly portraying Russia as well along the path toward authoritarianism. • He said that Russia was being pressed in ways that were intended to isolate it. • Mr. Gates spoke here after a separate meeting in London on Friday with the Czech defense minister. The two signed a declaration of strategic defense cooperation and a status of forces agreement for stationing American personnel in the Czech Republic as part of a missile defense radar site, a plan that has outraged Russia. The forces agreement now goes to the Czech Parliament for approval.

9. Actual Speech from Medvedev September 13, 2008, 13:43 We did everything right, and I'm proud of it - Medvedev • President Medvedev revealed in a frank talk with members of the Valdai Discussion club how news of war in South Ossetia came to him, why Russia will not deal with drug-addicted Georgian president Saakashvili, what George W. Bush said in his latest phone call, and why he won’t let Russia turn into a state behind an iron curtain • "The world has changed almost in an instant after those events. It came to my mind that for Russia, August 8 is almost like 9/11 for America.” • “The war took the whole last month of my life, and there were more productive ways to spend it. We didn’t want it, didn’t want it at all! For 17 years we’ve being mending what had broken apart a long time ago. And they didn’t thank us for that – rather they started shooting at us.” • “Russia was not expected to react like that. Georgia got the idea: do whatever you want, Russians won’t meddle. That’s a diplomatic mistake that belongs to textbooks for diplomats. It’s a mistake, from the US side, from Georgia's side – but for Georgia it’s also a crime.”

10. President Mikhail Saakashvili “When I first met Saakashvili as a president I told him our policy regarding the territorial integrity of Georgia remained the same". "He was fussing around like a pooch, saying: let’s meet and discuss, I will come to Sochi. I said: OK, let’s do it. I would be glad, maybe we’ll sign an agreement on non-use of force".“Then our close partner Condoleezza Rice arrived, and the boy became like a changeling. He stopped calling, and declared 'We don't need to meet in Sochi, maybe we'll do it at the end of the year'. Well – that’s your choice. He started getting ready for war"."It won't come as a surprise if I say that the decision on recognition [of the two breakaway republics] was of course made after the military action began, when we realized that there is no other way to protect the South Ossetians and Abkhazians, that once he has tasted blood, he won’t stop unless he's dealt a good heavy blow."“The Georgian head of state is not just a man we won’t do business with. He’s an unpredictable pathological and mentally unstable drug abuser. Western journalists, that interviewed him not so long ago, know it! A two-hour-long interview on the high – that’s over the edge for a head of state. If NATO needs such a leader - go ahead.”) Georgias’ President

11. The Moscow Times » Issue 3994 » News in Brief 23 September 2008 EU to Deploy on Time TBILISI, Georgia -- European Union military observers will be deployed in Georgia by an Oct. 1 deadline despite Moscow's continued insistence that they will not be allowed into two breakaway regions occupied by Russian troops, the head of the EU mission pledged Monday. Under a French-brokered cease-fire, Russia has 10 days to withdraw its forces from Georgian areas outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia once the EU observers are in place. HansjoergHaber, who is heading the EU mission, promised that the 200 observers will be in place near the cities of Gori, Zugdidi and Poti by Oct. 1. (AP)Estonian Accused of Spying TALLINN, Estonia -- The former head of security at the Estonian Defense Ministry has been arrested, suspected of spying, an official said Monday.GerritMaesalu, a spokesman for prosecutor LavlyLepp, said the Harju county court on Sunday issued a warrant to arrest Herman Simm, 61, on suspicion of treason. Maesalu said Simm is suspected of collecting classified information and forwarding it to a foreign country. Maesalu did not say which country that was, but Baltic news agency BNS quoted unidentified sources as saying it was Russia. Simm's wife, HeeteSimm, also was arrested. (AP)Vietnam to Waive Visas HANOI, Vietnam -- Vietnam will allow Russians to enter the country for 15 days without a visa from early next year to meet rising demand among vacationers, the state-run TuoiTre newspaper reported Monday. The decision will apply to all Russians regardless of the purpose of their visit from Jan. 1, the report said. Deputy Prime Minister Pham GiaKhiem visited Moscow last week. (Reuters)

12. Russia presentation sources: • CIA world fact book: • https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html • New York Times: http://www.newyorktimes.com • Russian source: http://www.russiatoday.com/medvedev/news/30353 Russian news source: http://www.themoscowtimes.com -THE END!-