Russian Federation

• Population: 143.2 million

• Capital: Moscow

• Area: 17 million sq km (6.6 million sq miles)

• Major language: Russian

• Main religions: Christianity (mainly Orthodoxy), Islam, Buddhism

• Political system: Federative republic

• President: Vladimir Putin

• Main exports: Oil and oil products, natural gas, wood, metals, chemicals, weapons

• Currency: 1 ruble = 100 kopecks (100 rubles " 3,7 US dollars " 2,9 Euro)

• Temperature in July: about +25њC (in Moscow)

• Climate: moderate continental (in Moscow)

• Time zone (Summer): GMT +3 (Moscow) to +13 (Kamchatka, Far East)

• Internet domain: .ru

• Dialing country code: +7

• Russian cuisine: not spice, mainly based on flour, potato, vegetables, meat and fish

• Traditional dishes: salty vegetables and mushrooms, herring, caviar, blin (kind of pancake), thick soups (borsch, solyanka, schi, ukha), pelmeni (meat dumplings)

• Traditional drinks: soft drink kvass, light alcoholic medovukha (with honey), and vodka (on occasion, allowed to 18+ only)

• Typical traits of character: hospitality, tolerance, collectivism, creativity

Lessons in Russian

Yes - Да [Da]

No - Нет [Net]

Please - Пожалуйста [pojaluista]

Thank You! - Спасибо! [spasibo]

Excuse me! - Извините! [izvinite]

Hello! - Здравствуйте! [zdravstvuite]

Good bye! - До свидания! [do svidaniya]

Hi! - Привет! [privet]

See you! - Пока! [poka]

Sure! - Конечно! [koneshno]