FACTS AND THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RUSSIA

FACTS AND THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RUSSIA

Country (long form) - Russian Federation
Capital - Moscow
Total Area - 17,075,200.00 sq km
Population - 146,001,176 people
Estimated Population in 2050 -118,233,243 people
Native Language - Russian
Literacy - 98.0% total, 100.0% male, 97% female
Religions - Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other
Life Expectancy -59.80 male, 72 female
Government Type - federation
Currency - 1 ruble (R) = 100 kopeks
Labor Force (by occupation) - agriculture 15%, industry 30%, services 55%
Industry - complete range of 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; 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
Agriculture - grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, vegetables, fruits; beef, milk
Arable Land - 8%
Exports - petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, wood and wood products, metals, chemicals, and a wide variety of civilian and military manufactures
Imports - machinery and equipment, consumer goods, medicines, meat, grain, sugar, semifinished metal products
Natural Resources - wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber
Current Environmental Issues - air pollution from heavy industry, emissions of coal-fired electric plants, and transportation in major cities; industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution of inland waterways and sea coasts; deforestation; soil erosion; soil contamination from improper application of agricultural chemicals; scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive contamination; ground water contamination from toxic waste
Telephones (main lines in use) - 25.019 million
Telephones (mobile cellular) - 645,000

FACTS AND THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ST.PETERSBURG

Foundation - founded on May 27, 1703.
Location - the delta of the Neva river on the shore of the Gulf of Finland on the 60° of the northern latitude. It is the world's largest megalopolis situated this far to the North.
Population - 4 624 100 people.
Territory - 1400 sq. km.
Time - St.Petersburg belongs to the Moscow standard time zone (MST), which differs from the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): Summer MST = GMT + 4 hours; Winter MST = GMT + 3 hours.
Electricity - Home voltage is 220 V (AC), 50 Hz.
White Nights - 2 May – July 17

Customs
- on entering the country, one should fill in the customs declaration (to be kept until leaving Russia) mentioning the imported sums of foreign currencies as well as list of antiques, works of art, and musical instruments imported.
- on leaving the country, one should fill in the customs declaration if exporting from Russia foreign currency amounts exceeding USD 3,000. It is not allowed to export from Russia any items of cultural value, including pieces of art produced more than 100 years ago, and items of special cultural importance irrelevant to the date of manufacturing. To export an item of cultural value, including contemporary artworks, the authorized certificate issued by the Local Management Body at Russian Federation Ministry of Culture on Preserving Items of Cultural Value in St.Petersburg, is necessary, while souvenirs and cultural items of mass production, need no permission to be taken out of Russia.

Money
- national Russian currency is rouble, equal to 100 kopecks
- roubles are made of metal and paper
- paper banknotes are of the value of 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000
- metal coins are of the value of 1, 2, 5 Roubles
- kopecks are made only of metal
- coins are of the value of 1, 5, 10, 50 kopecks
- all prices are generally quoted in rubles.
- payment for all goods and services is to be made by national currency, or by credit cards
- travelers checks can be cashed at banks, but they are not as a rule accepted in shops, restaurants, etc.
- 45 banks currently operate in St.Petersburg, including two foreign ones, providing the wide range of banking services
- most of the banks are open to clients from 9.00 to 13.00
- currency exchange offices are usually open from 10.00 to 20.00 Note, that money is exchanged only upon presentation of a passport
- currency exchange transactions with private persons are prohibited
- large hotels provide 24-hours banking services

Telephone
- to call somebody in Petersburg, simply dial the number of the telephone subscriber
- to make a long-distance phone call, first dial «8»; then dial «10»; dial the code of the country, the code of the city and the number required
- for pay phones (following pay phone systems are in use in St.Petersburg: PeterStar, BCL, WestCall Zebra, Teleport) either tokens are required or credit cards issued by the said companies as well as Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, Diner's Club
- the cards can be bought at Metro stations, news-stands and departments of the Sberbank of Russia.
- tokens can be purchased at subway station, newsstands, in some stores, and many kiosks

Telephone codes of some Russian cities:
St. Petersburg 812
Kaliningrad 0112
Moscow 095
Arkhangelsk 818
Murmansk 8152
Pskov 8112
Novgorod 816
Vyborg 278
Petrozavodsk 814
Information 070, 777

Telephone codes of some foreign countries:
United Kingdom 44
USA 1
Finland 358
Germany 49
Sweden 46
France 33
Italy 39
Japan 81
Information 070, 777

Express Mail Services
DHL 326-6400
UPS 327-8540

Medical Treatment
- If you urgently need a medical assistance, you are to dial the 03 phone number (24 hours a day). Any medical institution must help you or call for the ambulance with a medical team fit in your case. When delivered to a hospital, you have to show your medical insurance policy.
- you can get the information about all sorts of medical services free of charge by the phone number 003

Water
Water quality varies widely in Russia. Your best bet is to drink and brush your teeth only with bottled water. Be careful to avoid ice and raw foods and vegetables.

Crime
With the demise of the Soviet police state crime has been rising throughout Russia, however, it is still safer here than in many American cities. Precautions include not flaunting valuables, or walking alone at night through city streets or parks.

Taxis
In Russia, taxi fees are usually negotiated with the driver ahead of time. Do not use gypsy cabs or accept rides in cabs that already have a rider.

Tipping
Tipping is expected at restaurants. Tip 10-15% depending on service.

Tourist Services
- about 100,000 employees in tourist industry
- St.Petersburg hotel complex includes about 140 places to accommodate tourists - approx. PAX 32,000.
- Multifunctional holiday resort complex of St.Petersburg comprises 72 enterprises (PAX over 17,000).
- For recent years, the annual number of visitors coming to our region tends to stabilize. In 2003, ca.4,000,000 tourists visited the city; besides, 210,000 foreign cruise ships passengers and 238,000 river- ships tourists passed St.Petersburg through.
- At present, there are over 1,200 licensed travel agencies and tour operators dealing in St.Petersburg.
- 73 shipping companies, owning ca.150 river ships, are currently servicing ca.1,000,000 peoples annually.



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