United Russia 222, CPRF 53,
LDPR 38, Motherland 37, People's Party 19, Yabloko 4, Union of
Rightist Forces 2, other 7, independents 65, repeat election
required 3

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Superior Court of Arbitration;
judges for all courts are appointed for life by the Federation
Council on the recommendation of the president

Political parties and leaders:
Communist Party of the Russian Federation or CPRF [Gennadiy
Andreyevich ZYUGANOV]; Liberal Democratic Party of Russia or LDPR
[Vladimir Volfovich ZHIRINOVSKIY]; Motherland Bloc (Rodina) [Dmitriy
ROGOZIN]; People's Party [Gennadiy RAYKOV]; Union of Rightist Forces
or SPS [Anatoliy Borisovich CHUBAYS, Yegor Timurovich GAYDAR, Irina
Mutsuovna KHAKAMADA, Boris Yefimovich NEMTSOV]; United Russia [Boris
Vyacheslavovich GRYZLOV]; Yabloko Party [Grigoriy Alekseyevich
YAVLINSKIY]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BSEC, CBSS, CE, CERN
(observer), CIS, EAPC, EBRD, G- 8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA,
MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE,
Paris Club, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOVIC, UNOCI,
UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer), ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yuriy Viktorovich USHAKOV
consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
FAX: [1] (202) 298-5735
telephone: [1] (202) 298-5700, 5701, 5704, 5708
chancery: 2650 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander VERSHBOW
embassy: Bolshoy Devyatinskiy Pereulok No. 8, 121099 Moscow
mailing address: PSC-77, APO AE 09721
telephone: [7] (095) 728-5000
FAX: [7] (095) 728-5090
consulate(s) general: Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of white (top), blue, and red

Economy Russia

Economy - overview:
Russia ended 2003 with its fifth straight year of growth, averaging
6.5% annually since the financial crisis of 1998. Although high oil
prices and a relatively cheap ruble are