Russia: Then and Now
In the final years of the Cold War, General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize communism in the Soviet Union. But his efforts inadvertently led to the USSR splitting into 15 independent republics in 1991—Russia by far the largest. Since then, Russia has struggled to build a democratic political system and market economy in place of the old system. Here are some figures comparing the old USSR to the new Russia:
USSR | Russia | |
People | ||
Population | 288,742,345 | 145,470,197 |
Growth Rate | 0.8% | -0.35% |
Birthrate | 18 births per 1,000 | 9.35 births per 1,000 |
Death Rate | 11 deaths per 1,000 | 13.85 deaths per 1,000 |
Life Expectancy | 69 years | 67.34 years |
Economics | ||
GDP | US$1.1 trillion | US$241 billion |
GDP Per Capita | US$7,400 | US$4,200 |
GDP Growth Rate | 1.5% | 6.3% |
Inflation Rate | 5% | 20.6% |
Exchange Rate | 0.58 rubles/US dollar* | 28.36 rubles/US dollar |
Geography | ||
Area | 22,402,200 sq. km | 17,075,200 sq. km |
Figures derived from various sources, including the CIA World Factbook and The World Bank Group.
* The exchange rate in the Soviet Union was administratively set. The exchange rate on the black market was much higher.
© 2001 by The Stanley Foundation
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