| Russia, independent republic in eastern Europe
and Asia, which was established on December 25, 1991, and
includes 21 ethnically based republics, 6 krays (territories),
10 okrugs (national areas), 49 oblasts (districts), 1 autonomous
region, and 2 cities with federal status. Officially named the
Russian Federation (Russian Rossiyskaya Federatsiya), Russia was
once the largest and most prominent republic of the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). In 1991 the USSR collapsed,
and Russia became an independent country. It then coordinated
the formation of a political alliance with many of the former
republics of the USSR called the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS). This article covers the history of Russia through
World War I (1914-1918) and the developments in independent
Russia since the breakup of the USSR. For information on the
Russian Revolution and USSR-era Russia, see those respective
articles. |
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