Russia

In 2017, Russia’s nominal GDP was $1.6 trillion, per capita GDP was $10,608, GDP by sector was services 62.3%, industry 32.4% and agriculture 4.7%. Population is 144 million and labor force was 76.5 million, Labor force by sector was services 63%, industry 27.6% and agriculture 9.4%.

Main industries include petroleum, natural gas, mining, coal, chemicals metals, rolling mills, machine building, aircraft, space vehicles, defense equipment, ship building, tractors, construction equipment, electrical equipment, medical instruments, scientific instruments, consumer durables, textiles, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, communications equipment and agricultural machinery.

Exports were $528.9 billion in petroleum, petroleum products, natural gas, metals, wood, wood products, chemicals and equipment.  Trading partners included the EU 45.8%, China 9.8%, Belarus 4.8% and South Korea 3.5%.

Imports were $182.3 billion in machinery, vehicles, pharmaceutical products, plastics, semi-finished metal products, meat, fruits, nuts, optical and medical instruments, iron and steel imported from the EU 38.2%, China 20.9%, US 6.1%, Belarus 5.2% and Japan 3.7%.

Government revenue was $222 billion, expenses were $258 billion and gross external debt was $530 billion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Russia

Russia is the largest country on the planet with a land mass is 6.6 million square miles stretching from Alaska to Finland. But the Eastern half of the Russian land area is covered in permafrost and can’t grow crops or trees. 24% of the Northern hemisphere or 9 million square miles is covered by permafrost with the ground temperature at zero, so ice doesn’t melt to feed plants.

Russia is a major oil and natural gas exporter and many drilling sites operate in the permafrost areas. Pipelines continue to be replaced and added to this vast system. 70% of Russia’s exports are oil and gas.

Russia’s borders with Mongolia and Kazakhstan are huge and just below these countries is China. I expect that trade relations with bordering countries is well established.

The population of Moscow is 12.5 million and St Petersburg has 5.1 million. There are 8 other cities with populations of 1 million to 1.5 million.

The weather in Russia is similar to what you would find at the same latitudes in the US, Canada and Europe. The average temperature in winter months is 20F degrees and the average temperature in summer months is 74F degrees.

Russia needs to tweak its laws to attract capital investment to accelerate its oil and natural gas markets, but Russians should own the companies and limit investments to loans they can repay with interest based on the increased revenue they could earn with the expansion of their drilling sites and pipelines.

Russia needs to continue to keep government expenses in check and carry a surplus to hedge against the rollercoaster ride oil prices have always experienced.

Russia needs to honor the borders of Ukraine and cease all threatening moves against the sovereign Eastern European countries.

Russia needs to put its own citizens first in order to ensure its success in remaining the 12^th largest economy on the planet.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader