Top 10 facts about Russia !

 1.  Russia is the largest country by land mass in the world. At 6.5 million square miles (17 million square km), Russia is 1.8 times larger than the United States and is slightly larger than Pluto which is only 6.1 million square miles (16.6 square km).

2. As of 2014, Russia's stock market is worth less than the company Apple. While Apple is worth US$652 billion, Russia's stock market is valued at only $513 billion.

3. Moscow, the capital city of Russia, is home to 78 billionaires, the most of any other city in the world.

4. Russia is the 4th largest consumer of alcohol per capita in the world after Moldova, Czech Republic, and  Hungry.  Russians drink about 5 gallons (18 liters) of pure alcohol per year, which is twice the recommended limit. About 90% of alcohol consumption is by males.

5. Russia is the leading exporter of oil and natural gas, and 60% of Russian export is oil. Russia's oil and gas pipelines could wrap around the  Earth 6 times.

6. About 17 million people live below the poverty line in Russia, with more than 12% of the population making less than $220 per month.

7. Alcohol poisoning kills 40,000 Russians per year. For Russian males, 1 out of 5 deaths is alcohol related.

8.  In 1957, the USSR launched the first satellite, dubbed Sputnik into Space.  In 1961, the USSR launched Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) into space in the Vostok spacecraft, making him the first man to orbit the  Earth .

9.    11. Three times more Russians die from heart-related illnesses each year than Americans or Europeans.

10. About 25% of Russians die before the age of 55, with many of the deaths attributed to alcohol. Male life expectancy in Russia is 64 years, which is 12 years below the United States and 166th in the world.