ABSTRACT

In March 2014 Russia annexed two territories internationally recognized as constituting parts of Ukraine—the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol City—bringing the de facto membership of the Federation to 85 territories. According to its Constitution, the Russian Federation is a democratic, federative, multi-ethnic state. The President is elected for a term by universal direct suffrage, for no more than two consecutive terms. The President appoints the Chairman of the Government, but the cabinet must be approved by the legislature. A programme of territorial mergers was implemented in the 2000s, as a number of autonomous okrugs were merged into the larger territories of which they formed a part; between 2005 and 2008 the number of territories was reduced from 89 to 83. The republics each have their own governments and ministries. Under the 1992 treaties, republics were granted wide-reaching powers, specifically over the use of natural resources and land.