This Forest and Forest Products Country Profile, prepared by national experts, contains information concerning the forest resources of the Russian Federation and a description of trends and developments taking place in the forest sector and of the areas in which forestry activities have taken place over the past decade. For the forest sector, as for other branches of the Russian economy, the period has been marked by the implementation of radical reforms necessitated by the changeover from a centrally planned to a market economy and by efforts to promote sustainable development in forest management. The country profile contains tables, statistical data, diagrams, graphs and a brief analysis of the evolution of the forest sector, and data relating to the principal categories and volumes of goods and services in the forestry sector. Most of the figures cited are based on official data drawn from the State survey of Russia’s forest resources as of 1 January 1998 and from the State statistical survey for the preceding financial year (in most cases, 1998). Detailed information will be found in the appendices, which contain updated replies to the ECE/FAO questionnaire (TBFRA-2000) as well as information relating to specially protected forest areas furnished in accordance with the questionnaire prepared in the framework of the Pan-European process.