A man with mannequins wearing masks similar to the ones used by members of the female punk band Pussy Riot, during the "March of Millions" protest rally in Moscow, on Sept. 15, 2012. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Russia has been all over the headlines recently.

Earlier this year, it was for the Sochi Winter Olympics. More recently, it's because President Vladimir Putin has been flexing his muscles again, this time in Ukraine.

As the world's eighth-largest economy, Russia can't be ignored.

The sheer scale of the country's pipelines, for instance, its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, or its population decline are mind-boggling.

We put together some key facts about Russia.