>>85 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia officially known as the Russian Federation
It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects
the key word is "federation" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central (federal) government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of the central government.