Deciphering number plates: Russia

The Russian Federation’s current constitution divides the territory into 85 self-governing units, which take the form of republics, regions, oblasts (“provinces” or “zones”), and federal cities. Each of these units has its own regional code. In other words, there are 85 basic codes plus a special code to denote places that lie outside Russian territory but are under its control, such as Baikonur.