1.  How has Russia been able to make huge profits from the sale of natural gas?  (For a map of Russia and Asia, click here.)

2.  What is Gazprom?  What is the difference between Gazprom's purchase price per 1,000 cubic meters and its resale price to European countries?  (For Gazprom's website, click here.)

3.  Why does Gazprom use middlemen as traders when the company could easily do the trading itself?

4.  Why did U.S. officials brief the Washington Times on the corruption?

5.  Why do the Central Asian countries take whatever price Russia gives them?

6.  Why do you think European officials are not tough on the corruption in Russia's gas industry?