The calabash or bottle gourd, Lagenaria siceraria (synonym Lagenaria vulgaris Ser.), also known as opo squash or long melon, is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe.
He was lucky on the economic front. Oil and gas make up 16 percent of Russiaâs GDP, 52 percent of its budget, and more than 70 percent of its exports, and oil climbed in the 2000s from $24 to $100 per barrel. Mr. Putin used the money to reduce poverty and modernize the military.
1 of 25. Russian President Vladimir Putin carries a hunting rifle on Aug. 15, 2007, in the Republic of Tuva. Putin has been no stranger to the former Soviet Union's limelight, having held top positions in the country for more than 25 years. Dmitry Astakhov/AFP/Getty Images. 2 of 25. Then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin swims the butterfly during his vacation outside the town of Kyzyl on Aug. 3, 2009, in southern Siberia.