physical geography russia and the republics. landforms and resources russia and the republics take...
TRANSCRIPT
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
Russia and the Republics
Landforms and Resources
Russia and the Republics take up a huge land area Russia is the largest country in the world 3 times the land area of the US Spreads across the continents of Asia and Europe
West of the Ural Mountains = Europe East of the Ural Mountains = Asia
Crosses 11 timezones Nearly 1/6th of the earth’s land surface Divided into the Northern European Plain, the West
Siberian Plain, the Central Siberian Plateau, and the Russia Far East
Former Soviet Republics (15) – all part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) 1922 – 1991 Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Estonia; Georgia; Kazakhstan;
Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lithuania; Moldova; Russia; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan
Northern European Plain
Stretches for 1000 miles from western border of Russia to the Ural Mountains
Because of the fertile soil in the region, this is a major agricultural area
75% of the region’s 290 million people live in this plain
3 of the area’s largest cities are in this region: Moscow, Russia’s capital; St. Petersburg, and Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine
Label Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova (page 338)
West Siberian Plain
The Ural Mountains separate the Northern European and West Siberian plains
Some geographers say the Ural Mountains separate Europe and Asia
Others consider Europe and Asia to be one continent called Eurasia
Central Siberian Plateau and the Far East
An area of high plateaus, mountains, and uplands
The Russian Far East contains volcanic ranges, peninsulas and islands
Lena River
Kamchatka
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky a city in the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Salmon
Kuril Island
Southern Landforms
The Caucasus Mountains run between the Black and Caspian Seas and form the border between Russia and Transcaucasia Transcaucasia: a region that contains Armenia,
Azerbaijan, and GeorgiaCentral Asia: the region that includes the
republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
Transcaucasia and Central Asia
Label Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan (page 338)
Label countries of Central Asia (p 338)
Rivers and Lakes
Major rivers in the region include the Lena, the Yenisey, and the Volga The Volga is the longest river on the European
continent and carries about 60% of Russia’s river traffic
Lakes
Major lakes in the region include the Aral and Caspian Seas Both are saltwater lakes The Caspian Sea is the largest inland sea in the world The Aral Sea has lost 87% of its water volume since the
1960’s Major irrigation projects have diverted water away from
the rivers that feed the Aral Pesticides and fertilizers in runoff were carried by rivers
and streams into the Aral Sea Killed all the native fish As water evaporated, windstorms blew chemicals onto
nearby populations causing an increase in disease
Label Caspian and Aral Seas
Camels grazing near fishing ships abandoned after the Aral Sea dried up
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world At its deepest, it is more than a mile deep It holds 20% of the world’s freshwater Thousands of species of plants and animals live in the
lake
Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world
Regional Resources
Russia and the Republics have a wealth of natural resources but have struggled with how to manage them Challenge: how to transport resources over vast
distances, rugged terrain, and harsh climates The area has huge reserves of coal, iron ore,
and other metalsIt is a leading producer of oil and natural gas Russia holds 1/5th of the world’s timberOne of the world’s largest producers of
hydroelectric power
Resource Management
Many of the region’s resources are located in Siberia The part of Russia that lies on the continent of Asia Businesses find it difficult to attract workers to this
area Distance decay: long distances between places make
communication and transportation difficult Political and economic change in recent years
has made managing resources difficult
Climate and Vegetation
The region is so vast that there is a wide range of climates Areas in a Siberian town of Oymyakon have reported temperatures
of -95 degrees In areas of Transcaucasia, the climate is pleasant and used to be a
vacation spot before ethnic conflict made travelling dangerous
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/10000-year-old-extinct-lion-cubs-discovered-in-near-perfect-condition-in-siberian-permafrost/ar-BBmu4NI
Transporting cargo on frozen Lake Baikal