Unit 5 notesUnit 5 notes

Chapter 15Chapter 15

Physical Geography of Physical Geography of Russia and the Russia and the

RepublicsRepublics

• I. Landforms and Resources–A. Size of Russia and the Republics•1. 3 times the size of the U.S.

•2. Crosses 11 time zones•3. One-sixth of the earth’s land surface

• B. Northern Landforms–1. Northern European Plains

–a. extensive lowland area

–b. stretches 1,000 miles west from Ural mountains

•c. Chernozem is abundant

–(1) black soil that is very fertile

•d. 75% of region’s people live here

•2. West Siberian Plain

–a. Ural Mountains separate Northern European and West Siberian Plains

–b. Some people look at Urals as dividing line between Europe and Asia

•c. Some people look at it as one continent called Eurasia

•d. Plain tilts northward so rivers flow to Arctic Ocean

•3. Central Siberian Plateau and Russian Far East

–a. plateaus between Yenisey and Lena rivers rise 1,000 to 2,000ft

–b. far east is complex system of volcanoes

–c. Kamchatka peninsula alone has 120 volcanoes, 20 of which are still active

• C. Southern Landforms–1. The Caucasus Mountains

•a. separate Black and Caspian Seas

•b. form border between Russia and Transcaucasia–(1) Transcaucasia consists of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia

•2. The Turan Plain

–a. lies between Caspian Sea and mountains of central Asia

–b. mostly made up of desert

• D. Rivers and Lakes

–1. Rivers

•a. Ob, Yenisey, and Lena flow into the Arctic Ocean

•b. they deliver water into the Arctic at 1,750,000 cubic feet per second

•c. Volga Rivers flows 2,300 miles from Moscow to Caspian Sea

•d. it carries 60% of Russia’s river traffic

•2. Lakes

–a. Caspian Sea is a saltwater lake

•(1) largest inland sea in the world

•b. Aral Sea is a saltwater lake

–(1) lost 80% of water due to government irrigation projects

–(2) could vanish in 20 to 30 years

• c. Lake Baikal

–(1) Deepest lake in the world

–(2) Holds 20% of worlds fresh water

–(3) twelve hundred species of animals and plants are unique to Lake Baikal

•E. Regional Resources

–1. Abundant resources

•a. huge reserves of coal, iron ore, and other metals.

• b. a leading producer of oil and natural gas

• c. one-fifth of world’s timber

• d. one of the world’s largest producers of hydroelectric power

• 2. Resource management–a. transportation of resources a problem because of harsh climates and long distances

–b. Many resources are located in Siberia, part of Russian located in Asia

•c. hard to attract workers to harsh conditions of Siberia

•d. pollution by businesses in obtaining resources is huge problem for environment

• II. Climate and Vegetation–A. Extreme climates

•1. Large areas of the region are extremely cold for much of the year

•2. Temperatures as cold as negative 95 degrees have been recorded

• 3. Major climate regions–a. Humid continental and subarctic climates dominate much of region to the north and east

–b. much of region is hundreds of miles away from moderating influence of sea, this is called continentality

• c. This effects precipitation and temperatures

• d. In Siberia, temperature can range from 50 to –90 degrees

• e. In Transcaucasia, the Mediterranean contributes to a subtropical climate

•4. Vegetation Regions – 4 major–a. Tundra

•(1) falls mostly in arctic climate zone

•(2) only mosses, lichens, and shrubs

•b. Taiga

–(1) south of Tundra

–(2) largest forest on earth

–(3) primarily coniferous

–(4) many fur-bearing animals

•c. Steppe

–(1) temperate grassland that has highly fertile soil that is called chernozem

–(2) source of grain for region

•d. Desert

–(1) make up much of plains of central Asia

–(2) Kara Kum and Kyzyl Kum are two main deserts

• III. Human Environment Interaction –A. The Shrinking Aral Sea

•1. Receives most of its water from two rivers

•2. In 1950’s government decided to divert waters to irrigate cotton fields

• 3. 80% of lake is now evaporated

• 4. Many forms of wildlife have lost their homes and died

• 5. Chemical pollution also a huge problem

• 6. Only drastic measures can save the Aral Sea

• B. Trans-Siberian Railroad

–1. Construction began in 1891 to link Moscow to the east coast of Russia

–2. Covers more than 5,700 miles and 7 times zones

•3. Built to speed up travel and to populate Siberia so resources could be mined and moved more quickly and efficiently

CHAPTER 16CHAPTER 16

NOTESNOTES

Human Geography of Human Geography of Russia and the Russia and the

RepublicsRepublics

• I. Russia and the Baltic Republics – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania–A. Early Expansion

•1. Vikings–a. from Scandinavia to take advantage of river trade 9th century

–b. settled in west expanded to the east

• 2. Tatars

–a. fierce invaders from Mongolia halted expansion 13th century

–b. controlled region until the 1500’s when Ivan the Great of Moscow ended their rule

• 3. 17th Century

–a. Russia had extended to the Pacific and built an empire

–b. picked up many different ethnicities, languages, and religions

•B. Lagging behind Western Europe

–1. Regardless of growth, Russia’s empire was inferior to Western Europe in technology and economically

• 2. Russia did not industrialize until the late 1800’s.

• 3. Harsh working conditions and low wages contributed anger and unrest.

• C. The rise and fall of the Soviet Union

–1. Russian anger led to the Russian Revolution 1917

–2. Communist party took over 1922 led by V.I. Lenin

–3. Command economy

• a. inspired by Karl Marx, German philosopher

• b. believed citizens would own property together & share wealth

• c. communists took control of banks, businesses, transportation, & set prices.

• d. Collective farms

–(1) people moved by government to work on farms

–(2) millions grew food and sent it to the city then starved to death

• e. agriculture and industrial output increased, but improved life for few while the masses suffered

•4. Communists - Union of Soviet Socialists Republics

•5. Joseph Stalin was leader by World War II in 1939

•6. Soviets and Americans were allies, but began to have differences.

• 7. Cold War – Started after WWII ended with Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991

–a. began as a result of U.S. fear of spread of communism

–b. never grew into open warfare between U.S. and USSR

• II. Transcaucasia

–A. Republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia

–B. Many different cultures, which has led to ethnic conflict

• C. Great economic potential if conflict could be resolved

–1. Tourism because dry, warm climate

–2. Wine industry

• D. People are educated & hospitable

• III. Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan

–A. Many different ethnicities

–B. Islam primary religion

–C. many health problems as a result of Soviet nuclear testing

•D. Economy- petroleum industry - Caspian Sea region.

•E. For peace and prosperity leaders must establish stable political and legal institutions