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Russia

Russian Federation FlagThere is no official meaning of to the Russian flag but

some Russians believe the following: white

symbolizes generosity and frankness; blue stands for

loyalty, honesty and wisdom; red means courage,

magnanimity and love

Political Map Russia

• Population Size:

145,231,000

• Land Size: 6,592,735

square miles

• Capital City: Moscow

Russia General Facts

Russia`s Physical

Characteristics

• Russia has varied terrain, although the landscape has

specific characteristics in different regions

• The highest mountain range in Russia is the Caucasus

Mountains in the south east, reaching as high as

18,000 feet

• Most of Russian land is fairly flat (not counting the

mountains that is)

Ural Mountains• The Ural Mountains are the dividing line between Europe and Asia.

• The average elevation of the Ural Mountains is 2,000 feet.

• A number of low passes through the Urals permitted migration.

Rivers

• Water from much of the land

west of the Urals ultimately ends

up in the Volga River.

• The Volga River is the longest

river in Europe.

• The Volga river empties into the

Caspian Sea, which is the

worlds largest lake

Ecosystem-Tundra• The northern region of Russia is the Tundra.

• A tundra is a largely treeless plain dominated by very small plants.

• Animals here include- Reindeer, Rabbits, Foxes, and Polar Bears

Ecosystem Taiga• Extending across Russia to the south of the tundra is a broad forested

zone called the Taiga.

• Taiga- Land of Little Sticks

• This is a reference to the fact that trees don`t grow to great size in this

area.

Ecosystem-Steppes• South of the Forests are broad open stretches that the Russians call

Steppes

• This is Russia`s Most productive agricultural region.

Siberia• Very little population in the region comared to land mass

• Much of it is covered with a layer of Permafrost (permanently frozen

soil)

The History of Russia

Russia from the Beginning

• Modern Russia began around 800 c.e.

• Located around the modern day capital of Ukraine,

Kiev, where Vikings from the north settled after sailing

the regions rivers, trading as they went.

• In the year 1237 c.e. Mongol warriors from east

central Asia conquered the region.

• After two centuries, Russians were able to free

themselves from the Mongols.

• Czars (Caesar) became the next rulers of Russia

• Peter the Great who governed from the late 1600`s and early 1700`s expanded control to the pacific in the east and the Baltic in the west.

• He built the city of St. Petersburg and declared it the new National Capital.

Czars of Russia

and Expansion

Catherine

the Great

• She extended Russian control

farther west and gained control

of parts of Poland, Belarus, and

Ukraine.

• Considered by many as one of

the most powerful Czars in

Russian history.

Napoleon Makes a Mistake

• In 1812 Russian power was challenged by Napoleon.

• Late in the year Napoleon led an invasion force of 600,000

troops that captured Moscow.

• As the French troops were closing, in the residents of

Moscow fled and burned the city to the ground as they left.

• By burning the city, all resources that the French Troops

could have used to survive the harsh Russian winter were

destroyed.

• The destruction of Moscow and all its resources forced Napoleon to

retreat back to France, costing the lives of 70% of the hundred

thousand men that left Moscow with him.

The Rise of Communism

• After suffering several

defeats during World War

I and severe food

shortages, rioting started

calling for the Czar to step

down in favor of a new

Government system.

• In February of 1917 Czar

Nicolas II abdicated the

throne and gave up his

crown.

In comes the Soviet Union

• After the Russian Revolution, a

new Government was

established, following the ideas

of Karl Marx.

• Under the rule of Vladimir Lenin

the Union of Soviet Socialist

Republics was established.

The Communist

System• Command Economy- an

economy in which a central

authority decides what goods

will be produced.

• Millions of Russians believed

that communism would improve

their lives.

• They found instead that the

Communists had become their

new masters and nothing had

really changed.

• The standard of living remained

poor and people had no

freedom to make personal

choices.

Second Verse, Same as the

First• Not studying history, Hitler decided to invade the Soviet Union in the

winter

• Hitler and the Nazi army suffered a similar defeat as Napoleon

because of the harsh winter conditions and lack of supplies.

The End of Communist Rule

• Under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet

Union began many radical reforms and changes.

• Perestroika- was an economic restructuring aimed at

returning to private ownership

• In 1991 Gorbachev resigned officially ending the

Soviet Union.

Modern Day Russia

• President Putin is currently the leader of Russia

• While much progress has been made since the Cold

War, there are still slightly strained relationships

between the US and Russia