Europe and the Russian Zone

A Quick Review

Europe -- Definition

There are many definitions of Europe. The textbook has one, the Coloring Book has one, and I have another. In general, I consider Europe to be those countries of western Eurasia that lie west of the Former Soviet Union.

Europe: Peninsulas on a Peninsula

Europe is NOT a separate continent. Rather, it is a peninsula of the Eurasian continent.Major Peninsulas of Europe:Scandinavian, Jutland, Iberian, Italian, and Balkan.

Europe’s Northerly Orientation

•Much of Europe lies north of 40°N, which bisects the Iberian Peninsula.

- This means summer days AND winter nights are long.

Scandinavia is land of the midnight sun

Europe: Principle Mountains & Rivers

Principal Mountain Ranges:• Pyrenees• Alps• Apennines• CarpathiansPrincipal Rivers• Danube – longest river of

non-Russian Europe• Rhine – most important

commercial waterway of Europe

Principle seas and lakes: what is the significance of each?

Baltic Sea

North Sea

Mediterranean Sea

Adriatic Sea

Black Sea

Subregions of Europe

You have already learned the European countries for the map quiz, but to make it easier to remember them, it is easier to break them up into subregions. My subregions are a bit different than the text’s.

Northern Europe

Northern Europe includes the island of Iceland, Denmark (on the Jutland Peninsula and adjacent islands), Norway and Sweden (on the Scandinavian Peninsula), and Finland, which shares a long border with Russia.

Western Europe

Typically Western Europe includes the British Isles (United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland), the Benelux Countries (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg), France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Eastern Europe

South of the Baltic Sea lies Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (once a single country known as Czechoslovakia), and Hungary.

The Balkans Eight countries lie on the Balkan Peninsula between the Adriatic and Black Seas. Slovenia, Croatia (shaped like a C), Bosnia-Hercegovina, Yugoslavia, and Macedonia once made up a single country called Yugoslavia. Tiny Albania faces the heel of Italy while Romania and Bulgaria face the Black Sea.

Southern Europe

Four countries lie predominantly in the south along the Mediterranean Sea. These are Portugal and Spain on the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and Greece.

Russia’s Northerly Orientation

Notice how much of Russia lies north of the Arctic Circle. Again, summer days AND winter nights are long. The Arctic Ocean is ice covered for much of the winters leaving much of Russia effectively landlocked.

Russia and Caucasus:

Almost Landlocked

Russia is almost a rectangle with few major peninsulas.

Its largest peninsula is the Kamchatka Peninsula, located in Russia’s Far East.

Russian Zone: Principle Mountains

& Rivers

Principal Rivers• Volga – if you extend Europe all the way to the Ural

Mountains, it is the longest river of Europe. It is certainly the most important river of Russia, but not the longest.

• Notice the huge rivers that flow from south to north across Siberia. These are among the biggest rivers in the world.

Mountains:•Caucasus (landform?)•Urals (landform?)

What is the significance of each?

Baltic Sea

Black Sea

Caspian Sea

Aral Sea

Lake Baikal

Arctic Ocean

The Former Soviet Union

The former Soviet Union consisted of fifteen republics. It is easier to learn them if you group them. Each group of countries constitutes a distinctive subregion.

Baltic States

The Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – lie on the Baltic Sea. Remember that they are in alphabetical order from north to south. Kaliningrad, which lies west of Lithuania, is an exclave of Russia.Source:

http://www.mythinglinks.org/euro~east~baltics.html

European Republics

These three republics lie between Europe to the west and Russia to the east, the Baltic States to the north and the Black Sea to the South. Note that Belarus and Moldova are landlocked.

Caucasus Republics

These three republics lie between the Black Sea to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north and Turkey and Iran to the South. Note that Armenia is landlocked, while Georgia fronts the Black Sea and Azerbaijan fronts the Caspian.Source:

http://chechen.8m.com/cgi-bin/i/maps/caucasus_zoom_map.gif

Central Asian Republics

These five republics – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – lie between the Caspian Sea to the west and the China to the east, Russia to the north and Iran and Afghanistan to the South. Note that all but Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are land-locked. K UK TTSource:

http://www.usaid.gov/locations/europe_eurasia/car/images/ciacars1.jpg

Here’s a little different view of the tectonic plates. What are the 3 types of tectonic plates. Describe the location of each that affect either Europe or the former Soviet region. What areas are the most tectonically active?

What landform is best associated with plate boundaries?

Landforms

• Alpine • Remnant Mountains• Isolated Volcanic Landform• Laurasian Shield• Rifted Shield• Sedimentary Cover – North European Plain vs. Siberia

What rock types, minerals and soils are associated with each?

Note: These two maps do NOT use the same numbering schemes. What are the different landforms?

Climates

Western Europe has west coast mid-latitude climates.About 20°E (central Poland), you move into east coast mid-latitude climates.

West-Coast Climates Mediterranean:

- Where?

- Temperature and precipitation patterns?

- Agriculture?

Marine West Coast:- Where?- Temperature and

precipitation patterns?- Agriculture?

Western Europe is relatively warmth despite its northerly location. Why?

Western Europe is relatively warmth

despite its northerly location. Why?

North Atlantic Drift

Lots of peninsulas mean more proximity to moderating influence of water.

The Russia Zone does not enjoy these advantages. What will be the result of

that?

Why do the Mediterranean and Marine West Coast Climates Extend So Far Inland Compared to North

America??

East-CoastEast-Coast ClimatesClimates

Humid Subtropical

- Where? - Temperature and precipitation patterns?

- Agriculture?

Humid Continental- Where? -Temperature and precipitation patterns?- Agricutlure?

Subarctic

- Where? -Temperature and precipitation patterns?- Agriculture? -Natural Vegetation?

Tundra

- Where? -Temperature and precipitation patterns?- Agriculture? -Natural Vegetation?

Northern Climates

Other Climates

Undifferentiated Highland- Where?- Temperature and precipitation patterns?- Agriculture?

Steppe- Where? - Temperature and precipitation patterns?- Agriculture? Russian Steppes

North European Plain vs. Siberia

The North European Plain is an agriculturally productive, densely populated region, that has been a major thoroughfare through history. Siberia, though mineral-rich, is sparsely populated and very difficult to traverse. What’s the difference?

What are the climates?

What factors best explain birth rates?

What factors best explain death rates?

What is the main direction of voluntary immigration?

Central Asia has a crude birth rate of 23 and a crude death rate of 8. What is its RNI? What is its doubling

time?

Russia has a crude birth rate of 10 and a crude death rate of 15. What is its RNI? What is its doubling time?

What factors predict wealth?

Europe has a per capita GDP of about $27,000. The richest 10% of the

population controls about 25.2% of the wealth. The poorest controls about 3%. What is the per capita

GDP of the poorest 90%?

What factors predict arithmetic population density?

Belarus has about 10 million people living in 200,000 square kilometers. 30% of the land is arable. What is its arithmetic

population density? What is its physiological population density?

What do most of the people of Europe do for a living?

What do people of the Russia zone do for a living?

What is the spatial link between language and religion in Europe?

What is the Slavic Coreland? What forms the boundaries of the

Coreland?

What religion and language family dominate the Coreland?

Describe the distribution of languages and religions outside

the Coreland?

Major Events:Medieval Agricultural Revolution

Introduction of PaperBubonic PlaguePrinting Press

Columbian ExchangeProtestant Reformation

Century of Religious WarsIndustrial Revolution

European Union

Slavs, VikingsByzantine Influence

Mongols/TatarsGrowth of Russian Empire

Czarist RussiaEnslavement of Serfs

Opportunities/Threats of European Plain

Russo-Japanese War, WWI Rise of Soviet Union

Drawing BordersWWII & Cold War

Successes/FailuresRole of Oil

Collapse of Soviet UnionBalkanization & Ethnic

CleansingOssetians

Rise of Militant Islam