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