Russia and the RepublicsPhysical and Human Geography

Russia’s Beginnings

• In 862 C.E. the Viking Ruirk came to Russia and founded the first Russian dynasty in Novgorod.

• During the 10th and 11th centuries the various tribes were united by the spread of Christianity.

• 1240 C.E. the Mongols conquered Russia. and forced rulers to pay tribute.

• Moscow emerged over the next two centuries as the center of power.

Russian Rulers• Ivan IV (1533-1584), known

as the terrible, was the first leader to be crowned Czar/Tsar.

• Modernized Russia and expanded territory into Siberia.

• Threatened to abdicate throne unless he was allowed to rule with absolute power.

• People forced into serfdom or slavery.

Russian RulersPeter the Great (1672-1725)• Founded the Romanov

Dynasty• Westernized Russia

– Reorganized and upgraded the Army

– Built up Russia’s Navy– Boyars had to cut beards off.

• War with Sweden, moved capital to St. Petersburg.

• Died without naming an heir.

Russian Rulers

Catherine the Great (1729-1796)

• Viewed herself as an enlightened monarch but continued serfdom.

• Expanded Russian territory to Crimean Peninsula .

The Road to Revolution in the 20th Century• Conditions for the people continue to worsen.– Poverty, food shortages, and drought.

• Bloody Sunday- Peaceful protestors are massacred by the czar’s troops.

• WWI- Russia faced with increasing casualties.

Bloody Sunday

The End of a Dynasty

• Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate in 1917.

• He and his entire family were executed by revolutionaries.

WHY?

Lenin and the Revolution• Studied the ideas of Karl Marx

– Communism- everyone is equal in theory, and is closely tied to command economy.

• Lenin offered the poor “land, bread, and peace”

• After the revolution, Lenin says that Russia is not ready for pure communism.

Josef Stalin

• Leader of Soviet Union after Lenin died.

• After the war he installed pro-Soviet governments in Eastern Europe.

• Fear of opposition led to the murder of at least 20 million Russians.

• U.S. feared spread of communism.

The Power of Stalin

• What is the difference in these two photos?

The Cold War

• Between communist Soviet Union and Democratic U.S.

• Never grew into open warfare between two nations.

• Rivalry continued into 1980’s.

• Nuclear fear• Space Race

Command Economy

• Under communism the govt. takes control of all aspects of the economy.

• In the Soviet Union, govt. economic planners decided what would be produced, how much, and what it would cost. There was also no competition because there was only one brand, the government brand.

• It did industrialize the country very quickly but at the cost of around 15 million lives

Gorbachev, the fall of the Soviet Union, and Russia Today

• Started to give more economic and political freedom during the 1980’s.

• Began the process that led to the collapse of the Communist government and the Soviet Union.

• Region divided into 15 independent republics• Today Russia has a popularly elected president-

Dmitriy Anatolyevich although Russia is believed to be operated by the Mafia.

Chechnya

• After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Chechnya demanded independence from Russia in the 1990’s. In response, Russia invaded Chechyna, killing over 100,000 people.

• Russia slowly began to take control of the territory but the Chechynians continued t resist.

• In 1996, a peace agreement was reached but Russia invaded Chechnya again in 2001.

Review Questions

1. What did Lenin promise the people of Russia under his leadership?

A. Planes, Trains, and AutomobilesB. Land, Bread, and PeaceC. Clothes, Houses, and MoneyD. Weapons, War, and Victory

Review Questions2. Which of the following most accurately describes Russia’s past

and present political structure?A. Originally settled by the Huns in the North, the region was

conquered by the Mongol Empire. After the Mongols, leaders from Moscow attempted a democracy similar to one in the United States. Communist leaders came to power after WWII but their rule recently collapsed.

B. The Western part of the country was originally settled by the Vikings but was conquered by the Mongols. After the Mongols, leaders from Moscow formed a monarchy and expanded control throughout Asia. Communist leaders gained control after WWI but their rule recently ended.

C. Originally settled by the Mongols, the region gained stability when the Byzantine Empire conquered most of the feuding city-states. Leaders from St. Petersburg formed a monarchy which lasted until WWII. Communist leaders then gained control until a recent democratic revolution.

Review Questions

Which statement best describes a Command Economy?

A. The law of supply and demand determines the price of goods.

B. Consumer needs change little from one generation to the next.

C. The government decides what and how much to produce.

D. There is significant surplus with no price controls.

Review Questions

Where in the former Soviet Union did an accident involving Nuclear Energy have a long-term negative environmental and health consequence?

A. St. PetersburgB. KievC. MoscowD. Chernobyl

Landforms and Resources

• Flat plains stretch across the western and central areas of the region.

• South and east, the terrain is more mountainous.

• Many resources in Russia and the Republics are in hard-to-reach regions with brutal climates.

Northern Landforms• Northern European Plain is an lowland

area that stretches over 1,000 miles from the western border to the Urals.

• 75% of region’s 290 million people live on the Plain.

• Cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, KievWHY?• Chernozem—world’s most

fertile soil, abundant in area

Northern Landforms• Ural Mountains—separate Northern European, West

Siberian Plains- some see them as dividing line between Europe and Asia- some consider Europe and Asia as single continent—Eurasia

Northern Landforms• Western Siberian Plain lies between

Urals and Yenisey River (west to east) between Arctic Ocean and Atay Mts. (north to south)

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

Northern Landforms• Central Siberian Plateau between Yenisey,

Lena rivers- high plateaus that average 1,000 to 2,000 feet

• East of Lena River is Russian Far East and system of volcanic ranges- Kamchatka Peninsula has 120 volcanoes, 20 still active

What does this tell you about the terrain?

Southern Landforms

•Caucasus Mountains lie between Black and Caspian seas.- border between Russia & Transcaucasia—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia• Central Asia region includes “stan”

republics- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Climate and Vegetation

• Much of Russia and the Republics lie in subarctic and tundra climate zones.

Climate and Vegetation

• Continentally—effect the region’s enormous size has on its climates

• Distance from sea also creates extreme temperatures- average Siberian temperatures are usually below 50 degrees F and can drop below 90 degrees F

• Cold weather has impact on daily life- How?

Vegetation Regions• Tundra

- Mostly in Arctic climate zone; only specific vegetation can survive- mosses, lichen, small herbs, low shrubs

• Forest- taiga—largest forest on earth, mostly coniferous- sable, fox, ermine, elk, bear, wolves

•

Vegetation Regions• Steppe

- Temperate grassland from southern Ukraine to Altay Mountains- Highly fertile chernozem soil- Region is major source of grain for Russia and the Republics

• Desert- Wide plains in west and central areas of Central Asia

Resources

• Huge reserves of coal, iron ore, other metals• Petroleum deposits around Caspian Sea

among world’s largest• Forests have 1/5 of world’s timber• Most of resources hard to get to because

they are located in Siberia• Large producer of hydroelectric power due to

river

Human Environment Interaction

• Government has not balanced between economic and environmental needs.

• Damming alters river flow and results in thermal pollution.

• Pesticides are caught in runoff-water not absorbed into soil and drain into lakes, killing fish. – Aral Sea– In order to save the sea, almost 9 to 18 million acres

of farmland would have to go.

Chernobyl

• On April 26, 1986, a poorly planned safety experiment led to the explosion at Chernobyl, which was made worse by a faulty reactor design.

• The explosion is considered the worst civilian nuclear accident, having contaminated around 100,000 sq. miles.

• Costs related to disaster have been estimated around $300 billion.

Chernobyl

Before After

Examine the map of the Trans-Siberian Railroad

Review Questions

What is the economic impact of the Trans-Siberian railroad on Siberia?

A. It required a large investment of money and labor to build.

B. Workers destroyed large areas of forests in order to lay railroad tracks.

C. Snow and ice have made the railroad unreliable, with little economic impact.

D. It allowed people to reach remote region and exploit the natural resources.

Review Questions

Siberia has many natural resources that have not been utilized. All of the following are probable reasons for this except:

A. ClimateB. ElevationC. DistanceD. Terrain

Review Questions

How do the Ural Mountains affect distribution of climate regions in Russia?

A. The northern side of the mountain range receives cool, rainy weather, while the southern side is a hot desert.

B. The western side receives cold, arctic weather, while the eastern side is much cooler and drier.

C. The western side of the mountain range receives warm continental winds while the eastern side is much colder and drier.