Russia & the Republics

Russia & the Republics Physical Geography

Size• Russia and the Republics covers 11 time zones

and one sixth of the earth’s surface.• Russia and the Republics are almost three

times larger than the continental U.S. but the population is almost equivalent.

• Covers both parts of Asia and Europe.

Regions• Northern European Plain• West Siberian Plain• Central Siberian Plateau• Russian Far East• Eurasia is the combined continent of Europe

and Asia. • Transcaucasia includes the republics of

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.• Central Asia includes the republics of

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Russia Far

East

Northern European Plain• Ural mountains are the border between the

Northern European plain and the West Siberian Plain

• The Northern European plain is over 1,000 miles wide.

• Chernozem is one of the world’s most fertile soils. It makes this area very appealing for people because of the good agriculture.

• 75% of the population live on this plain.

Russia Far

East

Kiev

• The three most populated cities of Russia and the Republics are in the Northern European Plain. Moscow the capital of Russia and St. Petersburg are in this region. Also, Kiev the capital of the Ukraine is located here.

MoscowSt. Petersburg Kiev

Ural Mountains

Central Siberian Plain & Russian Far East

• The Central Siberian Plain mostly consist of plateaus. The elevation is 1,000-2,000 feet.

• Russia Far East is filled with volcanoes. Many of the volcanoes are still active.

• The Kuril Islands were contended between Japan and Russia for awhile. In 1991, Russia returned the Southernmost islands to Japan.

Russia Far

East

Landforms

• Caucasus Mountains separate the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. They are also the border between Russia and Transcaucasia.

• Turan Plain has the deserts of Kara Kum and Kyzyl Kum on it.

• Volga River is the longest river on the continent of Europe.

• Caspian Sea is the largest inland sea in the world. It is also a saltwater lake.

Russia Far

East

Turan Plain

Caucasus Mountains

Aral Sea

• It is a saltwater lake and was fourth largest lake in the world. However, since the 1960s it has dramatically decreased in size.

• Irrigation projects have caused the sea to shrink. Already the Aral Sea is gone and now there are smaller lakes left.

• UNESCO has worked with the countries in the region and the North Aral Lake is starting to grow. Other lakes are not looking so promising however.

1985

2008

Lake Baikal

• This is the world’s deepest lake. It is 5,715 feet deep. On the surface, it is almost 400 miles wide.

• Lake Baikal holds 20% of the world’s freshwater. For the most part it is very clean.

• The world’s only freshwater seals live here.

Nuclear Testing

• Many people were adversely affected by bomb test done by the Soviet Union. These test also changed features of the land.

Resources

• Coal, Iron, oil, and natural gas.• The Caspian Sea has some of the world’s

largest Petroleum deposits.• It is difficult for people to get or use these

resources to due the terrain and climate of the region. Most of the resources are in Siberia, but most of the people are not. Transporting the resources to where the people are is very difficult.

Climate• Continentality is the effect on the climate

when the sea is hundreds of miles away.• Siberia’s temperatures are some of the most

extreme in the world. Due to the cold temperatures, frozen rivers are often used as roads. There is also a layer of permafrost soil.

• Transcaucasia however has a subtropical climate.

• Steppe is a type of grassland. This is where the chernozem is.

• The Tundra has an arctic climate. It is like a frozen desert.

Taiga is the largest forest on earth.

Living in Siberia• 32 million people live in Siberia. Siberia has the

most recorded variation in temperature. The winters are often as cold as -90⁰F with summers of 90⁰F.

• Temperature changes bring insects and swamps. Building is difficult, because over time a heated building will thaw the permafrost layer of the soil. Building are now built on concrete pillars.

• The temperature has been helpful in war.

Trans-Siberian Railroad

• This railroad connects Moscow to the Eastern Ports of Russia. It is also is the main transportation for Siberia.

• This is more than 5,700 miles. It took 70,000 workers 12 years to build it.

• It allowed for more population in Siberia and access to the resources.