The Russian Core

Unit 5

Chapter 14

Section 1: Physical Geography

Landforms

• 2 major mountain ranges: – Ural

– Caucasus

• Other major landforms include plateaus, plains, and hills

• Plentiful waterways: – Chernozem-rich, black soil,

great for agriculture

Water Systems

• Rivers of this area have helped the region grow, expand, and find success.

• Volga River and Dnieper River exist here; some of the longest rivers in the world

– Commercial resource

– Transportation resource

– Hydroelectric resource

Water Systems

• Lake Baikal

– Southeast Russia

– Oldest lake in the world

– Deepest lake in the world

– 1/5 of all unfrozen freshwater on the planet

Climate, Biomes, & Resources

• Tundra

– 10% of Russia

– Permafrost-permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground

• Subarctic

– Over 50 degrees for only 4 months of the year

– Boreal forest (coniferous)

Climate, Biomes, & Resources

• Midlatitude – Western regions

– Milder winters and warmer summers

– Most Russians live here

– Most agriculture occurs here

• Steppe – Between Black and Caspian Seas

– Open grassland

– Good agricultural area due to chernozem

Climate, Biomes, & Resources

• Natural Resources

– 1/5 of the world’s forests

– Large petroleum deposits

– Huge amount of coal

– Natural gas

– Nickel production

– Hydroelectric power

– Iron ore

Section 2: Human Geography

History and Government

• Early History

– Originally settled by fishermen and farmers

– City-states developed and the area was wealthy due to trade routes

– 1200s: Mongols invaded and ruled for 200 years

– Czar Peter I (Peter the Great) came to power

History and Government

• Peter the Great – Modernized Russia:

• expanded Russian territory,

• built a stronger military,

• developed trade relationships with Western Europe

• Catherine the Great (1700s) and the Romanovs – Expanded Russia’s empire

– Russification-19th/20th century, gov. program that required everyone to speak Russian and become a Christian.

History and Government

• Revolution and Change

– Karl Marx

– Russian Revolution

– WWII and satellite nations

History and Government

• Revolution and Change:

– Cold War

– Perestroika-Gorbachev’s plan to reform the Soviet economy and government

– Glasnost-new openness in areas of politics, social issues, and media

Society and Culture Today

• Cultural shifts:

– Religion

– Language

– Ethnicities

– Education

Society and Culture Today

• Women

– Declining birth rate

– Higher education

– Encouragement to enter industries

– Feminism

Economics

• Under communism, things were not good

• Towards the end of the Cold War: – Shift towards market capitalism and privatization

• Post-Cold War: economy was doing well until the Russian ruble (currency) lost its value

• Today: economy was doing well, ruble recently fell again

• Resource and trade are helping Russia gain wealth

Section 3: People and Their Environment

Managing Resources

• Secondary and tertiary sectors are flourishing

• Petroleum has helped Russia become one of the world’s largest producers

• Fishing

Environmental issues?

Managing Resources

• Nuclear Power

• Toxic waste

• Pollution

• Pesticides