Russia

Where and what is Europe?

• Is Russia part of Europe?• Could North Africa be part of Europe?• Is Iceland?• Is Greenland?• Is Turkey?• Why does it matter who is and who isn't?

What IS Europe?

• Europe is a concept and a continent• Europe stands for political stability and

economic opportunity.• Few countries could give up the opportunity

to be considered part of “Europe”

History of the EU

• Truman/Marshall 1947 called for European countries to create self-help program that would be funded by US

• OEEC Organization for European Economic Creation (16 countries)

• 1949 The Council of Europe• The Inner Six and The Outer Seven– France, Germany, Italy and Benelux vs. Britain, Norway,

Finland, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal

History of the EU

• 1967 European Community—No longer just economic unification– Eliminated internal customs and created external

tariffs between Inner 6, 6 grows to 9 with admission of UK, Ireland and Denmark

• 1979 European Parliament• EC adds Greece, Spain and Portugal• 1986 Renamed European Union• EU grows to 25 countries, continues to expand

Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces

• Centrifugal• Ongoing conflicts• Disparity of wealth• Disparity of population

size• Migration concerns• Wage borders• Religious issues

• Centripetal• Double majority voting• Euros• Supranational over

national laws• No passports• Increased wages• Military security

EU Flag

Euros

Countries that use the Euro

Ch. 11 Russia: Trouble on the Eastern Front

• How many countries does Russia border?• What oceans does Russia border?

Russia and Its Neighbors

• Russia borders 15 countries, 7 of which are in Europe, 8 in Asia

• Russia has problems with almost all of its neighbors

Russia’s neighbors• Country Length (km)• Norway196• Finland1313• Estonia290• Latvia ............292• Lithuania .......227• Poland ..........432• Belarus959• Ukraine1576• Georgia723• Azerbaijan284• Kazakhstan6846• China (S)40• Mongolia3441• China (SE)3605• North Korea17.5

Soviet Union

Russia

Conflicts

• Lithuania-Russia wants free transit for freight/military

• Estonia/Latvia-Russia wants official status of Russian language

• Belarus wants a union with Russia, Russia declines• Ukraine-Russia has meddled in their politics• Georgia and Azerbaijan were given independence

when Soviet Union broke up, but not Chechnya, North Ossetia, the Balkars, and dozens other in Transcaucasia

Conflicts

• Kazakhstan created after collapse of Soviet Union, contains many ethnic Russians and Russia’s space port and launching facilities

• Mongolia-Now wants to trade more with China, leave Russian alliance

• China- Cross border migration issues with Chinese immigrants moving into Russia

• North Korea- Russia wants to limit North Korean illegal immigration and North Korea’s nuclear proliferation

St. Basil’s Cathedral

The Kremlin Palace

Lake Baikal

Siberia

Cold

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtbH68tobwc

Ads and Disads of Size

• Advantages• Large inventory of

natural resources• Defense

• Disadvantages• Nearly landlocked• 11 time zones• Cold, high latitudes

Demographic disaster

• 1991- Russia pop. = 148 million• 2005- Russia pop. = 145 million, despite

Russian net-in migration from former republics• Estimates show that Russia has 10 million more

deaths than births since 1991• Usually these are signs of war or net-out

migration, neither is the case in Russia’s population

What is happening to Russia's population?

• Birth rate has stabilized• Death rate is rising• Why?

– Diseases– Alcoholism– Smoking– Traffic/Industrial accidents– Suicides– Murder (Russian males 9 times more likely than EU members)

• Male life expectancy has declined from 71(1991) to 59 (2005)• This leads to Russia being in danger of being a failed state