Russia and the Republics Ch 15

Northern Landforms Intro North European Plain 1/6 of world landmass Lowland In west to Ural Mtns Chernozem – fertile soil of plain Lots of agriculture here 75% of population Moscow (Russian cap), St Petersburg, Kiev (Ukraine)

West Siberian Plain E of Urals to Yenisey R Arctic O to foothills of Altay Mtns Slopes downhill to N Rivers drain to Arctic O

Central Siberian Plateau and Russian Far East Uplands and mtns dominant High plateaus 1-2000 ft Far East E of Lena R Volcanic ranges Kamchatka peninsula 120 volcanoes 20 active Sakhalin, Kuril Islands Seized from Japan after WWII Japan still claims

Southern landforms Caucasus and Other Mtns Caucasus btw Black and Caspian Seas form border btw Russia and Transcaucasia Trans= Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia Further east Tian Shan and others Southeastern border of Central Asia Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Block moisture from south Create arid climate in central Asia

Turan Plain Lowlands East of Caspian 2 rivers Syr Darya Amu Darya Very dry area – 2 deserts Kara Kum Kyzyl Kum

Rivers and Lakes Drainage Basins and Rivers Drainage basin=area drained by river + tributaries Arctic Basin Ob Yenisey Lena 3=1,750,000 cubic ft/sec Caspian Volga Longest river in Europe 60% Russia’s river traffic

Volga drainage basin

Lakes Caspian Saltwater 750 mi N-S Largest inland sea-world Aral Lost 80% water since 1960 Extensive irrigation Vanish soon

Aral Sea

Lake Baikal Deepest in world 1 mile 400 mi N-S 20% world’s fresh water 1200 species unique to lake

Regional Resources Intro Lots of resources Transportation difficult Abundant Resources Coal Iron, metals Oil & gas Forests 1/5 world total Hydroelectric-rivers Resource Management Harvest and transport difficult Harsh climate Long distances Siberia Source of many resources In far east – long distances Frigid temps Environmental damage Mining Oil/gas production Thermal pollution Hot discharge from dams/hydroel plants Little govt control of pollution

Forests

An explosion at Russia's largest power generator—the Sayano-Shushenkaya hydroelectric plant in Siberia—has killed at least 12 people, and another 64 are thought to be lost in the wreckage. It's an environmental disaster of monumental proportions: in addition to the tragic deaths, the damaged plant has released an oil slick over 10 miles of the surface of nearby Yenisei River August, 2009