Russia and the Republics Landforms and Resources

Essential Question How is Russia impacted by its physical geography?

Overview Russia and the Republics occupy an amount of land equal to 3 times the size of the United States. Russia and the Republics span two continents (Asia and Europe) Russia and the Republics span 11 time zones Russia and the Republics cover over 8.5 million square miles Russia and the Republics cover nearly one-sixth of the Earth’s surface

Northern Landforms Northern European Plain Lowland area from western border of Russia to the Ural Mountains Home to chernozem, or black earth, which is very fertile. Because of this, many of the region’s agricultural areas are located here. Home to nearly 75% of the region’s population 2 largest cities are located there

Northern Landforms West Siberian Plain Western boundary at Ural Mountains Eastern boundary at Yenisey River Because the plain tilts northward, its rivers flow toward the Arctic Ocean

The huge Vasyugan Bog covers the 53 thousand sq. km. Altogether there are 573 rivers and 35 lakes in this area. 1/5 of the Region’s territory is part of a river valley.

Northern Landforms Central Siberian Plateau Russian Far East Made up of high plateaus with average heights of 1,000 to 2,000 feet Russian Far East Made up of a system of volcanic ranges, with many active volcanoes

Southern Landforms Turan Plain Caucasus and other mountains Caucasus - stretch across land between the Black and Caspian Seas Tian Shan - along the southern border of Russia and the Republics Turan Plain Lies between the Caspian Sea and Central Asia

Kara Kum Desert These two deserts (the Kara Kum in Turkmenistan and the Kyzyl Kum in Uzbekistan) cover about 230,000 square miles. Kyzyl Kum Desert

Rivers and Lakes Rivers Volga, Ob, Yenisey, Lena Rivers are largest in the region Lakes Caspian Sea - actually a saltwater lake. It stretches for nearly 750 miles from North to South Aral Sea - has lost about 80% of its water in the past 40 years Lake Baikal - the deepest lake in the world. At its deepest point, it is more than a mile from the surface to the bottom. It holds 20% of the world’s fresh water

Aral Sea

Lake Baikal

Natural Resources Huge reserves of coal, iron ore, oil, and natural gas, and timber Mismanagement of resources , harsh climates, rugged terrain, and vast distances make it difficult for Russia and the Republics to remove resources from the ground and transport them to market.

Human-Environment Interaction The Trans-Siberian Railroad covers more than 5,700 miles and 7 time zones. Its completion aided in the migration of many European Russians to Siberia, helping develop natural resources.

Major climate regions: 1. Humid continental- variety in temperature and precipitation, 4 seasons 2. Subarctic- huge temperature variations, usually freezing or below 5-8 months a year. Short cool summers, harsh winters. 3. Semiarid- low precipitation, interior of continents 4. Desert-less than 10 inches rain per year extreme temperature changes

Continentality = The greater the distance from the sea, the more extreme the climate. (rain, moisture, temperature, etc) Russia’s extremely cold climate is a result of this!

Vegetation 1. Tundra- flat, treeless land with permafrost 2. Boreal Forest- lands with coniferous trees 3. Steppe- temperate grasslands or prairie 4. Desert- plants that conserve water, (cactus or shrubs)