Unit 5: Russia and the Republics Physical Geography

Landforms and Resources

Northern Landforms This region can be broken down into 4 areas: Northern European Plain West Siberian Plain Central Siberian Plateau Russian Far East

Northern Landforms Northern European Plain Lowland area 1,000 miles from western border to Ural Mountains Chernozem-“black earth”, very fertile soil Lots of agriculture in this area 290 million people inhabit this land Big Cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev (Ukraine)

Northern Landforms West Siberian Plain Eurasia?? Ural Mountains and Yenisey River Because this area is tilted northward, rivers flow toward Arctic Ocean Eurasia??

Northern Landforms Central Siberian Plateau and Russian Far East Plateaus: 1,000-2,000 feet are common Yenisey and Lena Rivers Russian Far East Volcanic ranges Kamchatka Peninsula (120 volcanoes, 20 actives) Sakhalin and Kuril islands

Southern Landforms Caucasus and Other Mountains Black and Caspian seas Border between Russia and Transcaucasia Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia Tian Shan is part of a huge mountainous region farther east Central Asia-Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Ranges in this area are so high, stops moist air from reaching the areas beyond the mountains

Southern Landforms Turan Plain lowland Caspian Sea to mountains and uplands of Central Asia Syr Darya and Amu Darya are the 2 major rivers of the area Kara Kum and Kyzyl Kum plains

Rivers and Lakes Drainage Basins and Rivers Drainage Basins-area drained by a major river and tributaries Arctic Ocean, Caspian Sea, Pacific Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Aral Sea basins Arctic basin is the larges Rivers: Ob, Yenisey, Lena drain 3 million sq. mi.

Rivers and Lakes Lakes Caspian and Aral Seas Lake Baikal Both are saltwater lakes Caspian is largest inland sea in the world Aral has lost about 80% of its water volume since the 1960s due to irrigation Lake Baikal Deepest lake in the world Mile depth, 400 miles long 20% of Earth’s freshwater Thousands of plants and animals live in the lake Only species of freshwater seal lives here

Regional Resources Issues with managing the many resources of this region Corruption Environmental issues Coal, iron ore, other metals Oil and natural gas Timber Hydroelectric power

Regional Resources Harsh climates, difficult terrain, and large distances make management unstable Many resources are located in Siberia Mining, oil, natural gas production has caused severe damage to the environment Dams and thermal pollution have damaged plant and animal habitats

Climate and Vegetation

Varying Climates Major Climate Regions Humid continental and subarctic dominate the area High latitude and impact of mountains Because the land is so large, sea/ocean influence doesn’t impact the majority of the region Continentality

Varying Climates Distance from sea can impact precipitation and temperature Siberia: highs of 50 degrees, lows of -90 degrees Weather impacts life

Varying Climates Warmer climates do exist: southeastern areas Semiarid and desert Transcaucasia: moist air from Mediterranean Sea created a subtropical climate zone. Before ethnic cleansing issues, resorts here were a popular tourist destination

Vegetation Regions Tundra Forest Mosses Lichens Low shrubs Taiga-largest forest on earth, contains mostly coniferous trees Animals: fox, vermin, bear, elk, wolves

Vegetation Regions Steppe Desert Grassland Southern Ukraine through northern Kazakhstan Fertile soil: grain Desert Plains of west and central areas of Central Asia Kara Kum and Kyzyl Kum

Human-Environment Interaction

Shrinking Aral Sea Gets most of its water from Amu Darya and Syr Darya Irrigation projects took water out of these rivers and towards agriculture Sea is beginning to evaporate Effects of Agriculture Pesticides and fertilizers on cotton farms were picked up by runoff and brought into streams/rivers Killing much plant and animal life in the area Diseases for people: cancer, respiratory issues, dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis

“Wild East” Traveling through Siberia was dangerous and slow during the 19th century Trans-Siberian RR-linked Moscow to Pacific port of Vladivostok

“Wild East” Trans-Siberian RR 5,700 mi long 7 time zones 1891-1903 70,000 workers 77 million cubic feet of land, 100,000 acres of forest cleared