Russia 11 time zones Stretches half way around the planet Moscow to Vladivostock is 8 hours by jet plane 4 days by train minimum

Over 1,000 major cities 16 metro areas with populations over 1 million Moscow – 12 million+, economic and political center Largest cities are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk

Physical Geography Mostly plains covered in taiga East of Yenisei river, higher plateaus Highest mountains are the Caucasus – highest peaks are 18,000 ft. Urals divide continents, average 2,000 ft.

Volga – Europe’s largest river, drains into Caspian Sea Caspian Sea – world’s largest lake, lies below sea level Ob, Yenisei, and Lena Rivers are east of the Urals and flow into the Arctic Ocean, wide at mouths Lake Baikal – deepest fresh water lake in world

Climate Purple – Tundra Blue – Humid Continental and Subarctic Yellow - semiarid

Russian Ecosystems

Vegetation Tundra – Arctic shoreline, treeless, very small plants, little moisture

Taiga Broad forested zone Land of little sticks Smaller coniferous trees Dense stands Sparsely inhabited 4 million square miles

Siberia Remote, few people Cool, swampy, permafrost, Rich in minerals, but hard to mine Large buildings built on pilings

Steppes South of the forests Broad open plains Once a grassland Chernozem – black earth

Challenges for Russia Little experience with democracy Only one party – Communist President could rule by decree and ignore parliament

More challenges Quality of health care decreased Death rate has increased Life expectancy has decreased Increases in alcoholism, drug use, divorce, and suicide Death rate exceeds birth rate

Environmental Problems Widespread pollution is common Widespread environmental damage and ill health effects among citizens Cleaning the environment is less important than job creation and feeding and housing the people.

Russians 80% Russian (descendants of Slavs) 20% ethnic minorities ¾ urban, ¼ rural Caucasus – area of many ethnic groups and unrest Chechnya Dagestan

Transportation Distances, terrain, and climate make it difficult to maintain roads Most rivers freeze for months every year Railroads are practical and inexpensive for moving people and goods in Russia.

Republics with the Soviet Union Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine,Moldova

Privatization moving from a command economy to a free market economy Under a command economy, land, businesses, and labor are owned/controlled by the government When privatization occurs, the government sells farmland, businesses to individuals The government closes businesses so unemployment rises

When the government closes businesses - unemployment increases Stops setting prices – inflation occurs Standard of living decreases Black market Some people miss security of communism

Foreign Investment When companies from wealthier countries open businesses in poorer countries Brings in money and new jobs Each $ spent helps the entire community, not just the people hired After a few years, the economy starts to improve

Ukraine Kiev - Mother of Russia

Dominated by Foreign Powers Mongols Lithuania Poland Russia Tried to establish independence in 1917, but was forced under Soviet Rule.

Under Soviet Rule Farms collectivized in 1920s Ukrainians burned crops to protest Soviets seized all grain and let 8 million Ukrainians die in resulting famine. Environmental damage from nuclear reactor at Chernobyl in 1986.

Independence million people Orthodox Vast fertile plains - breadbasket Huge coal reserves Imports oil and natural gas Machinery outdated Trade policies not favorable for foreign investment

Belarus 10 million people Slavic Orthodox Close political and economic ties with Russia Conflict with Russia over oil prices and pipeline

Moldova Small, landlocked, densely populated Majority of Romanian descent Romanian language Hilly terrain Exports wine, sugar beets, seed oils

Russia before Communism Russian czars controlled the government Less developed than Western Europe Wealthy Boyars owned the land Most peasants were serfs, virtually slaves until 1861 Most Russians remained poor, landless, and dissatisfied Defeats in WWI and food shortages let to riots in 1917

Rise of Communism When the Russian army joined the riots, the czar abdicated Lenin and Stalin set up a command economy and a communist dictatorship called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Officials in Moscow made production decisions

Results Standard of living remained poor No freedom of expression No freedom to make personal decisions Millions who resisted were sent to prisons or labor-camps in Siberia. Vast numbers of people were executed. Production was low because of a lack of incentives to work hard

More results…. Farmland was reorganized into state farms or collective farms Cities were industrialized Heavy industry, producing steel and machines, was developed. Shortages of consumer goods were common, long lines Pollution common

WWII Germany invaded the USSR in 1941 Advanced as far as Volvograd Soviets pushed Germans west with the help of their winter and distances Soviet troops pushed Germans back into Germany and took control of Berlin in May Twenty million Soviets died in WWII.

Post WWII Era of Soviet Power Militarism Cold War Controlled Communist governments in Eastern Europe Spending enormous amounts of money on military weapons meant more shortages of goods for the people

Reforms in late 1980s Mikhail Gorbachev Glastnost “openness” Perestroika “economic restructuring” Privatization of businesses and farms Communist governments in Russia, Baltic States, and Eastern Europe are replaced by democratic governments in the early 1990s with market economies