Russia and the Republics Chapters 15-17

Landforms Ural Mountains- Divide Asia from Europe Eurasia- Some Geographers call Asia and Europe one Continent Siberia- part of Russia on Asian Continent Taiga- The Largest Forest on Earth Trans-Siberian Railroad- Connects Moscow to the Pacific at Vladivostok

Russia Quick Facts More than 8,500,000 Square miles 1/6 of the earths surface On two Continents (Europe and Asia) Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the World (more than a mile deep) and holds 20 percent of all freshwater Temperatures range from over 100 degrees to below -90 degrees Holds an enormous amount of raw materials

Russian History Mongols ruled the Baltic’s from ’s Ivan the Great reached the Pacific with the Empire (late 1600’s) Peter the Great (Czar) modernized Russia ( ) During WWI Russian Revolution occurred, V.I. Lenin and the Communist took control and the USSR formed USSR collapsed in 1991 and ended the Cold War (1940’s- 1991) The region was divided into 15 Independent Republics

USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Command Economy- Central Government makes all Important Economic Decisions After WWII Joseph Stalin placed Pro-Soviet Governments in Eastern Europe U.S. feared their expansion and an arms race began called the “Cold War” Mikhail Gorbachev gave more economic freedoms and started the move to a democracy in the 1980’s

Soviet Nuclear History The Soviet Union was the first to reach space with the launching of Sputnik Oct. 4, It was the size of a basketball, weighed 183lbs. and took 98 minutes to orbit the earth The Soviets then began to hook rockets up to nuclear weapons shortly after, scaring the U.S. The Nuclear industry was located in present day Kazakhstan, and tests exposed millions to harmful radiation The region is still recovering from the tests (470 tests)

Russia’s Future Conflicts still arise in the newly formed Republics, Governments are still forming and shaping making life hard for some. Borders are still unclear and ethnic differences create tension. A work force is needed for Capitalism that is new to many The Nuclear Legacy is a World Concern (Other Nations want to know how secure the Nuclear Weapons are)

Russia’s Future Continued Nuclear Plants are poorly constructed and are leaking Nuclear Waste There is no place to dispose of the Nuclear Waste Some Nuclear reactors are potentially dangerous (Chernobyl Disaster 1986)

The End Work on Your Vocab. Due by Tomorrow!!