1. Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus
World Geography Today
7/4/2018
CHAPTER 17
Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus
Section 1: Natural Environments
Section 2: History and Culture
Section 3: The Region Today
Chapter 17

2. Landforms Section 1 Natural Environments * * * * * * *
World Geography Today
7/4/2018
Section 1 Natural Environments * * * *
Landforms * * *
Ural Mountains—divide Eurasia
Caucasus Mountains—between Black and Caspian Seas
Northern European Plain—covers most of European area
Crimean Peninsula—southeastern Ukraine
West Siberian Plain
Siberian mountains—include volcanoes of Kamchatka Peninsula
Chapter 17

3. BERING STRAIT Separates the United States from Russia
Only 53 miles wide

4. Russia’s Southern Boundary
Black sea, Caucasus Mountains, Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia

5. SIBERIA Means “STEPPING LAND”
All land located east of the Ural Mountains
Known for its brutally cold winters and WWII prison camp, but also known for timber, oil, and coal mining

6. SIBERIA West Siberian Plain – is flat frozen tundra and woodlands
Central Siberian Plateau – located in mid-Asia (high flat peaks)

7. Rivers Section 1 Natural Environments
Dnieper, Don, and Volga—key south-flowing rivers
Ob, Yenisey, and Lena—flow into Arctic Ocean

8. VOLGA RIVER Largest River in Russia
Eleven out of Russia’s 20 largest cities are located on the Volga (Including Moscow)

9. LAKE BAIKAL
Largest fresh water lake in the world in volume. Second only to the Caspian Sea in size.
5370 feet deep.
Contains 20% of all the worlds fresh water
1,085 species of plants and 1,550 species and varieties of animals – many are found only here.
Scientist believe there are still many species left to find, but water is too dark and deep to explore

10. LAKE BAIKAL

12. Climate and vegetation
Section 1 Natural Environments
Climate and vegetation
Russia’s climate and vegetation are influenced by latitude, winds and ocean currents, and the size of the land mass.

13. Climate and vegetation (continued)
Section 1 Natural Environments
Climate and vegetation (continued)
Location in northern latitudes produces cold, harsh weather.
Siberian interior is too large to receive mild ocean winds, making it very dry and cold.
Moist winds from the Atlantic Ocean produce milder climate in European portion.
Coastal areas of Russian Far East receive rain-bearing winds from Pacific Ocean.
Climate affects vegetation, north to south—tundra, taiga, mixed forest, steppe grasslands.

14. Natural resources: rich in forest, energy, and mineral resources
Section 1 Natural Environments
Natural resources: rich in forest, energy, and mineral resources
lumber and paper pulp from the taiga forests
gold and diamonds in eastern Siberia
key oil and gas reserves in Caspian Sea area, Volga basin, Ob basin
geothermal power in Far East
mines in Russia and Ukraine—coal, copper, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, platinum