1. Russia and the Republics

2. Statistics
Worlds largest country-Baltic Sea to Pacific Ocean. (1/6 of worlds land mass)
Home to 280 million (Approx. 150 million live West of the Urals.)
11 Time Zones
89 Separate provinces w/separate govts
15 Republics
Over 100 different ethnic groups
Population Triangle: Leningrad, Moscow and Rostov Na Don
Russians have a Slavic heritage
“Slavic” means Slave of the Viking
Russian Orthodox religion

3. History
20th Century -
1917: Russian Revolution brings an end to Romanov Empire (Czarist Russia)
: Communist Rule
1922: Became known as the U.S.S.R. (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
Post WWII: Cold War
1991: End of Communism
15 Republics now independent
: Vladimir Lenin is the first leader of the Soviet Union.

4. History (cont)
Stalinist Era (under the leadership of Josef Stalin)
Leader through WWII (Great Patriotic War)
Successfully defeats Nazi invasion of ‘41
“Reign of Terror”- Had more people killed than Hitler did during his reign.
Soviet Union takes control of the following European nations: Poland, Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), E Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia
“Iron Curtain” refers to countries under Soviet control (coined by British P.M. Winston Churchill)
Ally to the U.S. during WWII, enemy after WWII (Cold War)

5. Communism (Effects of Govt & Economic Policies)
Govt controlled the newspapers
Govt opposed religion (opium of the masses)
Govt exercised COMPLETE control over industry and agriculture
Stressed heavy industry over consumer goods
Forced nomadic people to settle into villages and to work on massive govt farms
No freedom to make any personal decisions
No freedom to express their own opinions

6. History (cont) Post-Communist Era Collapse of Soviet Union in 1991
Each Republic became an independent nation
Causes of the collapse
Upsurge in Nationalism
Widespread opposition to Dictatorship
Widespread opposition to Economic hardship

7. The Republics Independence leads to conflict over… Territory
Ethnic differences
Religious differences
When the Soviets divided the Republics, they would purposely leave large #’s of one ethnic group as a minority in neighboring republics of another ethnic group. This was done to prevent opposition to the Party by using the tensions that existed among the different ethnic groups. Loyalty to the Party was above all.

8. The Republics (cont) Western Republics
Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Baltic States (Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia)
Ukraine is rich in farmland
Baltic States are not Slavic, are tied to the West, Catholic and Protestant

9. The Republics (cont) Trans Caucuses Republics
Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan
Culture is rooted in the traditions of the Middle East
Armenians consider themselves descendents of Noah
Noah’s Ark is on Mount Ararat
Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity

10. The Republics (cont) Central Asia Republics
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Religious heritage is Muslim
Area was part of the Silk Road - the 4000 mile route between China and the Mediterranean Sea, named for the costly silk acquired in China

11. Resources Primary Activities
Petroleum
Gold
Diamonds
Timber (Taiga)- 22% of worlds supply
Problem: Getting the resources from the extraction site to the refinement site. Most natural resources are in Siberia. (While only 10% of the population lives there)

12. Resources (cont) Secondary Activities: Managed Resources: Furniture
Wood Chips
Pressed Wood
Managed Resources:
Recycled Wood
Waste Wood
Replant Trees

13. Economy Communist Economy (Command) 1917-1991. Capitalism (Market)
State/Government Control
Capitalism (Market)
Slowly moving toward a free market
50% of natural resources are state owned
Rest (50%) are owned by private companies