1. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY Russia and the Republics

3. Landforms and Resources Russia and the Republics take up a huge land area  Russia is the largest country in the world  3 times the land area of the US  Spreads across the continents of Asia and Europe  West of the Ural Mountains = Europe  East of the Ural Mountains = Asia  Crosses 11 timezones  Nearly 1/6 th of the earth’s land surface  Divided into the Northern European Plain, the West Siberian Plain, the Central Siberian Plateau, and the Russia Far East

5. Former Soviet Republics (15) – all part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) 1922 – 1991  Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Estonia; Georgia; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lithuania; Moldova; Russia; Tajikistan; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan

6. Northern European Plain Stretches for 1000 miles from western border of Russia to the Ural Mountains Because of the fertile soil in the region, this is a major agricultural area 75% of the region’s 290 million people live in this plain 3 of the area’s largest cities are in this region: Moscow, Russia’s capital; St. Petersburg, and Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine

8. Label Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova (page 338)

9. West Siberian Plain The Ural Mountains separate the Northern European and West Siberian plains Some geographers say the Ural Mountains separate Europe and Asia Others consider Europe and Asia to be one continent called Eurasia

10. Central Siberian Plateau and the Far East An area of high plateaus, mountains, and uplands The Russian Far East contains volcanic ranges, peninsulas and islands

11. Lena River

12. Kamchatka

13. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky a city in the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula

14. Kamchatka Salmon

15. Kuril Island

16. Southern Landforms The Caucasus Mountains run between the Black and Caspian Seas and form the border between Russia and Transcaucasia  Transcaucasia: a region that contains Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia Central Asia: the region that includes the republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan

17. Transcaucasia and Central Asia

18. Label Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan (page 338)

19. Label countries of Central Asia (p 338)

20. Rivers and Lakes Major rivers in the region include the Lena, the Yenisey, and the Volga  The Volga is the longest river on the European continent and carries about 60% of Russia’s river traffic

21. Lakes Major lakes in the region include the Aral and Caspian Seas  Both are saltwater lakes  The Caspian Sea is the largest inland sea in the world  The Aral Sea has lost 87% of its water volume since the 1960’s  Major irrigation projects have diverted water away from the rivers that feed the Aral  Pesticides and fertilizers in runoff were carried by rivers and streams into the Aral Sea Killed all the native fish As water evaporated, windstorms blew chemicals onto nearby populations causing an increase in disease

22. Label Caspian and Aral Seas

23. Camels grazing near fishing ships abandoned after the Aral Sea dried up

24. Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world  At its deepest, it is more than a mile deep  It holds 20% of the world’s freshwater  Thousands of species of plants and animals live in the lake

25. Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world

26. Regional Resources Russia and the Republics have a wealth of natural resources but have struggled with how to manage them  Challenge: how to transport resources over vast distances, rugged terrain, and harsh climates The area has huge reserves of coal, iron ore, and other metals It is a leading producer of oil and natural gas Russia holds 1/5 th of the world’s timber One of the world’s largest producers of hydroelectric power

27. Resource Management Many of the region’s resources are located in Siberia  The part of Russia that lies on the continent of Asia  Businesses find it difficult to attract workers to this area  Distance decay: long distances between places make communication and transportation difficult Political and economic change in recent years has made managing resources difficult

28. Climate and Vegetation The region is so vast that there is a wide range of climates  Areas in a Siberian town of Oymyakon have reported temperatures of -95 degrees  In areas of Transcaucasia, the climate is pleasant and used to be a vacation spot before ethnic conflict made travelling dangerous  http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/10000-year-old-extinct-lion-cubs- discovered-in-near-perfect-condition-in-siberian-permafrost/ar-BBmu4NI

29. Transporting cargo on frozen Lake Baikal