europe and russia domain

What past patterns of colonialism or migration are evident?

--Communists came to power in 1917, instituted centralized economic planning: state control of production and output --USSR: state controlled agriculture was inefficient but it expanded industrial output an transportation system --Improvements in housing, education, healthcare after WWII a. Commonwealth of independent states (CIS): political union looser than USSR, never included Baltic countries, has little power, is discussion form (Georgia withdrew after war with Russia) --Russia is now developing a customs union: has economic union plans (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Armenia, also other countries in Central Asia) --1990s denuclearization: return and partial dismantling of nuclear weapons from outlying republics and Warsaw Pact countries to Russian control completed in 1990s; but tactical nuclear weapons have now been moved to Kaliningrad --geopolitics within the Russian Federation --devolution—localization of political control in Russia --also re-centralization

How much does population vary across countries - and what are the characteristics of the population?

-Population clusters are found in Moscow (primate city), St. Petersburg, Belarus and Ukraine Characteristics --General population decline—by low birth rates and rising death rates especially among middle-aged males (aRussia's population could decrease by 45 million by 2050)

How are population distributions related to the physical environment and its resources?

-sparse settlement in Siberian highlands -favorable agricultural setting of the European west offered a home to more people than did the inhospitable conditions found across central and northern Siberia

What are the conditions for women - and how is women's status in society linked to cultural traditions of the region?

-women still struggle for basic rights within the conservative, patriarchal societies that characterize the Roman domain -while often better educated than men, women earn substantially less money performing the same work -women are underrepresented in positions of corporate and political power -human trafficking is a widespread problem

What are the patterns of migration within the region and between it and other world regions?

1. 1860-1914: eastward movement due to political motives More Recent migrations... 2. Reversing russification—major shift in post-Soviet era -Citizenship and language requirements in newly independent former SSRs are push factors 3. Movement to other world regions -"brain drain" to other countries -Jewish Russians tend to move to Israel or United States -"Mail-order" finances and brides to the US 3. Movement towards cities -USSR planned cities -Post USSR era: people have greater freedom of movement; many older industrial areas losing population

What is the current level of "development" in the region?

1. 1990s-Economic decline of 40% 2. Early 2000s-stabliziation 3. Continued dependence on oil and gas exports 4. The legacy of the Soviet economy --Communists came to power in 1917, instituted centralized economic planning: state control of production and output --USSR: state controlled agriculture was inefficient but it expanded industrial output an transportation system --Improvements in housing, education, healthcare after WWII

what are the climates of this region?

1. B--Dry climates -BSk (midlatitude steppe): found in the sourthern part of the region, along the border of China 2. C--Mild Midlatitude Climates -Cfa (humid subtropical, without dry season, hot summer): very little in this region, only along the border of the Black Sea 3. D--Continental MidLatitude Climates (most common/biggest area) 4. E--Polar Climates (ET--tundra) -tundra in the Northern part of the region

Are there tensions linked to minority groups, such as ethnic or religious minorities or indigenous groups?

1. Conflict with Georgia --Georgia left CIS, is pushing for admission to NATO --Russian arms embargo to Georgia

What are key political issues that are currently faced by this region, including tensions within the region and those tied to other world regions?

1. Conflict with Georgia --Georgia left CIS, is pushing for admission to NATO --Russian arms embargo to Georgia 2. Breakaway region in Moldova 3. Chechnya seeks independence as well 4. Armed pro-Russia groups in Luhansk and Donetsk seek secession from Ukraine **A lot of overlapping of groups **Allies, former allies, and former USSR republics are all involved 5. Boundary issues between Russia and China 6. Dispute with Japan over Kuril Islands 7. Expansion of NATO as does US-backed "missile shield" plan for Europe causes issues

Which particular problems or opportunities does the region have, including those related to the economy?

1. Economy is not diversified 2. Oil and gas are key exports 3. Commitment to democracy is weak and uncertain 4. Corruption, weak rule of law and illegal economic activities 5. Nationalist movements, insurgencies, bad relations with neighboring countries threaten stability

what is the nature of the terrain of this region?

1. European West -North of Moscow: poor soils and cold temperatures limit farming--boreal forests -Belarus and central portions of European Russia: longer growing seasons but acidic podzol soils -South of 50 latitude: forests and steppe environments dominated by grasslands 2. Ural Mountains and Siberia -Ural Mountains physically separate European Russia from Siberia -Siberia: tundra, volcanic landscapes 3. Russian Far East -close to Pacific Ocean, more southerly latitude and fertile valleys 4. Caucasus and Transcaucasia: extreme South, Russia's southern boundary and are characterized by earthquakes

How has this region been shaped by political processes such as colonization and decolonization - and by war?

1. In 1930—Stalin (USSR and party leader) centralized power in Moscow, limiting national and ethnic autonomy 2. WWII extended control USSR's sphere of control 3. Gained Sakhalin, Kuril Islands from Japan, Baltic Republics 4. Occupation of Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia 5. Exclave was added from Germany (Kaliningrad) ***End of the Soviet Union—Govachev era -Ethnic identification remained strong within SSRs -1986...Perestroika: restructuring 1988 & Glasnost: greater openness, permitted more freedom of information and expression—including dissent 6. 1991: all 15 union SSRs are independent

What are the dominant ethic and social groups?

1. Language --Slavic languages dominate the Russian domain --Russia: 80% ethnic Russian 2. Religion --USSR: officially Atheist --Religious revival underway now --Eastern Orthodox Christianity: Most common denomination --Other Abrahamic religions: 20-25 million Sunni Muslims in the North Caucasus --Key regions—Chechnya, Dagestan, North and South Ossetia --Over 1 million Jews, most in larger western cities --Buddhism is present in Kalmykia and Russia; Indigenous religions are mainly found in Siberia and Far East

How is the population of this region distributed?

1. Russia—3x larger population than Ukraine, other countries in the domain have less than 10 million people 2. European core -110 million people -Belarus, western Russia, Ukraine -Russia's largest cities, biggest industrial centers, farms -Higher population density 3. Siberian hinterlands -Sparse settlement (thin) -Industrial cities along Trans-Siberian Railroad (1904) -Baikal-Amur Mainline (farther from China)

Which are the key environmental issues of the area, including ways that humans are reshaping the physical environment and hazards of the environment to humans?

1. air pollution -clustered factories: concentrated sources of pollutants -few restrictions to preserve environmental quality -low quality coal 2. water pollution -industrial waste -raw sewage -oil spills -pulp and paper factories 3. nuclear residues -Fallout from above-ground testing: contamination from nuclear waste dumping -Nuclear detonation: for seismic experiments, oil exploration, dam building -Older nuclear reactors: few safety features, some design problems (higher risks)

What are the dominant cultural characteristics of the region?

Slavic peoples: northern branch of the Indo-European ethnolinguistic family

What groups have been less advantaged - and why?

women