GEO CH 9
Which ancient kingdom (and former Soviet state) has generated a worldwide diaspora? A) Armenia B) Azerbaijan C) Belorussia D) Georgia E) Ukraine
ANSWER: A
Alexander Lukashenko has been called "Europe's last dictator". He is the leader of which nation? A) Azerbaijan B) Belarus C) Georgia D) Moldova E) Ukraine
ANSWER: B
In the Russian Domain, what non-Christian religion has the greatest number of believers? A) Hinduism B) Islam C) Buddhism D) Judaism E) Animism
ANSWER: B
The Russian language uses which alphabet? A) Roman B) Cyrillic C) Turkish D) Arabic E) Sanskrit
ANSWER: B
The majority of the population of Crimea A) is Russian but wishes to remain part of Ukraine B) is Russian and wishes to be reincorporated into Russia C) is Ukrainian and wishes to be reincorporated into Russia D) is Ukrainian and wishes to remain part of Ukraine E) is ethnic Crimean and wishes to become an independent nation
ANSWER: B
The primary destination for Russia's petroleum exports is currently A) Japan B) Western Europe C) Eastern Europe D) China E) United States
ANSWER: B
The volcanic peninsula which dominates the Far East of Russia is known as A) Siberia B) Kamchatka C) Baikal D) Urals E) Caucasus
ANSWER: B
What is the approximate population of the Russian Domain? A) 100 million B) 150 million C) 200 million D) 250 million E) 500 million
ANSWER: C
Which of the following places is a Russian exclave within Eastern Europe? A) Armenia B) Estonia C) Kaliningrad D) Latvia E) Lithuania
ANSWER: C
The Trans-Siberian Railroad A) was completed after the death of Stalin. B) travels through the far north of Siberia. C) intentionally bypasses cities. D) ends at Vladivostok. E) was extensively damaged by an earthquake in 2003.
ANSWER: D
The average Russian consumes how many liters of alcohol per year? A) 1 liter B) 5 liters C) 10 liters D) 15 liters E) 100 liters
ANSWER: D
What are mikrorayons? A) synthetic fabrics manufactured in Russia B) authoritarian leaders who dominated politics during the pre-1917 Russian Empire C) a cold-climate condition of unstable, seasonally frozen ground that limits the growth of vegetation D) large housing projects built in the 1970s and 1980s in Russia, usually comprised of apartment blocks located some distance from the city center E) political units in Russia, equivalent to counties in the United States
ANSWER: D
Which of the following is NOT a contributing factor to the high mortality rates among Russian men? A) excessive consumption of alcohol B) high rate of tobacco use C) cardiovascular disease resulting from high-fat diets and physical inactivity D) exposure to radiation from Soviet-era nuclear waste which was improperly disposed E) less financial resources for health expenditures as compared to the Soviet era
ANSWER: D
What percent of Russia's farmland had been privatized by 2003? A) 5% B) 10% C) 25% D) 50% E) 90%
ANSWER: E
What soil type supports the commercial cultivation of corn, wheat, sugar beets, and livestock in the Russian Domain? A) gelisol B) oxisol C) entisol D) podzol E) chernozem
ANSWER: E
Which of the following is NOT a current economic challenge facing Russia? A) the lack of economic diversity in exports outside of energy exports B) widespread government corruption C) crop failures due to climate change which require Russia to import large amounts of food D) economic sanctions placed on Russia by the United States due to its belligerence with respect to Ukraine E) capital flight to foreign banks located beyond the Russian Domain
ANSWER C
In what region of the Russian Domain were the Soviet Union's gulags located? A) Siberia B) Ukraine C) Belarus D) Georgia E) Armenia
ANSWER: A
In which region of the Russian Domain is permafrost a problem? A) Siberia B) Caucasus Mountains C) Ukraine D) Southern Russia E) European Russia
ANSWER: A
Investments in Russia are most common in which of these products? A) oil and natural gas B) wheat C) wind and solar energy D) information technology E) hydroelectric and forestry products
ANSWER: A
The former Soviet economy was predicated upon A) centralized economic planning B) laissez-faire capitalism C) alignment with multinational corporations D) import substitution industrial growth E) a strong emphasis with globalization
ANSWER: A
The original architect of the Soviet state at its inception was A) Vladimir Lenin B) Joseph Stalin C) Karl Marx D) the Russia czar E) Vladimir Putin
ANSWER: A
Today in Russia a total of ________ people control 35% of Russia's wealth. A) 110 B) 1,110 C) 11,110 D) 111,110 E) 1,111,110
ANSWER: A
What are dachas? A) cottage communities on the fringe of urban areas which cater to wealthier Russians B) large housing projects built in the 1970s and 1980s in Russia C) new suburban shopping malls and housing districts paralleling the North American model D) authoritarian leaders who dominated politics during pre-1917 Russian Empire E) rapid urban areas developing in the east of Russia
ANSWER: A
What has been the pattern of population growth in Russia since the demise of the USSR? A) declining population growth (except among ethnic non-Russians) B) rapid population growth C) slow population growth D) zero population growth (equal birth and death rates) E) a sudden surge immediately following the collapse of the USSR followed by a sharp decline
ANSWER: A
What influence did the breakup of the Soviet Union have on Russian organized crime? A) It has aligned itself with Russian intelligence agencies and has gone global in its activities. B) The new democratic government established crackdowns on organized crime's operations. C) Most organized crime members were either imprisoned or forced to flee the country. D) The organized crime operations that had been urban based under the Soviet system were now forced to operate in the rural areas. E) There was no effect.
ANSWER: A
What is glasnost? A) a USSR policy of greater openness during the 1980s that encouraged several Soviet republics to demand independence B) planned economic restructuring, an early move toward a freer market C) a policy of education improvement, in the last days of the former Soviet Union D) the Russian word for railroad E) improvement of the Russian environment
ANSWER: A
What is the current policy toward religion in the Russian Domain in this post-Soviet era? A) There has been a religious revival. B) Religious persecution has worsened. C) Roman Catholicism has become the dominant religion in the region. D) There has been a sharp increase in the number of Jewish people living in the region. E) Russia has become a theocracy.
ANSWER: A
What is the one element that helps us to understand geographies of climate, vegetation, and agriculture in the Russian Domain? A) the northern latitudinal position of the Russian Domain B) the legacy of the Soviet era C) globalization and its influence on the Russian Domain D) the Cold War E) climate change
ANSWER: A
What marks European Russia's eastern edge, separating it from Siberia? A) the Ural Mountains B) the eastern border of Ukraine C) the center of Siberia D) a line running from the Baltic to the Adriatic E) along the trans-Siberian railroad
ANSWER: A
The Russian Domain's unpredictable politics and poor economic conditions have led to this migration pattern. A) eastward expansion into Siberia B) movement into the southern Russia for agricultural opportunity C) young, well-educated populations leaving Russia for other countries D) Jewish populations within Russia returning to Russian cities from Israel and the U.S. E) urban-to-rural due to overcrowding in major cities
ANSWER: C
The Russian currency instrument is known as the A) dollar B) kopek C) ruble D) euro E) zloty
ANSWER: C
The major mountain range separating Russia from it southern neighbors of Georgia and Armenia are the A) Urals B) Himalayas C) Caucasus D) Alps E) Kamchatka Mountains
ANSWER: C
The majority of Russia's immigrants are from A) Southwest Asia and North Africa B) China C) Former Soviet republics D) Eastern Europe E) Sub-Saharan Africa
ANSWER: C
The origin of the Russian state is connected to A) the early history of the Cossacks. B) in the Caucasus region. C) the Slavic people of what is today Belarus. D) the division of the Slavic people by Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. E) the ancient Christian kingdom of Armenia.
ANSWER: C
Why did the Russian military invade Georgia in 2008? A) because the Georgian government aided terrorists who committed various terror attacks within Russia B) because the Kazakh forces attempted to take Georgian territory from the Russians C) because the Georgian government attempted to establish control over the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are two regions dominated by Russian sympathizers D) to establish forward military bases from which to attack Turkey E) as a warning to Chechen rebels to desist from any future terror attacks on Russian soil
ANSWER: C
What is the dominant climate type in the Russian Domain?
ANSWER: CONTINENTAL
By 2100, the Russian population could decrease by ________ million people. A) 5 B) 10 C) 20 D) 45 E) 30
ANSWER: D
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, what has become of the policy of Russification within former Soviet republics? A) Russification has decreased, with fewer Russians settling in these regions. B) Russification has increased greatly, with greater numbers of Russians settling in these regions. C) Russification has remained relatively the same. D) Russification has been reversed, where greater numbers of Russians are encouraged to leave these regions. E) Russification continued to rise in the 1990s, but has decreased since 2000.
ANSWER: D
The conflict over Transdniester is focused within which nation? A) Azerbaijan B) Belarus C) Georgia D) Moldova E) Ukraine
ANSWER: D
The famous city located on the shores of the Baltic, formerly known as Leningrad, is called A) Moscow B) Kiev C) Vladivostok D) St. Petersburg E) Volgograd
ANSWER: D
The former Soviet Union was comprised of how many different republics? A) 12 B) 13 C) 14 D) 15 E) 16
ANSWER: D
The vast northern coniferous forests of Siberia are known as A) permafrost B) steppes C) tundra D) taiga E) lichens
ANSWER: D
What two chronic environmental problems facing the Russian Domain today? A) air pollution and deforestation B) water pollution and deforestation C) water pollution and desertification D) air pollution and water pollution E) desertification and deforestation
ANSWER: D
What was socialist realism of the Soviet era in the Russian Domain? A) a writing style that is similar to today's "reality TV" B) an acting style in the Soviet domain C) a musical style that emphasized traditional melodies, combined with classical instrumentation D) an art style devoted to the realistic depiction of workers challenging nature or struggling against capitalism E) a holistic approach to the arts in the former Soviet Union
ANSWER: D
What was the policy of the former Soviet Union (USSR) regarding religion within its borders? A) The USSR established Russian Orthodox Christianity as the official state religion. B) The USSR permitted freedom of religion for Christians, but not for Jews or Muslims. C) The USSR was tolerant of all religious practices. D) The USSR severely discouraged and even persecuted religious practice. E) The USSR had no policy regarding religion.
ANSWER: D
Where has the Russian Domain dumped its nuclear wastes? A) at an unregulated dump outside the city of Chernobyl B) in Siberia C) in the Arctic Sea D) off the northern island of Novaya Zemlya E) in the Sea of Okhotsk
ANSWER: D
The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 was what type of environmental disaster? A) a collapse of a poorly regulated dam B) a massive coal mine fire which continues to burn to present day C) a dumping of toxic waste into the Arctic Sea causing a massive loss of fisheries D) a massive oil spill into the Volga River which flowed into the Caspian Sea E) a meltdown of a nuclear reactor which spewed airborne radioactive waste across thousands of acres of farmland
ANSWER: E
The Transcaucasian region A) is monolingual B) has a large Jewish minority population C) has largely co-existed peacefully due to its monoethnic nature D) include Moldova, Ukraine and Belorussia E) is deeply fractured along ethnolinguistic lines and currently has two independence movements
ANSWER: E
Which of the following occurred during the post-Soviet era of development? A) steel industry development B) the creation of the Volga-Don Canal C) the completion of the BAM railroad link across Siberia D) a massive emphasis on clear-cutting of taiga forests to increase wood exports E) an emphasis on oil and natural gas exports
ANSWER: E
Who were the Bolsheviks? A) the last ruling dynasty of the Russian Empire B) the earliest settlers of Russia, who came from Sweden C) the title given to bureaucrats who ran the former Soviet Union D) the militia group that overthrew the former Soviet Union E) a faction of Russian communism representing interests of industrial workers, who established the former Soviet Union
ANSWER: E
Which of the following is a natural resource NOT found within Siberia?
ANSWER: NICKEL
What language is most frequently spoken within Moldova?
ANSWER: ROMANIAN
Which best describes the religious geography of Ukraine? A) western Ukraine is largely Roman Catholic while eastern Ukraine largely follows the Russian Orthodox Church B) western Ukraine is largely Jewish while eastern Ukraine largely follows the Russian Orthodox Church C) western Ukraine largely follows the Russian Orthodox Church while eastern Ukraine is largely Jewish D) western Ukraine is largely Roman Catholic while eastern Ukraine in largely Muslim E) western Ukraine largely follows the Russian Orthodox Church while eastern Ukraine is largely Roman Catholic
ANSWER: A
Which country has made major business investments in Russia's Far East? A) China B) North Korea C) South Korea D) Japan E) United States
ANSWER: A
Which of the following is NOT an agricultural product that thrives in the podzol soil region of the Russian Domain? A) citrus fruits (ex. oranges, grapefruits) B) grain C) potatoes D) swine and meat E) dairying
ANSWER: A
Which of the following was NOT a factor which led to the demise of the Soviet economy? A) poor infrastructure as result of a lack of roads, railroads and canals built during the Soviet era B) collectivized agriculture remained inefficient C) a failure to embrace technological innovations in industry, research and development D) poor quality manufactured goods compared to what was produced in the West E) a rising economic gap between the Soviet elite and the common people
ANSWER: A
With which former Soviet republic does Armenia have a longstanding border dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh? A) Azerbaijan B) Georgia C) Russia D) Ukraine E) Moldova
ANSWER: A
Urbanization in the Russian region A) is far below that of Western Europe. B) was often planned in detail during the Soviet period. C) did not really increase significantly until the 1960s. D) was helped by laws allowing unrestricted internal migration during the Soviet period. E) was discouraged throughout the history of the Russian Domain.
ANSWER: B
What beneficial effects might Russia see from climate change? A) Rising sea levels along the Black and Baltic Seas. B) Navigation may extend throughout the year in Russia's northern waterways. C) Thawing of Siberian permafrost may cause mud flows and erosion. D) Greater contact between wildlife and indigenous human populations in northern Russia as wildlife is forced to widen its search for food. E) Increases in rainfall across the fertile regions of western Russia.
ANSWER: B
What has become of democracy in Russia in the post-Soviet era? A) There has been a steady growth in democracy and civil liberties. B) There was a general flowering of democracy followed by a reduction of civil liberties since Vladimir Putin came to power. C) There was a brief decline in democracy, followed by a steady blossoming of civil liberties since 2000. D) There have been no steps toward democracy. E) There has been a steady decline in democracy since the Soviet Union broke up.
ANSWER: B
What have many of Russia's internal autonomous areas been requesting? A) greater connections with Moscow and the rest of Russia B) greater autonomy C) greater connections with China and Mongolia to the south D) great transportation linkages to the ice-free ports of the Arctic Ocean E) greater unity among themselves
ANSWER: B
What impact from global warming in the Russian Domain may increase carbon emissions? A) Rising sea levels along the Black and Baltic seas. B) Thawing of permafrost containing large amounts of organic material. C) Navigation extending throughout the year for Russia's northern waterways. D) Warmer temperatures in Arctic Ocean and Barents Sea leading to greater fishing potential. E) Increased rainfall will lead to more vegetation and thus more carbon emissions.
ANSWER: B
What is perestroika? A) greater openness, a policy in the 1980s that encouraged several republics to demand independence B) planned economic restructuring, an early move toward a freer market C) a policy of education improvement, in the last days of the former Soviet Union D) the Russian word for railroad E) improvement of the Russian environment
ANSWER: B
What is the language of the Volga Tatars of the Russian Domain? A) Kurdish B) Turkish C) Finnish D) Chinese E) Slavic
ANSWER: B
What is the primary reason why European Russia has a higher population than Asian Russia? A) European Russia lost much of its population in World War II. B) European Russia is better suited for agriculture and has a slightly milder climate. C) Communist government policies forced millions to move to European Russia from Asian Russia. D) Devastating diseases killed off much of the population of Asian Russia. E) European Russia has historically had an extremely low death rate.
ANSWER: B
What was the purpose of Russification? A) to drain some of the population from Moscow, which had become a primate city in the former USSR B) to increase Russian dominance in outlying portions of the former USSR C) to provide laborers to under-populated regions of the former USSR D) to bring Russian teachers to under-populated regions of the former USSR E) to establish military outposts for defensive purposes in the former USSR
ANSWER: B
Which two countries were the primary rivals in the Cold War? A) China and the Soviet Union B) the United States and the Soviet Union C) Germany and the Soviet Union D) Russia and the Ukraine E) the United States and Russia
ANSWER: B
Why do the authors of your text use the word "domain" when talking about "the Russian Domain"? A) "Russian Domain" is an official name, reflecting the continuing federal relationship between the countries in the region. B) The term suggests persisting Russian influence within the region. C) The term is the name of the free trade zone now evolving in the region. D) Domain refers to a kingdom. E) Domain refers to a federal subdivision.
ANSWER: B
An increasingly centralized Soviet state was achieved through A) perestroika B) glasnost C) state-controlled agricultural production and industrialization D) the Iron Curtain E) the Eurasian Economic Union
ANSWER: C
Approximately what percentage of Russian citizens claim a Russian linguistic identity? A) 50 percent B) 65 percent C) 80 percent D) 95 percent E) 100 percent
ANSWER: C
Russia forcibly annexed which peninsular part of Ukraine in 2014? A) Kamchatka B) Kaliningrad C) Crimea D) Chechnya E) Siberia
ANSWER: C
Russia possesses what percent of the world's known natural gas reserves? A) 5% B) 12% C) 26% D) 35% E) 55%
ANSWER: C
