9th Grade World Geography: Russia
Great Russian Plain
(a.k.a. the East European Plain) west of the urals
Russians are a mixture of what two kinds of people?
*Slavs* and *Vikings*
What are two other names for the Mongols?
*Tartars* and *Golden Horde*
Steppe
-dry -10 to 20 inches of precipitation per year -grasslands and shrubs
Humid Continental
-four seasons -20 to 50 inches of rain per year -mixed deciduous and coniferous forests -agricultural land with the greatest population density
List some current problems in Russia.
-high crime rate, "Russian Mafia" -ground water poisoning/pollution -alcoholism is high, vodka -health issues/along with population decline -social cohesion -low job opportunities
Tundra Climate
-short summers (ten to twelve weeks) -long winters -little precipitation due to the cold -extreme temperature range from -30° to 45° -mosses, lichens, grasses, and algae
Subarctic/Tagia
-two seasons -long winters -short summers -widest temperature range (-30° to 85°) -little precipitation (10 to 20 inches per year) -coniferous forests
What are the dates through which Russia was under the rule of the Mongols?
1236-1462
For how long did the Romanov Dynasty last?
1613-1917
For how long was Russia under communist rule?
1917-1992
How many Czars did Russia have?
24
What is the religious make-up of Russia's population?
45% Eastern Orthodox 46% nonreligious 8% Islamic
What percent of Russians live in Urban areas?
74%
Define a czar.
A ruler that has absolute power; autocrat.
Who was Vladimir Putin and what did he do?
As Boris Yeltsin's successor, Putin is the current president of Russia and is continuing to centralize Russia's government.
What is the Soviet Union?
Created by Vladimir Lenin in 1917, a.k.a. the U.S.S.R. - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics -, the Soviet Union gave limited power to several "republics".
What faith did Russia convert to after the rule of Vladimir I?
Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Siberia
First 1000 miles East of the Ural Mountains, then Eastern Siberia
What made Peter so great?
From 1696 to 1725, he modernized/westernized Russia and made Russia a powerful nation.
What did Lenin do?
He implemented a communist society and began the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.).
Why was Ivan III called Ivan the Great?
He led Russia's revolt against the Mongols rule and won independence.
How did Czar Nicholas II die?
He was overthrown and killed by communists.
What was the Russian Revolution and when did it take place?
In 1917, Russian people rebelled against autocratic rulers, claiming that they had too much power, and took down the czarist monarchy. This was when the rise of communism took place in Russia and the U.S.S.R. began.
Describe the natural population growth rate.
In Russia, the birth rate is lowering and the death rate is rising. This is resulting in a population decline.
What was so significant about St. Petersburg?
It established the port to the Baltic Sea and served as Russia's capital for a period of time. It was also called the City of Bones due to the thousands of people who lost their lives trying to establish the city.
Why is Kiev historically important to Russia?
It was in this city that the Eastern Orthodox faith was first brought to Russians.
Who was the first czar of Russia?
Ivan III
Who was the supreme dictator of the Soviet Union who is known for his brutality?
Joseph Stalin (1924-1953)
What was the name of the city that Russia started its tiny kingdom around, but later expanded over hundreds of years?
Kiev
Who instituted reforms that led to the fall of communism in Eastern European Russia?
Michael Gorbachev (1985-1991)
Capital of Russia
Moscow
Describe the population distribution in Russia.
Most of Russia's population is centralized on the European side of the Urals.
Who was the last Czar of Russia?
Nicholas II (1894-1917)
Who was the greatest Czar of the Romanov Dynasty?
Peter the Great
Why was Vladimir I important to Russia?
Ruling from 958 to 1015, he converted to the Eastern Orthodox faith, with the help of some missionaries, and made all of his subjects convert. *He made Russia a Christian nation.*
List the patterns of Russia's expansion.
Russia is constantly trying to expand: -West: towards the Baltic Sea during the rule of Peter the Great -South: toward the Black Sea -East: across Siberia to the Pacific Ocean mostly during the rule of Catherina the Great *Most of Russia's expansion was to gain access to warm water ports.*
What is the ethnic make-up of Russia's population?
Russia is ethnically diverse/multicultural and ethical. Only 80% are ethnically Russian.
Describe the population density of Russia.
Russia is the 6th most populous country in the world with a low population destiy of only 8.4 people per square mile.
Describe the relationship between Russia and the Mongols.
Russia was a *tributary state* to the Mongols, in that, they had to make payments to the Mongols as an act of submission.
Why did Peter fight for 20 years against Sweden?
So that Russia could gain territory on the Baltic Sea, allowing her to trade with other nations.
When was the fall of communism?
Starting in 1991 and finishing out in 1992, Gorbachev instituted reforms like perestroika and glasnost that brought more free market policies to open up the Soviet Union to the West. Then, with Boris Yeltsin, the CIS - Commonwealth of Independent States - was formed and economic ties throughout Russia were replenished.
What is *miscegenation*?
The mixing of races.
What drives Russia's desire to expand?
Their desire to acquire warm water ports.
Who was the first communist ruler in Russia?
Vladimir Lenin (1917-1924)
Ural Mountains
border between Europe and Asia
Pacific Ocean
east of Russia
Asiatic Russia
east of the urals
When did the *Slavs* settle Early Russia?
in the *600's*
When did the *Vikings* invade Russia?
in the *9th* Century
Russia
largest country (6,200 miles across)
Arctic Ocean
north of Russia
Black Sea
south of Russia
Caspian Sea
south of Russia
What was the longest dynasty in European history?
the Romanov Dynasty
Volga River
the most important river that runs north and south in western Russia
Baltic Sea
west of Russia
European Russia
west of the urals
