Geo 100 Chapter 5 quiz

The temporary decrease in Russian agricultural production in the 1990s was the result of:

the collapse of subsidies and trade arrangements from the Soviet era.

The housing shortage in Moscow was reduced with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

False

The informal economy that flourishes in Russia today was born with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

False

The so-called color revolutions have led to lasting and deep changes in the post-Soviet states in which they took place.

False

The transition to a free market economy has been disastrous for the Central Asian republics.

False

The vast central region of Russia is known as European Russia.

False

Today in Belarus and Moldova, free and democratic elections and open political dissent are the norm.

False

Today, the Georgian government controls Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

False

Ukraine has fully remediated the pollution that resulted from the 1986 Chernobyl incident.

False

Vladimir Putin began an era of renewed freedom of the press in the Russian Federation.

False

The _____ is an international organization of large, affluent countries that meets regularly to discuss world economic issues.

G8

Before 1991, which country or region supplied the former Soviet Union with most of its grapes, tea, and wine?

Georgia

Given its location, the Russian Far East is well situated to develop economic relationships with:

the Pacific Rim.

Between the North European Plain and the Central Siberian Plateau is:

West Siberian Plain.

Cotton production now makes up _____ percent of Uzbekistan's exports.

10

Which statement is NOT true of vegetation cover in Russia and the post-Soviet states?

Abundant moisture results in little need for irrigation for agriculture.

Which republic is NOT one of Russia's internal republics?

Azerbaijan

At the northern end of the Volga River is the _____; at the southern end of the Volga River is the _____.

Baltic Sea; Caspian Sea

Which body of water does NOT border the Russian Far East?

Barents Sea

Which ethnic group was targeted by Stalin as traitors to Russia—a persecution that lasted into the twenty-first century?

Chechens

Which two internal republics demanded outright independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991?

Chechnya and Tartarstan

Which statement is the BEST description of modern-day Russia?

Corruption and organized crime in Russia are rampant.

Which statement is NOT true of Russia's conflict with Ukraine?

Crimea voted to secede from Russia.

The conversion from command economies to capitalist economies in the states of the former Soviet Union has been mostly smooth and uneventful.

False

The flourishing informal economy in post-Soviet Russia is now the largest tax revenue source for the Russian government.

False

In terms of population and industrial and agricultural output, which region is considered the heart of Russia?

European Russia

The part of Russia west of the Urals is sometimes called:

European Russia.

An area in which only lichen and moss can grow is referred to as steppe.

False

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have considered joining together because of their common ethnic heritage.

False

Around two out of every three Russians live in the Far East region.

False

Because the region is so vast, only 25 percent of the population is concentrated in cities in the Russian Far East.

False

Central Asian governments fear Islamic fundamentalism, and thus even moderate Muslims face persecution.

False

Due to Russia's physical geography, the country has found it relatively easy to build a sophisticated system of roads and highways.

False

Due to the lack of economic benefits, the practice of irrigated agriculture has been curtailed in Central Asia.

False

EU member states depend on Russian natural gas to supply more than half of their consumption.

False

Gender bias in hiring procedures has been mostly eliminated in today's Russia.

False

In accordance with Communist beliefs, Soviet planners perceived an inherent value in the natural environment and sought to minimize the exploitation of its resources.

False

In general, governments support the informal economy because it provides people with jobs.

False

Most ethnic Russians have an ancestral connection to the religion of Islam.

False

Russia became more democratic during the presidency of Vladimir Putin.

False

Russia has not signed the Kyoto Protocol or Copenhagen Accord.

False

Russia's landscape and climate make it particularly suitable for agriculture.

False

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the region has found environmental regulation easier to accomplish.

False

The Amur River serves as the primary transport route between the north and south of European Russia.

False

The Mongols founded Kiev and Moscow.

False

The Russian Empire and, subsequently, the Soviet Union achieved and maintained their expansion into Siberia without having to relocate large numbers of European Russians to the annexed lands.

False

The Soviet command economy was notably more efficient at allocating resources than the market economy.

False

The Urals are an intimidating and almost impassable mountain range.

False

Which statement is NOT true of Kazakhstan and nuclear materials?

It is exporting radioactive wastes to commercial repositories in Japan.

What prediction is made by some geographers about the Russian Far East?

It may eventually break away from Russia and gain independence.

Which statement is NOT a reason for the EU's interest in Ukraine and Moldova?

Moldova and Ukraine are seeking to cut all ties to Russia and need the support of a strong economic entity like the European Union.

Which country is NOT one of the post-Soviet states?

Montenegro

A Russian city with particularly strong mineral wealth is:

Norilsk

Which statement is TRUE in the ongoing confrontation between Russia and Ukraine?

Russia annexed Crimea in part to give Russia better access to the Black Sea.

Which statement is NOT true of the conflict in Georgia?

Russia has never supported the ethnic Ossetian and Abkhazian populations' agitation for secession from Georgia.

Which statement is NOT true of the BRIC nations?

Russia's economy is the most diverse in the group.

Which statement is NOT true of Russia's greenhouse gas emissions?

Russia's lack of forest cover causes an increase in CO2, as there are few trees to absorb CO2.

How has the decline of employment in Russia affected women differently than men?

Seventy percent of the unemployed are women, despite often being a head of household.

The European Russian city located on the Baltic Sea, once the Russian capital and today a center of Russian culture, is:

St. Petersburg.

Which statement is NOT true of leadership related to the USSR during World War II and Cold War periods?

Stalin was determined to utterly dominate western Europe.

Which situation is NOT one facing the women of Russia and the post-Soviet states today?

They remain at an educational disadvantage to men, and very few women hold professional positions.

Which statement about the five newly independent states in Central Asia is INCORRECT?

The focus on oil and gas has rocketed these states into the top 20 most wealthy countries in the world.

The feminist punk band Pussy Riot did which political act?

They staged an unauthorized performance protesting Vladimir Putin's policies.

The source of most precipitation in Russia and the post-Soviet states is storms blown in from the Atlantic Ocean.

True

Why is the European Union providing aid to Moldova and Ukraine?

There is concern over illegal immigration through these countries into the EU.

Both Moldova and Ukraine are tending toward stronger ties with the European Union.

True

Central Asia is naturally prone to drought and water scarcity.

True

During World War II, Russia did more than any other country to defeat Germany and Adolf Hitler.

True

Following more freedom of the press after the breakup of the Soviet Union, recent years have seen a return to state control of the media.

True

For many years, the Soviets repressed Islam in Central Asia, fearing it would cause rebellion against the dominance of Russia.

True

Most people in European Russia live in cities.

True

Nuclear waste in the region has raised concerns from environmental and human rights NGOs.

True

On average, the female labor force in Russia is better educated today than the male labor force.

True

Russia has the world's largest natural gas reserves.

True

Russia is home to the largest metal smelting complex in the world.

True

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, life expectancies for men in Russia have declined.

True

The Russian Empire's expansion in the seventeenth century resembled the colonization of Asia and the Americas by European colonial powers.

True

The Russian government's annexation of Crimea is not internationally recognized.

True

The color revolutions were sometimes funded by U.S. NGOs and governments to hasten democracy in the post-Soviet states.

True

The considerable shrinkage of the Aral Sea has impacted air quality and human health in neighboring cities.

True

Though Russia remains closely associated with the post-Soviet states, each of these states is politically independent.

True

Today, the most populated part of Russia is the part of the country with the most favorable climate.

True

Ukraine and Moldova enjoy a warmer climate than Russia and Belarus.

True

Which Russian mountain range is CLOSEST to Russia's western border?

Urals

The Ukrainian president who backed away from commitments to the EU was:

Viktor Yanukovych.

The current president of Russia is:

Vladimir Putin.

The relatively peaceful transitions to somewhat greater political freedoms that have taken place in some of the post-Soviet states, such as Georgia and Ukraine, are known as the:

color revolutions.

With the fall of the Soviet Union and the closing of many Communist-era industries, the region has now become economically dependent on:

energy resources.

Which description characterizes the physical geography of Belarus?

flat, glaciated plains

Which feature is NOT characteristic of Siberian Russia?

high-quality agricultural land

For Stalin, the key to achieving rapid economic growth was:

increased industrial production.

Which feature dominates the Caucasian physical landscape?

mountains

Most of the region's rivers run:

north to south.

President Vladimir Putin is NOT known for:

promoting a free press and media.

Which resource is NOT one that Russia has in abundance?

silver and gold

What type of economy was instituted in the USSR under the rule of Stalin?

socialist economy

Which two plates meet close to the eastern border of Russia?

the Eurasian Plate and the Pacific Plate

In general, into which category of income and human well-being do most of the countries of Russia and the post-Soviet states fall?

the middle range

Which characteristic is NOT true of life in the cities of Russia today?

the rise of new, modern apartment complexes

Civilization flourished in Central Asia until what change took place in 1500?

the shift from trade along the Silk Road to trade along sea lanes