Unit 8- Northern Eurasia

Consequences of Aral Sea

80% volume lost, destruction of fisheries which has caused a loss of 60,000 jobs. Many respiratory health problems associated to the toxic dust that is blown around in the region

Exclave

A portion of a country geographically separated from the main part by surrounding alien territory

Tundra

Along Arctic coastline

Chechen separatism

Although part of Russia, the region of Chechnya follows Islam and is not ethically Russian. Chechnya has good reason to dislike Russia as historically, Russia has been cruel to the Chechens and has lied to them several times about possible autonomy

Nagorno-Karabakh

An area of Azerbaijan that is populated by ethnic Armenians. There is conflict over which country, Azerbaijan or Armenia, should control Nagorno-Karabakh

Silk Road

Ancient trade route connecting Europe to East Asia that ran through the Central Asian States

Socialist realism

Art style championed by the USSR

Communism as a political system

As a political system communism is categorized by one party rule, the Communist party. There are elections but the outcome of those elections is predetermined. Communist governments control,the economy as well as many aspects of daily life. While Communist countries have many issues, communist governments peroxide housing, health care, education, and often jobs for their citizens.

Joseph Stalin

Brutal leader of the USSR responsible for many deaths of citizens in the USSR as well as the expansion of communism after WWII

Caused Aral Sea to lose water

Caused by poorly planned irrigation efforts by the Soviet Union. They wanted to transform the arid area into wheat and cotton fields so they diverted some of the inflow waters to irrigation

Democratization

Changes in the Soviet political system to allow legitimate elections, multiple political parties, and open political discourse

Forest/taiga

Coniferous forest located in much of Siberia

Trans-Siberian Railroad

Connects Moscow to the Pacific port city of Vladivostok

Vladimir Putin

Current President of Russia

Lake Baikal

Deepest lake on the planet

Chernozem

Fertile, black dirt

Boris Yeltsin

Fist freely elected President of Russia

Distance decay

Government commands given to the regions located far away are often not followed such as occurred in the expansive USSR

Factor affecting climate

High latitude; prevailing winds from the Polar Easterlies; continentiality; cold Arctic Ocean currents

Mixed

In reality, all economies that are __________ contain aspects of command and free market principles

Caspian Sea

Largest inland sea on the planet. Disputed whether it is a lake or a sea because of the petroleum resources found there.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Last premier of USSR, instigator of sweeping reforms leading to the collapse of the USSR

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Communist Revolution of 1917 and first leader of the USSR

Long-term effects of Chernobyl

Legacy of health issues such as cancer; a very high rate of birth defects for children born in the area

Desert

Located in Central Asian States

Kamchatka Peninsula

Located to the Far East of Eurasia. Area close to the "Ring of Fire," that experiences volcanic and seismic activity

North European Plain

Located west of the Urals. Runs all the way to France. Throughout history it has been a "super highway" for invading armies and people moving.

Near Kiev, Ukraine

Location of Chernobyl

Aral Sea

Losing its water. It has lost at least 80% of its original volume

Effect of Soviet on culture and religion

Marx saw religion as an opiate of the masses, meaning it was not a good thing for communists to be involved in

European densities

Most of the population of this region live on the continent of Europe

Factors affecting population distribution in N. Eurasia

Most of the population of this region live on the continent of Europe as the climate there is more hospitable. As in most parts of the world, larger population centers are focused on manufacturing and trade and can be found along rivers and coasts

Siberian River Basins

Most rivers in the basin drain to the North into the Barrents Sea (Arctic Ocean)

Ural Mountains

Natural boundary between European Russia and Asiatic Russia

Golden Arches Theory

No countries that have McDonalds within their borders have ever gone to war.

Cultural contributions of N. Eurasia

Northern Eurasia has contributed to the arts significantly. Composers such as Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are well known as is the famous Bolshoi ballet former of home of Basishnikov. Famous authors include Pushkin and Dostoyevsky

Chernobyl

Nuclear disaster in which great amounts of radiation were released

Economic

Outdated nuclear reactors often remain running as underfunded economies lack the resources to update or rebuild them; Russia is paid by other countries to dump nuclear waste within its borders

Window to the West

Peter the Great recognized the need for Russia to modernize and looked to Europe for guidance and inspiration. He moved the capital to the Baltic Sea port of St. Petersburg to facilitate interaction with Europe

Karl Marx

Philosopher that recorded the basic principles of communism

General Pattern of Landforms

Plains in the West. Mountains and highlands to the Far East. High mountains and lakes in the south

European Russia

Portion of Russia that is west of the Ural Mountains

Free market

Private individuals make economic decisions

Original "Great Game"

Refers to the battle over Central Asia between UK and Russia in the 1800s. Russia looked to expand while the UK feared losing possessions in India

"New Great Game"

Refers to the modern times as countries around the world attempt to gain control of oil resources in Central Asia

Transcaucasus

Region around the Caucasus mountains relatively located to southern Eurasia

Siberia

Region located east of the aural mountains. Very low population density. People live close to the Trans-Siberian railroad and also close to rivers and lakes

Central Asia

Region of south Central Eurasia. Made up primarily of the countries ending in "stan." Abundance of oil in Islam

Glasnot

Relaxed censorship and allowed greater freedom of expression in the USSR; Glasnot means "openness"

Russian/Bolshevik/Communist Revolution in 1917

Revolution in which the monarch of Russia (Czar) was toppled and the Communist Party took control

Reasons for Russia's current demographic situation

Russia has a declining population for several reasons such as lack of economic confidence in the future, chronic health issues, and the loss of a large number of males that fought in WWII

Russian Orthodox Church

Russian Orthodox Churches are very distinct architecturally with their onion domes. During worship, the congregation stands the entire time

Why Russia fights in Chechnya

Russians see the Caucasus mountains as the natural, historic border for Russia in the South

Environmental

Safe disposal of nuclear waste has long been an issue in the region

Perestroika

Series of economic reforms attempting to move the USSR from a command economy to a Capitalist economy

Siberia's Rivers

Siberia's rivers flow north due to the location of highlands and mountains in the southern part of Northern Eurasia

Centrifugal forces

Size/ distance; ethnic/cultural/religious differences; economic collapse

General Winter

Sooner or later, invading armies in the region must struggle against the brutal Russian winter as well as the Russian troops

Volga River

Source is SE of St. Petersburg. The longest river in Europe/Eurasia. Empties into the Caspian Sea. 60% of all river traffic is on the Volga

Immediate effects of Chernobyl

Spread large cloud of radiation; deaths of first responders and employees; many people relocated

Baltic States

States that are located along the Baltic Sea... Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Effect on building construction in Siberia

Structures in Siberia must be built on stilts or the structure will melt the permafrost causing the structure to sink in and/ or collapse

Steppe

Sweeping temperate grasslands located mainly in Russia

Cold War

Tense period in USA/USSR relations over the containment and expansion of communism around the world

Political

Tensions between Russia and other countries of the security after the USSR collapsed over the location of nuclear missiles and their security

Choropleth mapping and conclusions

The Baltic states are the most developed region of Northern Eurasia due to their proximity to Europe, and indeed, membership in the EU. The Central Asian States and Transcaucasia are the least developed regions

Islam in N. Eurasia

The Central Asian States have strong tides to SW Asia and the main religion of that region, Islam. Islam is the main religion of Central Asian states and is also common in the Russian regions of Chechnya and Dagestan

Soviet Boundary Making

The Soviet created republics that contained large populations of several ethnic groups in an attempt to ensure that ethnic groups would focus on distrust amongst themselves rather than the Soviet government

Collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991

The USSR broke apart in 1991

USSR

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, country created after the Communist Revolution

Importance of Kaliningrad

The exclave of Russia offers Russia a warm water port

Command/ Communism

The government makes all economic decisions

Centripetal and Centrifugal forces in The Caucasus

The major centripetal forces are language (Dagestan not Chechnya) and economic relations; centrifugal forces center on ethnic and religious differences

Communist urban landscape

There are many gigantic in former Soviet countries. The government of those countries provided housing to citizens. Apartments are the most efficient way to build and house larger populations

McDonald's in Russia

Was one of the first Western companies to come to the USSR/ Russia. It brought with it principles of a free market economy and these principles helped the ideas behind Perestroika

General Pattern of Climates

West= humid continental; north= tundra; east= subartic; south= semi-arid and desert