World Geography Chapter 14

Taiga

enormous belt of coniferous forest

North European Plain: European Russia

75% of Russia's population lives here. Has a mild climate. Has a majority of Russia's industry and agriculture. Good farmland. The Caucasus Mountains form a border with Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Siberia

Eastern Russia/ Asian Russia

Twice the size of the US

How big is Russia

9

How many time zones are in Russia

Aral Sea

It began to shrink in the 1960s. The Soviet Union was to blame. The water was diverted for irrigation. It was the fourth largest lake at height. The Syr Darya and the Amu Darya rivers feed into it. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan split this. The farmers grew cotton. The rivers began in the mountains. The rivers got the water from melted snow. Cancer and Tuberculoses were health problems caused. The climate is dry/ arid.

Trans-Siberian Rail Road

It is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian far east and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world. It takes one week to go the entire way to the end of the line. The end of the line is Vladivostok.

Siberia

Located East of the Ural Mountains. One of the world's coldest climates. The northern part has tundra and permafrost that covers 40% of Russia; taiga in the south. Fishing, hunting seals and walruses, herding reindeer. Few people. The southern part has plains, plateaus, and mountains. It is home to the Siberian Tiger (endangered), bear, reindeer, lynx, wolf, elk, etc.

Kamchatka Peninsula

Mountainous. Has over 120 volcanoes (20 active). It is a part of the Ring of Fire. It is a zone of active volcanoes that form the western, northern, and eastern edges.

Subarctic Climate

Short cool summers and long snowy winters. This causes most ports to be closed parts of the year due to ice. In eastern Russia.

Volga River

The longest river in Europe and a vital transportation route

Caspian Sea

The size of California and the largest inland saltwater body in the world

Humid Continental Climate

The summers are warm and rainy, winters are cold and snowy. In western Russia.

Georgia and Azerbaijan

The two countries that make up the southernmost border of Russia

Lake Baikal

The world's oldest and deepest lake at 30 million years old with an average depth of 2,440 feet. It is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world, containing roughly 20% of the world's surface fresh water that is unfrozen. In Siberia.

Ural Mountains

These mountains separate Europe and Asia. West of these mountains lies the North European Plain. In central/ western Russia

European Russia

Western Russia

Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, and Aral Sea

What bodies of water border Russia

Moscow

What is the capital of Russia

The Caucus Mountains

What makes up Russia's southernmost border

75%

What percentage of Russians live in the North European Plain

North European Plain (European Russia)

Where do most Russians live

North of Russia

Where is the Arctic Ocean located

Fertile soil

Why do most Russians live in the North European Plain

Steppe

grasslands in the mid-latitude climate zone

Permafrost

permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground

Chernozem

rich black soil

Subarctic

the region immediately south of the Arctic Circle

Tundra

vast, treeless plain

Humid Continental

warm to hot summers and cold winters

Warm-water port

year-round access by ships