World Geography: 5.1, 5.2, & 5.3
Approximately how many major ethnic groups comprise Russia & the Near Abroad? How many languages?
30 major ethnic groups; more than 100 languages spoken
What are the four religions that Russia recognizes today?
Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism
taiga
a northern coniferous trees forest; largest continuous area of forest on earth
stans
central Asia occupied by the five countries with large Muslim populations immediately east & north of the caspian sea; (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan); non-Russian, but Russian influenced
Russian cross
chart that represents increasing death rates & falling birth rates; this population loss is the highest in the world
What are the five main climate belts of Russia the Near Abroad?
1.) tundra 2.) subarctic 3.) humid continental 4.) steppe 5.) desert
How many time zones are there in Russia?
11
Russian Revolution
1917-set the stage for the formation of the Soviet Union; protest against sacrifice of Russian forces during WWI; overthrew Nicholas II, last of the Romanov tsars
Bolshevik Revolution
1917; led by Vladamir IIyich Lenin (1870-1924); Bolshevik faction of Communist Party seized control; establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922
humus
decomposed organic soil material; grasslands characteristically provide more of this than forests do
Why has Russia's economic health plummeted since the breakup of the Soviet Union?
economic downturn & rising unemployment; decline in health & other services; increasing crime rates; a growing sense of despair at the individual level
land empire
establishing colonies within the continent instead of overseas
Tartars (tatars)
group of people from central Asia; under leadership of Genghis Khan; conquered Asia & Eastern Europe in the 13th century
Cossacks
peasant soldiers in the steppes originally consisting of runaway serfs & others fleeing from tsardom
Mongols
people from Mongolia; combined with Tartars to conquer Asia & Eastern Europe
serfs
people who weren't slaves, but weren't free
permafrost
permanently frozen subsoil (ground)
Russification
the effort (particularly under the Soviets) to implant Russian culture in non-Russian regions of the former Soviet Union & its Eastern European neighbors
scorched earth strategy
the wartime practice of destroying one's own assets to prevent them from falling into enemies' hands (Napoleon)
Rus
viking adventurers from Scandinavia; conquered areas between Baltic & Black Seas; intermixed with Slavic people & provided a foundation for Russian, Ukranian, & Belarusian cultures
Third Rome
what Moscow came to be known as for its importance in Christian affairs
Golden Horde
what Russians called the Kazan Tatars because of their brightly colored tents