GEO-111 Chapter 3 (Russia and Neighboring Countries)

Energy Resources

-Russia has abundant sources of natural gas, coal, and oil. Russia also produces energy with nuclear power and hydroelectric power.

Nonrenewable Resource

-Russia has fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. There is oil on the bottom of the Caspian Sea. The natural gas in Russia is in Siberia on the Arctic coast. -Russia consumes less oil than it extracts so it is able to export crude oil on the world market. -Russia has many minerals such as aluminum, copper, lead, iron, zinc, gold, and silver.

Is Russia still a world power?

- Lost territories of Near Abroad - Independence movements: Chechnya - Diminished international influence - Closer ties with China - Vladimir Putin's influence •Role in Kyoto Protocol •Member of G8 •Power of oil

Natural Resources: Oil & Natural Gas

- Mineral resources •Iron, Gold, Diamonds - Fuels •Coal, Oil, Gas, Uranium - Use of fuels as political weapons •The Orange Revolution: Ukraine

The Russian Federation

- New internal political divisions •Administrative units •Autonomous units - Regional differences •Heartland •Hinterland - Siberia - Industrial areas

Environmental Problems

- Oil pipeline breaks - Industrial pollution: Norilsk - Nuclear contamination: Chernobyl - Shrinking Aral Sea - Pollution of Caspian and Black Seas

Subregion: The Slavic Countries

- Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova - The Russian Federation •Largest country in land area •Twice as big as Canada, the U.S., or China •77% of CIS area; 50% of CIS population •Considered both European and Asian

Russia Vegetation and Soils

-Deserts: South -Steppe Grasslands •Black Earth soils •Major arable region -Deciduous Forests •Brown Earth soils -Coniferous Forest •Taiga or Boreal forest •World's largest forest •Carbon absorption •Podzol soils -Tundra •Permafrost

Russian Ethnic Groups

-Eastern Slavs •Rus culture •Eastern Orthodox •Cyrillic alphabet -Southern Caucasus •Very diverse •Christian and Islamic •Latin alphabet -Central Asians •Nomadic, traditional •Islam dominant

Russian Economic System

-From 1917 to 1990 Russia was communist and it had a command economy. In a command economy the government controls all means of production. People cannot own land or businesses. -Before 1917, Russia was ruled by a Tsar. He was an emperor and had absolute power. -After 1917, Russia was ruled by the Soviets. The Soviet Union refers to Russia, the countries of Central Asia, and some countries in Eastern Europe.

Chernobyl

-In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant located in the Ukraine exploded. The explosion released massive amounts of radiation and the entire city of over 300,000 people had to be evacuated.

Bodies of Water

-Russia has many long rivers such as the Volga, Ob, and Amur. -The Amur River forms part of the border between Russia and China. -Some rivers flow northward to the Arctic Ocean. -Lake Baikal is located in Siberia and it is the deepest freshwater lake in the world. -The Caspian Sea is divided between Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan. It is the world's largest body of enclosed water. Large reserves of oil have been found on the bottom of the lake. -The Aral Sea is located in Central Asia between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Since the 1960s it has been shrinking due to over irrigation. It is now 20% of its original size. The Soviets used the diverted water to irrigate cotton fields.

Renewable Resources

-Russia has timber in Siberia. Most of Siberia is covered in Taiga. -Russia has a lot of arable land, but most of it is in Western Russia. -Russia has fish in the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and Pacific Ocean.

The Land

-Russia is a large country that is located in Europe and Asia. Russia is so long that it spans 11 time zones. -The dividing line between Europe and Asia is the Ural Mountains. -The part of Russia located in Asia is called Siberia. This area is isolated, sparsely populated, and extremely cold in the winter time. -The Northern European Plain extends into Western Russia. This area has a type of fertile soil called chernozem. Chernozem means black earth and the soil is dark in color. -The Kamchatka Peninsula in Eastern Siberia is located on the Ring of Fire. This area has a high concentration of volcanoes, however, due to the low population density it doesn't present a serious problem to people at the moment.

Climate and Vegetation

-Russia is in the middle and high latitudes but it is not warmed by ocean currents and wind currents like Europe so it is much colder. Western Russia has a humid continental climate zone but most of Siberia has a subarctic climate zone. The northern part of Russia is tundra. -Tundra has short grasses, lichens, mosses, small shrubs, and flowers in the summertime but underneath the tundra there is permafrost (permanently frozen subsoil). -The subarctic region of Siberia has a large coniferous forest called Taiga. -Central Asia is covered in temperate grassland called steppe.

Russian Population Patterns

-Russian Federation •Concentrations in the West •High densities along Trans-Siberian Railway •Sparse populations in North and East -Caucasus Mountains •Most live in plains -Central Asia •Most lie in irrigated lowlands

Russian Population

-Slavic countries and Southern Caucasus •Declining populations •Low fertility rates •Death rates exceed birth rates in some areas •Russia age-sex diagram -Central Asia •Significant growth •Low death rates

Oil Pipelines

-The Russian economy has been expanding because of increased investment in the oil industry. After the fall of communism many foreign companies invested in the Russian oil industry.

New Regional World Order

-The Soviet Union was the only country in this region until 1991 -Today, Russia is dominant •3 Baltic states linked with Europe •12 other states form CIS -World's largest region in land area -World's least populated region

The Mountains

-The Urals are the longest mountain range in Russia. -The Caucasus Mountains run from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea and they generally divide Russia from Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The shrinking of the Aral Sea has caused:

-The collapse of the local fishing industry -Increase in pollution due to fertilizer runoff, pesticides, and industrial waste -Increase in respiratory illnesses in the region

Russian Economic Challenges

-The transition from a command to free market economy has been difficult but recently the economy of Russia has shown steady growth and standards of living are increasing. -There is widespread pollution in Russia. A few examples are: •Oil spills from poorly maintained pipelines. •Radioactive waste from nuclear power plants and nuclear submarines. •Air pollution from factories with poor air quality standards. -The resources in Siberia are difficult to develop due to climate, limited transportation links, and vastness of the country.

Russia Human Geography

-Three major influences: •Christianity: from the Southwest •Islam: from the South •Mongol culture: from the East -Ethnicity: over 100 different groups

Capital Resources

-Western Russia has a well developed infrastructure to include a system of railroads, roads, and canals. -Siberia has a poor infrastructure. The Trans-Siberian railroad runs through Siberia but there are not many roads or railroads.

Today's Russian Economic Geographies

1. Economic problems since fall of USSR: - Outdated industries - Former Soviet republics desire more independence from Russian Federation 2. Low GDP PPP 3. Significant poverty 4. Agriculture - Difficult farming conditions due to climate - Most productive areas: •Western Russia •Ukraine •Moldova - Virgin Lands Campaign - Collective farming problems - Agricultural reforms 1980s

Russia Physical Geography

1. Plains and low plateaus - North European Plain - West Siberian Plain - Central Siberian Plateau - Facilitated invasions and expansion 2. Rivers - Don - Volga - Amy Darya, Syr Darya - Ob, Yenisey, and Lena •Longest Rivers •Flow north to Arctic Ocean •Remain frozen for much of the year 3. Mountains- A Southern Wall - Caucasus - Central Asia •Tian Shan •Pamir - Eastern Siberian Uplands - Volcanic peaks: Kamchatka Peninsula

Changing Russian Economies

1. Russian empire was largely agricultural 2. The Soviet planned economy - Five-Year Plans •Goals: Collectivization and industrialization •Command economy •Central planning - Problems •Unable to adapt to change quickly •Inefficient use of resources and people •Urban congestion •Environmental problems 3. Perestroika - Economic restructuring - local control, free market practices

Russian Evolving Politics

1. The Russian Empire -Czars: the Romanov dynasty -Territorial expansion -Internal problems •Nationalism •Russification 2. The Soviet Union -1917 Czar Nicholas II deposed -Civil War: "Whites" vs. "Reds" -1922 USSR established •Vladimir I. Lenin: new leader •Religion was denounced •Stalin's purges 3. World War II -Nonaggression pact with Hitler 1939 -Operation Barbarossa 1941 -Battle of Stalingrad 1943 Victory over Germany - resulted in: •Annexation of Baltic countries •Established communism in East Central Europe •Additional purges by Stalin 4. Political reform after WWII- Glasnost

Agriculture

Cotton is grown in Central Asia around the Aral Sea. The Aral Sea has been shrinking because of over irrigation of the rivers that flow into it.

Warsaw Pact

The Warsaw Pact was a group of countries led by the Soviet Union that were communist. In order to combat the Warsaw Pact the United States created NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

Russian Natural Resources

Russia and Central Asia have many different types of natural resources, both renewable and nonrenewable.

Five Countries in Central Asia:

-Kazakhstan -Uzbekistan -Turkmenistan -Tajikistan -Krygyzstan

Russian Urban Patterns

-Most urbanized: Russia, Belarus Ukraine -Least urbanized: Moldova, Central Asia -Stalin's Five-Year Plans •Intensive industrialization and centralization •Remote areas were developed •Standardization of cities -Growth of suburbs since 1991 -Global city-region: Moscow

Trans-Siberian Railroad

-Novosibirsk became an important city after the Trans-Siberian Railroad was completed. (Remember site and situation!) -Site = The physical location of a city -Situation = The geographic, political, or economic factors around a city that make it important

Comparison of arable land: China

142,615

Comparison of arable land: India

160,519

Comparison of arable land: United States

173,450

Subregion: Central Asia

- Also called Turkestan - Uzbekistan dominant - Landlocked - Arid: water issues - Fertile river valleys •Early civilizations - Important trade routes: The Silk Road - Islamic - Oil, Natural Gas, Cotton

Subregion: The Southern Caucasus

- Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan - Mostly mountainous - Warmer climate - More diverse crops - Tourism: Black Sea - Oil: Azerbaijan - Ethnic conflict •Armenian genocide •Nagorno-Karabakh

Human Rights

- Gulags - Police Practices - Prison and court reforms needed - War in Chechnya - Political oppression in Central Asia

Russia Climates

- Influenced by high latitudes - Continentality •Far from moderating marine influences •Extremely cold winters and hot summers •Greatest temperature differences in eastern Siberia - Colder climate, longer winters as you go North - Precipitation •Decreases with distance inland •Moderate amounts except in ard southern Central Asia and eastern Siberia

Comparison of arable land: Russia

122,559

Russian 3 Subregions

1. Slavic Countries 2. Southern Caucasus 3. Central Asia