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
