1. Russia and the Republics

3. Russia is 1.8 times the size of the US

4. Why are there so many time zones in Russia?

5. Northern Landforms Intro North European Plain 1/6 of world landmass
Lowland
From west to Ural Mtns
Chernozem – fertile soil of plain
Lots of agriculture here
Ukraine – breadbasket of Russia
75% of population
Moscow (Russian cap), St Petersburg, Kiev (Ukraine)

6. What does it mean to be the “breadbasket”?
What geographic attributes make Ukraine good for growing wheat?

8. What part of Russia is the most populated? Why do you think that is?

9. West Siberian Plain E of Ural mountains to Yenisey River
Arctic Ocean to foothills of Altay Mtns
Slopes downhill to North
Rivers drain to Arctic Ocean
What kinds of temperatures does this area experience? Why?

10. Central Siberian Plateau and Russian Far East
Uplands and mountains dominant
High plateaus ft
Far East
East of Lena River
Volcanic ranges
Kamchatka peninsula
120 volcanoes
20 active

11. Why are there so many volcanoes on the Kamchatka peninsula?

15. Sakhalin, Kuril Islands
Seized from Japan after WWII
Japan still claims

16. Southern landforms Caucasus and Other Mtns Caucasus
btw Black and Caspian Seas
form border btw Russia and Transcaucasia
Trans= Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia

18. Why is it called Trans Caucasia?

19. Further east
Tian Shan and other mountains
Southeastern border of Central Asia
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Block moisture from south
Create arid climate in central Asia

20. Why is this area so dry?

21. Turan Plain Lowlands East of Caspian Sea 2 rivers Syr Darya Amu Darya
Very dry area – 2 deserts
Kara Kum
Kyzyl Kum

23. Why is this area so dry?

24. Rivers and Lakes Drainage Basins and Rivers
Drainage basin=area drained by river + tributaries
Arctic Basin Ob
Yenisey
Lena
flows 1,750,000 cubic ft/sec
Caspian
Volga
Longest river in Europe
60% Russia’s river traffic

25. Volga drainage basin

27. What are 2 reasons the Volga is Russia’s most important river?

28. Lakes Caspian Sea Saltwater 750 mi North to South
Largest inland sea-world
Aral Sea
Lost 80% water since 1960
Used water for extensive irrigation
Will vanish soon

29. Aral Sea

30. What is causing the Aral Sea to disappear?

31. Lake Baikal Deepest in world 1 mile 400 mi north to south
20% world’s fresh water
1200 species unique to lake
In a Rift Valley – continental plates are ripping apart!

32. The oldest, deepest rift valley on Earth is the Baikal Rift Zone in southern SiberThe oldest, deepest rift valley on Earth is the Baikal Rift Zone in southern Siberia, marked by largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Baikal. The deepest parts of Lake Baikal are 1,642 meters (5,387 feet), and are getting deeper as the Amur plate rifts eastward away from the Eurasian plate at a rate of about 4 to 5 millimeters (.16 to .2 inch) a year.ia, marked by largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Baikal. The deepest parts of Lake Baikal are 1,642 meters (5,387 feet), and are getting deeper as the Amur plate rifts eastward away from the Eurasian plate at a rate of about 4 to 5 millimeters (.16 to .2 inch) a year.

33. What is a Rift Valley? How is it formed?

35. Regional Resources Intro Lots of resources Transportation difficult
Abundant Resources
Coal
Iron, metals
Oil & gas
Forests
1/5 world total
Hydroelectric- rivers

37. What percent of the world’s forest are in this region?
Forests

38. An explosion at Russia's largest power generator—the Sayano-Shushenkaya hydroelectric plant in Siberia—has killed at least 12 people, and another 64 are thought to be lost in the wreckage. It's an environmental disaster of monumental proportions: in addition to the tragic deaths, the damaged plant has released an oil slick over 10 miles of the surface of nearby Yenisei River
August, 2009

39. Regional Resources cont’d
Resource Management
Harvest and transport difficult
Harsh climate
Long distances
Siberia
Source of many resources
In far east – long distances
Frigid temps

41. Why is having a transcontinental railroad a big deal
Why is having a transcontinental railroad a big deal? How does it help Russia?

42. Environmental damage Mining Oil/gas production Thermal pollution
Hot discharge from dams/hydroelectric plants
Little government control of pollution

43. Almaty, Kazakhstan

44. Pollution is a major problem.
The former Soviet Union didn’t care, so many areas of the region are contaminated.