Russia and the Former Soviet Republics Ch. 15-1: Physical Geography

Western Republics Belarus Estonia Latvia Lithuania Moldova Ukraine Central Asian Republics Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Former Soviet Republics Transcaucasia Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia

Physical Geography: The Caspian Sea Ural Mountains Caucasus Mountains Turan Plain The Kara Kum Northern European Plain West Siberian Plain Black Sea Lake Baikal Aral Sea

Caspian Sea largest inland lake covering 143,630 square miles Bordered by Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan

Caspian Sea - Kazakhstan

Ural Mountains run north-south separating Russia into a European section and an Asian section old range of rounded peaks contain rich mineral resources.

Caucasus Mountains Separate the Caspian Sea from the Black Sea.

Mt. Elbrus – tallest peak, 18,510 ft

Khinalug settlement in Azerbaijan has a history of 5,000 years and is among the most ancient places in the world.

View of a gorge in the Caucasus Mountains in Chechnya

The Turan Plain and Kara Kum Desert The Kara Kum is one of central Asia’s largest deserts covering the country of Turkmenistan. Turan Plain- lowland between Caspian Sea and mountains

The Northern European Plain: Black Earth Belt Chernozem- black earth, abundant on this plain Agricultural center 75% of people in the region live here

Northern European Plain Ural Mountains

The West Siberian Plain The Urals separate The West Siberian Plains from the Northern European Plain. worlds largest flat region. Covered with swamps and marshes, the area is too flat to drain well.

Black Sea Coast A mild climate and beautiful scenery make the Black Sea coast a popular vacation spot.

Lake Baikal Deepest lake in the world. The lake stretches 400 miles from north to south. It holds nearly 20% of the world’s fresh water.

Aral Sea

Armenia In a seismic region earthquakes occur often. Between Black and Caspian Seas

Azerbaijan The capital, Baku, lies in one of the world’s major producing areas. The major source of wealth for the economy is oil.

Russia largest country in the world covers 1/3 of the continent of Europe and ½ of the continent of Asia.

Russia’s Famous Caviar Comes from sturgeon caught in the Caspian Sea. Caviar is salted sturgeon eggs!