1. Russia: A Land of Extremes
We will be discussing Russia and its Republics
Analyze the landforms that make up Russia and the climate and resources available throughout Russia.
Landforms of Russia and its Republics

3. The northern two-thirds
Broken up into 4 regions (From West to East)
Northern European Plain
West Siberian Plain
Central Siberian Plateau
Russian Far East
Northern European Plain (NEP)
Stretches over 1,000 miles from Europe to Ural Mountains
Chernozem- black earth; abundant in NEP
High quality soil
majority of agricultural areas located here
75% of population lives here
Major cities
Moscow (Russia’s capital)
Kiev (Ukraine’s capital)
St. Petersburg (Think Aloud: Why was this city once so important to Russia?)
-Chernozem can get up to 3ft or deeper
--St. Petersburg was the Russian capital under Peter the Great, “window to Europe”

4. West Siberian Plain (WSP)
Ural Mountains: dividing “wall” of Europe and Asia
Central Siberian Plateau
Uplands and mountains dominate the land
Lies between Yenisei and Lena Rivers
Russian Far East
Kamchatka Peninsula
Has 120 volcanos; 20 are still active
Theorize why there is such a large trench and so many active volcanos on one side of it?

5. The republics of Russia
Transcaucasia
Separated by Caucasus Mountains
Bordered by the Black Sea and Caspian Sea
Central Asia
Tian Shan Mountains a.k.a. “Heavenly Mountains”
Arid climate from lack of moist air

6. Major lakes and rivers Volga River- longest river in Europe
**Review Question: What is the 2nd largest river in the world?**
Caspian Sea is a large lake (750 miles long)
Aral Sea is also a lake
87% water volume loss due to irrigation
Lake Baikal- largest lake in the world
One mile deep and 400 miles wide
Review pt. 2, where is it located?

7. Russia’s Climate
Most of the region is hundreds of miles from the sea, causes continentally
Little precipitation causes impact on climate
Some regions drive on frozen lakes and rivers
Russia contains the Taiga, which is a large forest containing trees and furred animals.

8. Welcome to Siberia
Frigid and subarctic region of Russia that lies on Asian continent.
Harsh climate, rugged terrain and vast distance
Holds most of Russia’s abundant resources
Difficult to attract people to the region
Temp. Range: -90 degrees to 50 degrees max.
Permafrost up to 1,500 feet deep