1. Physical Geography The Big Idea
Russia is big and cold with vast plains and forests; whereas the Caucasus countries are small, mountainous, and warmer.
Main Ideas
The physical features of Russia and the Caucasus include plains, mountains, and rivers.
Climate and plant life change from north to south in Russia and vary in the Caucasus.
Russia and the Caucasus have a wealth of resources, but many are hard to access.

2. Main Idea 1: The physical features of Russia and the Caucasus include plains, mountains, and rivers.
Continents of Europe and Asia meet at the Ural Mountains.
Europe to the west
Asia to the east
Together, they form the landmass of Eurasia.
Russia is the world’s largest country.
Twice the size of the United States
South of Russia is a region known as the Caucasus.
It lies in the Caucasus, the area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
Region named for the Caucasus Mountains.
Includes three smaller countries—Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan

3. Landforms
Russia’s capital, Moscow, is located in the Northern European Plain, which stretches across western, or European, Russia.
To the east are the low-lying Ural Mountains, which are worn down and rounded from erosion.
Siberia, the vast area between the Urals and the Pacific Ocean, includes the marshy West Siberian Plain, the Central Siberian Plateau, and mountain ranges.
Russian Far East, in Eastern Siberia, is part of the Ring of Fire.
Caucasus countries consist mainly of rugged uplands and mountains, including Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe.
South of the Caucasus Mountains is a plateau.
Lowlands lie along the Black and Caspian Seas.

4. Bodies of Water Rivers Volga River, in western Russia
Longest river in Europe
Core of Russia’s river network
Ob, Yenisey, and Lena rivers in Asian part of Russia
Flow northward to Arctic Ocean
Lakes
Russia has some 200,000 lakes.
Lake Baikal, in south-central Siberia, is world’s deepest lake.
Deep enough to hold all the water in all five of the Great Lakes
Called the Jewel of Siberia
Seas
Black and Caspian seas border Russia and the Caucasus.
Black Sea connects to the Mediterranean Sea and is important for trade.
Caspian Sea holds saltwater and is the world’s largest inland sea.

5. Main Idea 2: Climate and plant life change from north to south in Russia and vary in the Caucasus.
Russia has short summers and long, snowy winters due in part to its location along Arctic Circle.
Russia’s northern coast is tundra.
Much of the ground is permafrost, or permanently frozen soil.
Only small plants such as mosses grow there.
Taiga, a vast forest of evergreen trees, covers about half of Russia.
South of the taiga is a flat grassland called the steppe.
Rich, black soil and a warmer climate make this an important farming area.
Caucasus countries are warmer than Russia.
Warm and wet along Black Sea
Hot and Dry in much of Azerbaijan

6. Main Idea 3: Russia and the Caucasus have a wealth of resources, but many are hard to access.
Fertile soil for farming in Northern European plain and steppe
Wood from taiga for building and paper products
Metals and precious gems
Natural Resources
Main energy resources include coal, hydroelectricity, natural gas, and oil.
Russia and Azerbaijan have large oil and gas fields.
Energy Resources
Poorly managed for a long time
Many remaining resources are only in remote Siberia.
Resource Management

7. History and Culture of Russia
The Big Idea
Strict rule, unrest, and ethnic diversity have shaped Russia’s history and culture.
Main Ideas
The Russian Empire grew under powerful leaders, but unrest and war led to its end.
The Soviet Union emerged as a Communist superpower with rigid government control.
Russia’s history and diversity have influenced its culture.

8. Main Idea 1: The Russian Empire grew under powerful leaders, but unrest and war led to its end.
The Slavs settled in Eastern Europe, including what is now Ukraine and western Russia.
Developed towns and began trading with other areas
AD 800s—Viking, or Rus, traders from Scandinavia invaded the Slavs.
Shaped the first Russian state, Kievan Rus, centered around the city of Kiev
Missionaries introduced the Orthodox Christian faith and Cyrillic, a form of the Greek alphabet.
In the 1200s Mongol invaders called Tatars came from Central Asia and conquered Kiev.
Allowed Russian princes to rule over local states
Muscovy became the strongest state

9. Empire
After about 200 years Muscovy’s prince, Ivan III seized control from the Mongols.
In the 1540s Ivan IV crowned himself czar, or emperor, and became known as Ivan the Terrible for his cruel leadership.
Over time Muscovy developed into the country of Russia.
Strong czars built Russia into a huge empire and world power.
Russia remained largely a country of poor farmers, while the czars and nobles had most of the wealth.
In the early 1900s Russians began demanding improvements and unrest grew.

10. War and Revolution World War I Russian Revolution
Russia entered World War I in 1914.
Suffered huge losses and severe food shortages
When the czar seemed to ignore the people’s hardship, they rose against him.
The czar was forced to give up his throne in 1917.
Russian Revolution
Later that year the Bolsheviks, a radical Russian Communist group, seized power in the Russian Revolution.
In 1922 the Bolsheviks formed a new country, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), or the Soviet Union.
Soon included 15 republics, the strongest of which was Russia
First leader was Vladimir Lenin

11. Soviet Union under Stalin
Main Idea 2: The Soviet Union emerged as a Communist superpower with rigid government control.
Soviet Union under Stalin
Soviet Union led by Lenin became a Communist country.
Joseph Stalin took power after Lenin’s death in 1924.
Command economy, in which the government owns all businesses and farms and makes all decisions, was established.
Stalin was a brutal and paranoid dictator and punished anyone who spoke out against the government.
Millions sent to gulags, harsh Soviet labor camps.
Cold War and Collapse
During World War II the Soviet Union fought with the Allies.
Stalin set up Communist governments in Eastern Europe.
Opposition between the Soviet Union and the United States led to the Cold War.
In the 1980s Mikhail Gorbachev began introducing some democracy to help save the Soviet economy.
In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed and broke into 15 independent countries, including Russia.

12. Main Idea 3: Russia’s history and diversity have influenced its culture.
People and Religion
Population: more than 140 million
About 80 percent are ethnic Russians.
Revival of religious worship after fall of Soviet government
Main faith is Russian Orthadox Christian.
Other religions include Islam, Buddhism, and other forms of Christianity.
Customs
Russian history has shaped its customs.
Religious holidays are popular.
New Year’s Eve is the main family holiday.
June 12 is Russian Independence Day, the day marking the end of the Soviet Union.
Arts and Sciences
Russia’s ballet companies are world famous.
Peter Tchaikovsky is Russia’s most famous composer.
Fabergé eggs, made of precious metals and covered with gems, are priceless works of art.
Major contributions to space research, including the first artificial satellite in space, launched in 1957

13. Russia Today The Big Idea
Russia is a federal republic with a growing market economy but faces tough challenges.
Main Ideas
The Russian Federation is working to develop democracy and a market economy.
Russia’s physical geography, cities, and economy define its many culture regions.
Russia faces a number of serious challenges.

14. Main Idea 1: The Russian Federation is working to develop democracy and a market economy.
Government
Russian leaders have struggled to change from communism to democracy.
The Russian Federation is a federal republic, a system in which power is divided between national and local governments.
Increased democracy has led to more freedom for Russians.
Problems such as government corruption, or dishonesty, have slowed the development of a free society in Russia.
Economy
Russia is moving toward a market economy, based on free trade and competition.
The Russian government has greatly reduced its control of the economy.
Russia produces and exports oil, natural gas, timber, metals, chemicals, and crops.
Service industries now make up the largest part of economy.

15. City and Rural Life City Life Rural Life
About 75 percent of all Russians live in cities.
Most live in small apartments in high-rise buildings.
More restaurants and shopping centers are available with a wider range of consumer goods.
Cities often have large parks and wooded areas in and around them.
Rural Life
About 25 percent of all Russians live in rural areas.
Many live in houses.
Many richer Russians own dachas, or Russian country houses.

16. Main Idea 2: Russia’s physical geography, cities, and economy define its many culture regions.
Russia has six main culture regions
Differ in features such as population, natural resources, and economic activity
Four western culture regions make up Russia’s heartland.
Home to the vast majority of Russia’s people, the country’s capital, and largest cities
Most productive farming area

17. Western Culture Regions
Moscow Region
Moscow is Russia’s capital and largest city.
Center of government is housed at the Kremlin, in the heart of the city.
Most important economic area
Transportation center
St. Petersburg Region
St. Petersburg was once the capital city and home to czars.
Theaters and museums enrich the city’s cultural life.
Its location on the Gulf of Finland has made it a major port and trade center.
Volga Region
Volga River is a major shipping route.
Dams along its route form lakes and provide hydroelectric power.
Factories produce oil and gas.
Caspian Sea provides sturgeon and black caviar, a costly delicacy.
Urals Region
Important mining region
Produce nearly every major mineral
Smelters, factories that process metal ores, process copper and iron.
Also known for gems and semiprecious stones

18. Siberia and the Russian Far East
Siberia means “Sleeping Land” in Tatar language.
Winters long and severe
Remote region with many valuable, but difficult to access, resources.
Main industries are lumber, mining, and oil production.
Jobs there pay high wages, but few people chose to live there.
Cities tend to follow the Trans-Siberian Railroad, the world’s longest single rail line that runs from Moscow to Vladivostok.
Russian Far East
Long coastline region along the Pacific Ocean
Land is heavily forested
In the few cities, factories process forest and mineral resources.
Farming in the Amur River valley
City of Vladivostok is a naval base and the area’s main seaport.
Islands off the coast provide oil, minerals, and commercial fishing.

19. Main Idea 3: Russia faces a number of serious challenges.
Russia has made great progress since 1991, but challenges remain.
Shift to a market economy has brought problems.
Prices and unemployment have risen.
Gap between rich and poor has widened.
Population is falling—more Russians are dying than are being born.
Soviet government did little to prevent pollution.
Environment has been severely harmed.
Government must repair damage.
Ethnic conflicts have resulted in fighting and terrorism.
One of the worst conflicts is in Chechnya in the Caucasus Mountains.

20. The Caucasus The Big Idea
In an area long ruled by outside groups, the Caucasus republics are struggling to strengthen their economies and to deal with ethnic unrest.
Main Ideas
Many groups have ruled and influenced the Caucasus during its long history.
Today the Caucasus republics are working to improve their economies but struggle with ethnic unrest and conflict.

21. Main Idea 1: Many groups have ruled and influenced the Caucasus during its long history.
Located where Europe blends into Asia, the Caucasus reflects a range of cultural influences.
Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, and Mongols have all ruled or invaded the area.
Russians took control of much of the region in the early 1800s.
After World War I Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia gained independence—but not for long.
By the early 1920s they were part of the vast Soviet Union.
Finally in 1991 the Caucasus republics achieved true independence when the Soviet Union fell.

22. Main Idea 2: Today the Caucasus republics are working to improve their economies but struggle with ethnic unrest and conflict.
Caucasus region has a long history, but its countries do not.
Young countries
Have had to create new governments and economies since the fall of the Soviet Union
Ethnic unrest and conflicts have slowed progress.
Caucasus republics have similar governments.
An elected president governs each nation.
An appointed prime minister runs each government.
An elected parliament, or legislature, makes the laws.

23. Caucasus Today Georgia Armenia Azerbaijan
Lies in the Caucasus Mountains east of the Black Sea
Capital: Tbilisi
About 70 percent are ethnic Georgians and most belong to Georgian Orthodox Church.
Struggles with unrest and civil war and ethnic conflict
Economy based on services, farming, and mining
Armenia
Small, landlocked country south of Georgia
Capital: Yerevan
Almost all the people are ethnic Armenian and most people belong to the Armenian Orthodox Church.
Fought bitter territorial war with Azerbaijan in the 1990s, and the issue remained unsettled as of the early 2000s
Diamond processing is a growing industry.
Azerbaijan
East of Armenia
Capital: Baku
About 90 percent are Azeri and most are Muslim.
Many refugees as a result of its conflict with Armenia
Economy based on oil, found along and under the Caspian Sea
Corruption is high and many people are poor.