1. RUSSIA’S LAND FACTS
What is the largest country in the world?
What area has the largest supply of minerals in Russia?
What is the largest forest in the world?
What is the world’s largest inland body of water?
What is the longest river in Europe?
What is the deepest fresh water lake in the world?
Russia
Siberia
Taiga
The Caspian Sea
The Volga River
Lake Baikal

2. Discussion Notes 13-1: The Russian Land
I. Russia’s Climate
A. Russia is the world’s largest country. It lies on 2 continents- Europe and Asia.
B. Many of Russia’s ports on the Baltic Sea and the Pacific Ocean are closed by ice.
C. The Ural Mountains form a boundary between Europe and Asia.
D. The part of Russia that lies in Europe is warmer than Asia and 75% of Russia’s population lives there.
E. Siberia is the large area that covers Russia that is usually covered by ice and snow.
F. Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest freshwater lake.

3. II. Russia’s Economic Regions
A. Russia has large deposits of coal, oil, gas, and minerals.
B. The Southwest area can produce high amounts of grain. Its fishing industry is the largest in the world.
C. Moscow is the political, cultural, economic, and transportation center of Russia. Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg are important ports.
D. Siberia has a large supply of minerals.
E. The Volga River carries almost 1/2 of Russia’s river traffic.
Discussion Notes 13-2: The People of Russia
I. Ethnic Groups
A. Russia has 145 million people and 150 different ethnic groups.
B. 80% of the people are Slavs, the majority culture

4. II. Culture in Russia
A. The city of St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great.
B. Russian enjoy folktales called skazki.
C. The communist tried to take out religion during its rule, but Russian Orthodoxy is very popular (70%).
D. Russians use a Slavic alphabet called Cyrillic.
E. 3/4ths of Russian live in cities, large apartment blocks.
Discussion Notes 14-1: A Troubled History
I. The History of Russia
A. During the 800ADs, early Slavs built a civilization around the city of Kiev.
B. In 1480, Ivan III drove out the Mongols and became the first czar, emperor of Russia.

5. C. In 1861, Czar Alexander II freed the serfs from being tied to the land.
D. In the late 1800’s, Russia began to industrialize, had less farming.
II. The Soviet Era
A. In 1917, leaders, soldiers, and workers forced Czar Nicholas II to give up his throne.
B. Vladimir Lenin led a 2nd revolution in which he set up a communist state.
C. In 1922, they formed the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics USSR
D. Joseph Stalin took over when Lenin died.
E. After WWII, Stalin set up communist governments throughout Eastern Europe.
F. From the 1940’s to the 1980’s a Cold War existed between the U.S. and Soviet Union.

6. G. In 1985, Gorbachev relaxed Soviet control of the economy and society.
H. In 1991, each of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union declared independence and USSR no longer existed.
Discussion Notes 14-2: A New Russia
I. Communism to Free Enterprise
A. After communism, Russia turned to a free market economy.
B. Under communism everyone had jobs, but workers could lose jobs if business is poor.
C. Without government price controls, prices have risen making it hard to buy essential things.
II. Environmental Issues
A. The old government built factories without protecting the environment.

7. B. Water, air, and land have been polluted by agricultural and industrial chemicals.
III. Political Challenges
A. Russia is a democratic government in which the power is divided between national and state known as a federal republic.
B. A Russian president has stronger powers than the U.S. president.
C. Chechens, and other ethnic groups of Russia are trying to form their own countries.Russian troops are trying to stop them.