GEOGRAPHY OF RUSSIA & EASTERN EUROPE
Geography 308
Professor Zoltan Grossman
Your Name:
Country:
COUNTRY ANALYSIS
PART 1: NATURE / ENVIRONMENT
In this exercise you will be examining the Physical Geography, Natural Resources, and Environmental Issues
of the country you have selected for an in-depth case study. This research will introduce you to the country,
which will help to track it as a case study throughout the course, and to investigate possible topics for your Final
Project. The research “detective work” should also help you develop research skills, and critical thinking skills
that will help decipher complex and conflicting information. Answer the questions completely, as best you can.
Put “N.A.” only if the question is “Not Applicable.”
If you have European Russia (west of Urals), Siberia (east of Urals), or Southern Russia/Chechnya (area just north of Caucasus),
you can focus on all of Russia in the absence of more specific regional data, but incorporate as much as you can about your
specific region of Russia. This stands for all three parts of your Country Analysis.
PLEASE TYPE ALL INFORMATION, PRINT THE EXERCISE OUT, AND STAPLE THE PAGES
COUNTRY MAP LINKS at www.uwec.edu/grossmzc/GEOG308chart.html
WEB SOURCES
1. World Factbook : www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook (Central Intelligence Agency).
2. Country Studies: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs (Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress
under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the U.S. Army).
3. Portals to the World: http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html (additional thematic links).
4. REENIC http://reenic.utexas.edu/reenic/index.html (University of Texas).
5. CREECA www.wisc.edu/creeca/features/links/weblinks.html (University of Wisconsin).
6. Perry-Castañeda Map Library: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps (University of Texas).
7. Other on-line encyclopedias and databases, such as http://search.eb.com (on campus only),
http://wikipedia.org and http://dmoz.org/Regional and maps found at http://images.google.com
8. Country Background Notes (US Department of State): http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
A. BASIC COUNTRY FACTS
1. Name (Conventional Long Form):
2. Former Name (before 1989):
3. Nationality (noun):
4. Capital city:
5. Insert the map from the World Factbook:
6. Insert the small flag from the World Factbook (the one with “Click to Enlarge” under it) :
B. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
1. Total Area (square kilometers):
2.
Area – comparative (size of what?):
3. Rank order in world (area):
4.
Land boundaries (total):
5.
Border countries (names only):
6.
Climate:
7. Elevation: highest point (peak name and meters, and in which range or hills)
8. At least the three major (longest) rivers in the country or region:
a.
b.
c.
Others:
9. At least the three major water bodies (seas and/or gulfs, bays or lakes):
a.
b.
c.
Others:
10. At least the three major mountain ranges or hills/uplands in the country or region:
a.
b.
c.
Others:
11. Terrain map. Find the “Elevation” map on your country map links. Print out this color map and staple
it to this exercise. On the map, label (neatly in black) major physical features and regions (not cultural
regions or administrative regions) described in web sources, Country Studies, books, maps. In particular,
label highland areas and plains, and water bodies. For labels, you can also use the “Physical” map in
your links, & the elevation maps of European states: http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/eu.htm or
of Asian states: http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/eu.htm as well as many other map sources.
This marked-up Elevation map will be used in map comparisons later in this exercise.
C. AGRICULTURE
1. Agricultural production data. Use the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) database:
http://apps.fao.org/faostat/form?collection=FBS&Domain=FBS&servlet=1&hasbulk=0&version=ext&language=EN
If clicking this link does not work, copy and paste the link into the Address line or your web browser. (You can
also get to this page via the FAO website at http://www.fao.org ) Follow the links to Statistical Databases, then
to FAOSTAT, then to AGRICULTURE. Scroll down to Food Balance Sheets (see the Notes link for an
explanation of what these are). Click on the link for Food Balance Sheets.) From the countries list select your
country, From the list of agricultural products select All (at the top); From the list of years, choose 2002 (at the
top);. Click on Submit to Database. Print in Landscape (sideways) setting, and attach to this exercise.
2. Agricultural products. List the top five Vegetal or Animal Products and the tonnage produced (Prod-). All
data is in 1000 metric tons.
(list the individual products, not the product categories, unless the category has no indented products in it.)
Agricultural Product
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Tonnage
3. Agricultural exports. List the top five Vegetal or Animal Products exported and the tonnage exported (Exp-).
All data is in 1000 metric tons. (list the individual products, not the product categories, unless the category has
no indented products in it.)
Agricultural Export
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Tonnage
4. Production, and exports analysis,.What differences do you notice between the main agricultural products
and the main products exported (products from the country known in other countries). How do you account for
these differences?
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5. Analysis of agricultural regions. Print out the Land Use or Agriculture map in your country map links, and
attach it to this exercise. Using this map (or other maps) describe which parts of the country these main products
and exports are produced. Be specific as to where the crop or animals are clustered—not simply the part of the
country where they are located, but the physical regions where they are located (compare with your marked-up
Elevation map or other physical region maps). Take time and care with your answer.
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D. MINERAL AND ENERGY PRODUCTS
1. Find your country in the International Minerals Maps at http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/maps/
Print out the map and attach it to this exercise.
2. Map comparison. Compare the Minerals map to your marked-up Elevation map (or other maps of physical
regions). In which physical regions (such as mountain ranges or plains) do you find mining concentrated?
Minerals include oil /petroleum and natural gas.
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3. Look at the most recent Adobe Acrobat document on your country (entitled “The Mineral Industries of….”)
accessed from the U.S. Geological Survey site at http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/europe.html
(Mongolia at http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/asia.html#mg) At the end of the pdf reports are
tables of mineral products (“Selected Exports, by Commodity”). List the top five mineral products exported
from your country (in the most recent year) and the metric tons (or another unit of measurement shown):
Mineral or Energy Product Export
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Tonnage or other measurement
4. At the end of “The Mineral Industries of…” reports are tables of mineral products imported into your country
(“Selected Imports, by Commodity”). List the top five mineral products imported to your country (in the most
recent year) and the metric tons:
Mineral or Energy Product Import
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Tonnage or other measurement
4, Analysis. Using the “Mineral Industries of…” report on the country, summarize in a paragraph the
importance of mineral production in the country or region, and current prospects for the top minerals or oil/gas.
Also discuss the difference between mineral exports and imports. For example, do you see your country as
dependent on other countries’ energy products, or having enough surplus to provide for other countries?
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E. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
1. Land Use. Look up the data for land use in the World Factbook. Based on the total square area of the country
in kilometers, enter the data for Permanent Crops, Arable land, and Other.
Land use category
Total land area of country
Permanent crops
Arable land (potential cropland)
Other land (includes forest & grazing)
Square kilometers
Percentage of total land area
100%
2. Forested land and protected forest. Find your country in the 1996 continent tables in the U.N. Environment
Program site at http://www.unep-wcmc.org/forest/data/cdrom2/gtabs.htm and enter the data below.
Forest category
Total land area of country (from above)
Forest area
Protected forest area
Square kilometers
Percentage of total land area
100%
3. Agriculture and forestry analysis. Review the “State of the Environment” Report on your country at
http://enrin.grida.no (click on country), (Mongolia at http://www.rrcap.unep.org/reports/soe/mongoliasoe.cfm)
Discuss any environmental problems that the country faces in rural areas due to agriculture or forestry (such as
pesticides, timber clearcutting, erosion, loss of biodiversity, etc.). Also discuss the setting aside of protected
areas or parklands. Be detailed in a long paragraph, and as much as possible locate the worst problem zones in
the country.
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4. Urban or general analysis. Using the “State of the Environment” Report on your country, discuss key
environmental problems related to urban areas (such as air pollution or consumer waste) or other environmental
problems that affect the country somewhat evenly, not specific to particular places. Be detailed.
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5. Place-specific environmental crises. Using the “State of the Environment” Report on your country, or other
sources, discuss at least two key environmental problems that are specific to named places within the country or
region. These are usually issues that have been the result of publicized disasters that have put your country or
region on the environmental “map.” They could be major industrial leaks or radioactive pollution from pointspecific sources, or major rivers or water bodies that have been contaminated or dried up. Be detailed not only
about the problem, but about how it has been addressed by the government or industry.
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Others