GEOGRAPHY OF RUSSIA & EASTERN EUROPE
Geography 308
Professor Zoltan Grossman
Your Name:
Country:
COUNTRY ANALYSIS
PART 3: POLITICS / ECONOMICS
In this exercise you will be examining the Recent Political changes, Economics, Industries and Trade, and
History Since 1914 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. RECENT POLITICAL CHANGES
1. Year of Independence:
2. Current President (or Head of State):
(name and year took office)
3. Current Prime Minister (or Head of Government):
(name and year took office)
4. Political party of Head of Government:
(google if not on websites)
5. Main type of main Administrative District (singular name):
6. Number of these Administrative Districts :
7. Disputes – international
(describe any recent border or region disputes with neighboring countries):
Answer
8. Name changes since 1991
Log on the U.S. Bureau of Geographic Names (BGN) Foreign Names Information Bulletins at
http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/fnibs.html The reports since 1992 are n Adobe Acrobat, with the
old names in the left column and the new names in the right columns. Give two examples of place
name changes in your country since the downfall of the state socialist system, especially of
Cities (PPL) or Administrative Regions (ADM). (If you have trouble finding your country, google
your country + “place name change.”)
Old and new name:
Old and new name:
B. ECONOMICS
1. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - composition by sector. Create a pie chart (with the percentages labeled) of
each economic sector: Agriculture/forestry, Industry, and Services. (In Excel, “Insert” a Chart, and select the first
standard type of pie chart.). Insert here:
2. Labor Force - composition by sector. Create a pie chart (with the percentages labeled) of each economic
sector: Agriculture/forestry, Industry, and Services. (In Excel, “Insert” a Chart, and select the first standard type
of pie chart.). Insert here:
3. Comparative analysis of charts. Compare the labor force pie chart in B2 to the GDP pie chart in B1,
contrasting the different figures for each economic sector: Agriculture/forestry, Industry, and Services. If these
figures differ, what might this mean for the national economy?
Paragraph
4. Economic statistics. Using the World Factbook or other sources, fill in the chart for your country and for the
United States. Then figure the Location Quotient by dividing your U.S. and Country data.
( Example: If Your Country = 12.3% , and U.S. = 3.0% , then the LQ of 3.0 / 12.3 = 0.24 )
Category
GDP - per capita
Population below poverty line
Population of highest 10% household income or consumption
Unemployment rate
Public debt as percent of GDP
Military expenditures as percent of GDP
Urban population
Name of national currency: _______ & recent value vs. US dollar
Country
United States
$1.00
LQ
5. Comparative economic analysis. Using the chart above, or other comparative statistics, how would you
compare and contrast the economic situation of your country and the economic situation in the U.S.?
Paragraph
6. Recent economic news. Using google or vivisimo and English-language websites of newspapers in your
country, review recent (post-2001) major economic stories in your country. Look at the “big picture” rather than
single isolated stories or quarterly statistics. How would you answer the question “How is the economy doing in
your country, and what kind of transition is it making?” You can include news of economic alliances, areas of
economic growth, major financial scandals, unemployment or layoffs, protests against economic changes, etc.
What are positive and negative examples (or indicators) of economic trends in the country?
Paragraph
C. INDUSTRIES AND TRADE
1. Industries map. Insert the Industries map (from Country Map Links) and scale it small enough to fit:
2. Five main industries. List five of the top industries in the country, as described in the World Factbook,
Country Handbook, and other sources. Using the Industries map, describe where in the country each industry is
concentrated.
Top Industries
Main location(s)
3. Comparative Map Analysis: Resources. Compare your Industries map to the Resources map also found on
the Country Map Links. (Some countries will have Resources on the same map as Industries). What correlations
can you find by comparing the locations of industries and resources? Why?
Paragraph
4. Comparative Map Analysis: Physical Geography and Elevation. Compare your Industries map to the
Physical and Elevation maps also found on the Country Map Links. What correlations can you find by
comparing these maps? Why?
Paragraph
5. Comparative Map Analysis: Population Density. Compare your Industries map to the Population Density
map also found on the Country Map Links. What correlations can you find by comparing these maps? Why?
Paragraph
6. Comparative Map Analysis: Ethnicity. Compare your Industries map to the Ethnicity map also found on
the Country Map Links. What correlations can you find by comparing these maps? Why?
Paragraph
7. Commodity Exports and Imports.
Exports – three main commodities
Exports– top three partners & percentages
Imports – three main commodities
Imports – top three partners & percentages
Analyze this chart. What differences do you see between the main export partner countries and the main import
partner countries? (These are partners for all trade, not just in the three commodities you listed).
Paragraph
8. Communications and Transportation. Using the World Factbook or other sources, fill in the chart for your
country and for the United States. Then figure the Location Quotient by dividing your U.S. and Country data.
( Example: If Your Country = 12.3% , and U.S. = 3.0% , then the LQ of 3.0 / 12.3 = 0.24 )
Category
Total population
Telephone lines
Cell phones
Internet users as % of population (Internet country code = .__)
Total area in square km
Railways (total) in km
Highways (paved) in km
Country
United States
LQ
Using the chart above, taking into account relative population and area sizes, how would you compare and
contrast the communications and transportation in your country and in the U.S.?
Paragraph
9. Top cities and tourism. Fill out the table for the top three cities in your country, and their most recent
population figures, and find two tourist attractions in these cities.
Size
1.
2.
3.
City
Population
Tourist attraction 1
Tourist attraction 2
D. HISTORY SINCE 1914
1. From the sources on page 1 of this Exercise (particularly the Country Handbook), and any other textual
sources, compile a timeline of exactly 25 key dates in your country’s recent history. You will have to prioritize
which are the most important events that shaped the history of your country (or the region that became your
present-day country). The first date should be of start of World War I in 1914. The last date could be the most
recent important event in your country in the 21st century. Pay special attention to victories and losses in wars,
conquests by neighboring countries, conquests of neighboring territory, and major changes in territorial
boundaries, state independence, or other geographical aspects of history. You can use a range of dates (such as
1941-45 or 1999-2003) for a particular period. Be detailed! Use multiple sources (list in D2); the timeline must
be in your own words.
Date or
date range
1914
Key historical event
Start of World War I
200__
2. List sources used in compiling the timeline.
Paragraph