Russia and the Eurasian
Republics.
The Largest region we will
study, spanning two continents
and including eleven time
zones.
Countries as ranked by GDP
• Kazakhstan
•Turkmenistan
Countries as ranked by land size
• Kazakhstan
•Russia
Physical Region
Vast areas of:
• Permafrost: permanently frozen
subsoil.
Taiga: sub arctic coniferous
forests.
Steppe: semi-arid grasslands.
• The Ob river flows northward into the
Arctic Ocean
Black Earth Belt: rich-fertile soil.
• Chernozem
Water Features
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Volga River
Ob river
Amur River
Lake Baikal
Caspian Sea
Aral Sea
Bering Strait
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Mountains: Caucasus located between the Black and
Caspian Seas.
Mountains: Urals ( divides Europe from Asia)
Russian Natural resources
• Not well-developed due to harsh climate
• Limited transportation links and vastness
of the country
• Foreign competition for investment in the
region (oil pipelines)
• Widespread pollution
• Shrinking of the Aral Sea
• Political and Economic difficulties after the
breakup of the Soviet Union
• Cotton production in Central Asia
Siberia
• The Sleeping Land: located east of the Urals
• Major oil, natural gas, and mineral resources
Human Impact on the Environment
• Water
diversion
from the
Aral Sea: for
irrigation
Before 1996
After 2003
Environmental Changes
• Pollution: (Chernobyl)
• Nuclear power plant explodes after
meltdown and radioactive fallout
spreads across Europe
After the Chernobyl explosion entire towns
had to be evacuated.
A Nuclear Reactor
A concrete tomb was built to try to
contain the radioactive ruins.
The Trans-Siberian Railroad
Connecting European Russia with
Siberia and the Pacific Coast. From
Moscow to Vladivostok.
Trains at one of the many stations.
Miles of track cross sparsely
populated countryside.
Climatic conditions are often
cold in these sub arctic areas.
Typical sights are Siberian
villages like this one.
Or perhaps old Soviet style block
Apartments.
The route ends at the harbor of
Vladivostok.
Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest Lake is
located in western Russia near the TransSiberian R.R.
Novosibirsk
A city that grew up along the Trans-Siberian
Railroad
Cultural Characteristics
• Diverse ethnic groups, customs
and traditions
• Many of Turkic and Mongol
Heritage
Faberge Eggs
Created to celebrate…
Coronations, Royal births, Easter,
etc.
The Bolshoi Ballet.
It is the most famous in the world.
Trained in the classical style.
They travel the world to perform.
Catch a performance if you go to
Moscow.
Icons
• Religious Paintings
and mosaics of the
Jesus, the Saints and
other religious
figures.
Symbols that decorate Eastern Orthodox
churches with Saints and other religious
figures from Christian tradition.
Matrioshka Dolls: handmade nesting
dolls resembling a Russian peasant
woman have been a favorite for centuries.
Oriental Carpets or rugs: very popular in the
southwestern republics.(Caucasus)
A Kazakh Rug
Samovars
Samovars are traditionally used to brew tea to
ward off the Russian chill.
St. Basil’s Cathedral.
St. Basil’s was
commissioned by Ivan
the Terrible to celebrate
the Russian conquest of
the Mongols.
The Church of the Annunciation.
Evidence of Eastern Orthodox Religion
These cathedrals are part of the complex
that became known as the Kremlin. It is
the heart of Moscow and contains Red
Square. Red Square(next slide) was the
site of the famous May Day Parades held
during the Communist era and where
Lenin, the Father of the Bolshevik
revolution, is entombed.
The Kremlin at night.
St. Petersburg: named after Peter the
Great. Here is the winter palace of the
Czars.
Peter the Great moved the Russian capital
to St. Petersburg to be closer to the
capitals of western Europe.
Economic Characteristics
• Transition from Communist
to Free Market economies
Russia is struggling with the transition from
Communism..
To Democracy and Capitalism.
Farming
• Concentrated in the Fertile
Triangle Region
• Rich Chernozem soils: good
for wheat farming
Energy Resources
• Hydroelectric power
• Oil
• Natural Gas
THE END.