Chapter 14
Physical Geography
Russia and the Republics
Chapter 15 Section 1
• I. Northern Landforms– a. Nearly 1/6 of the Earth’s land surface.
Over 8 ½ million square miles.
– A. Northern European Plains-stretches for
over 1,000 miles from Western Russia to
the Urals.
• 1. Chernozem-one of the Earth’s most
fertile soils (black earth) is abundant on
this plain.
• 2. Most of region’s agriculture takes
place here.
15-1
Nearly 75% of the
region’s 290 million
people live on this plainSt. Petersburg, Moscow
and Kiev.
• 3.
15-1
• 2. Others call region one continentEurasia.
• 3. Because the plain tilts northward,
rivers flow toward the Arctic
Ocean.
• 4. Plain lies between the Urals
and the Yenisey River and
between the Arctic and the Altay
Mountains.
Plains
Ural Mountains- dividing line
between Europe and Asia
It separate the Northern
European and West Siberian
plains
15-1
• C. Central Siberian Plateau and Russian Far EastExtensive plains east of the Yenisey River.
1. Uplands and mountains are
dominant landforms.
2. High Plateaus with an average of
1,000 to 2,000 feet.
3. East of the Lena River is the Far
East of Russia.
a. Kamchatka Peninsula-contains
120 volcanoes, 20 of which are active.
15-1
b. Sakhalin and Kuril Islands south of
Kamchatka-Russia seized these Islands after
WWII from Japan.
II. Southern Landforms
A. Caucasus Mountains and other
mountains-stretch across land that
separates the Black and Caspian Seas.
1. Forms the border between
Russia and Transcaucasia-a region
that consists of ; Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia.
15-1
• 2. Some
of these mountains are
located along boundary of Central
Asia-Kyrgyzstan, Tajikstan,
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
a. Ranges are so high that they
prevent moist air from entering the
region from the south, contributing to
the arid climate of Central Asia.
15-1
• B. The Turan Plain-extensive lowland,
lies between the Caspian Sea and Central
Asia.
–1. Has two large rivers-Syr Darya
and Amu Darya–2. Much of this lowland is very
dry-Kara Kum(black desert)
and Kryzyl Kum (red sand
desert).
• III.
15-1
Rivers and Lakes-Has some of
the world’s longest rivers.
– A. Arctic Basin is the region’s largest
drainage basin –Ob, Yenisey and
Lena Rivers flow into this basin and
cover more than 3 million sq. miles.
– B. Volga River-Europe’s longest
river, drains the Caspian Sea Basin.
Starts near Moscow and flows south
for 2,300 miles.
15-1
Lakes–1. Caspian Sea-saltwater lake=750 miles from north to southworld’s largest inland sea.
• C.
Aral Sea-saltwater lake-Has
lost 80 percent of its water
since the 60s due to irrigation
of rivers that feed the lake.
Could disappear in 20-30 years.
– 2.
Lake Baikal-Deepest lake in
the world-Crown Jewel of
Russia’s lakes. Stretches for
400 miles, holds 20 percent
of the world’s fresh water.
15-1
• IV. Regional Resources-
Abundant Resources-huge
reserves or coal, iron ore.
• 1. Oil and natural gas
• 2. Petroleum-near Caspian
• 3. Vast forests supply 1/5th of
the world’s timber
• 4. Rivers make Russia one of
the world’s largest producers
– A.
•
15-1
B. Resource Management-Harsh
climate and rugged terrain
make the distribution of
resources difficult.
–1. Siberia-part of Russia that
lies in Asia. Businesses find it
difficult to attract workers to
this region.
Question
• What is thermal Pollution?
Explain this process in 4-5
sentences
15-2 Climate and Vegetation
• I. Climate of Extremes-Russia and the Republics
has some very cold climates as well as subtropical
and semiarid climates.
• A. Major Climate Regions
– 1. Humid Continental-much of Russia- from Baltic
states, Ukraine and Belarus to Siberia.
– 2. Subarctic-Biggest climate zone of Russia-stretches
from Finland to West coast of Russia(Siberia)
– Continentality-effect of vast distance on climate caused
by the fact that much of this region is located hundreds
of miles away from the moderating influence of the sea
15-2
• 3. Semiarid-southwestern Russia and the
Caucasus region.
• 4. Desert-Area east of the Caspian Sea and
around the Aral Sea.
• 5. Tundra-Northern extremes of Russia.
15-2
• II.
Vegetation Regions
–A. Tundra-fall mostly in the
arctic-mosses, lichens, small
herbs and shrubs.
–B. Forest-largest forest on earth
south of the tundra.-Taiga-mostly
coniferous trees. Many fur
bearing animals such as sable,
fox and ermines.
15-2
• C.
Steppe-Extends from Ukraine
east through Kazakhstan to the
Altay Mountains. Chernozem soil
found in this region. Major source
of grain for Russia and the
Republics.
• D. Desert-Kara Kum-most of
Turkmenistan and Kyzyl Kumwestern Uzbekistan.
15-3 Human-Environment
Interaction
• I. The Shrinking Aral Sea-lost 80
percent of water since 60s.
• A. Receives most of its waters from two
rivers-Amu Darya and Syr Darya. In the
1950s officials began to take large amounts of
water from these rivers to irrigate the cotton
fields of Central Asia.
– 1. Kara Kum Canal project as well as others
slowed water flowing into the sea to a trickle.
15-3
• B. Effects of Agriculture
– 1. Runoff-rainfall not absorbed by the soil
flowing into the Aral Sea killed 24 species of
fish in the two rivers when it contained
pesticides.
• A. Retreating waters of the Aral
exposed pesticides, fertilizers as well as
salt. Windstorms deposited these
elements on the nearby population
causing pollution-leading to disease and
an increase in throat cancer, dysentery,
typhoid and hepatitis. Child mortality
•
15-3
III. The Russian Winter
A. Coping in Siberia-32 million people
make their home here. In Verkhonaysk,
temperatures range from –90F in the winter
to 94F in the summer. Ground is frozen
hard in parts of Siberia due to
permafrost.
B. War and “General Winter”1. 1812-Napoleon reached Moscow only to
be forced to retreat with the onset of winter
and the burning of Moscow. 90,000 of
Napoleon’s 100,000 troops died on the
retreat though the Russian winter back to
15-3
• 2. 1941-Operation
Barbarossa-Hitler’s
invasion of Russia faltered less than
40 miles from Moscow with the onset
of winter. German invasion of Russia
failed as a result when several hundred
thousand Russian reserve troops were
brought up to Moscow from Siberia.
15-3
• B. Crossing the Wild East
– 1.
Tran-Siberian Railroad-linked
Moscow to the Siberian port of
Vladivostok.
• A. 5700 miles, 1891-190370,000 workers moved 77
million cubic feet of earth,
cleared 100,000 acres of forest
and built bridges over major