GeoJournalCreate two columns in your journal. Label the first column “Questions” and the second“New Knowledge.” First, list questions youhave about Russian history and culture. Then,as you read this chapter, record the answers.

Chapter Overview Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Chapter Overviews—Chapter 15 to preview information about the cultural geography of the region.

Population Patterns

A Geographic ViewRussian HeartlandI have come back to Mother Russia,the old heartland from which hadsprung the Russian Empire and itssuccessor, the Union of SovietSocialist Republics. . . . A modernland in many ways, yet profoundlytied to the past. . . . There is [today]a new quest for the much trampledRussian culture, for the “soul” thatwriters lauded for its breadth andwarmth. The old love of the gen-tle landscape that ‘spreads outevenly across half the world,’ as[the writer] Nikolay Gogol sawit in [his novel] Dead Souls,blooms anew—in the form ofanger over polluted rivers and smoky vistas.

—Mike Edwards, “Mother Russia on a New Course,” National Geographic, February 1991

Over the centuries Russia’s borders moved beyondMoscow to include vast territories inhabited by people of different eth-nic backgrounds. Today, the citizens of Russia are not one people, butmany. Each of the diverse groups within the country has its own cul-tural traditions, history, and language. In this section you will learnabout the various culture groups of Russia—from the Arctic peoples inthe north to the peoples of the Caucasus region in the south.

Russia’s Ethnic DiversityRussia has one of the widest varieties of ethnic groups in the

world—in fact, more than a hundred! An ethnic group shares a com-mon ancestry, language, religion, or set of customs, or a combinationof these things. Despite Russia’s ethnic diversity, more than 80 per-cent of the population are ethnic Russians, people who follow Russiancustoms and speak Russian as their first language. The percentage of

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowThroughout much of its history, Russiahas been a land of many differentpeoples. The United States also has adiverse population. What do you thinkare the benefits and challenges ofliving in a country that has people ofmany different backgrounds?

Read to Find Out• What ethnic groups make up

Russia’s population?

• Why is Russia’s populationunevenly distributed?

• How does the climate east of the Ural Mountains affect thepopulation distribution in thisregion?

Terms to Know• ethnic group

• nationality

• sovereignty

Places to Locate• Ural Mountains

• Moscow

C h a p t e r 1 5 363

Children playing on ice,Lake Baikal

Historic church in Moscow

364 U n i t 5

the population that is not ethnic Russian usuallybecame part of Russia’s population as a result ofconquest. This fact has made it difficult for somegroups to consider themselves truly Russian.

Culture

Ethnic RegionsOver the centuries Russia grew from a small terri-

tory to a gigantic empire that stretched from theplains of Europe to the waters of the Pacific Ocean.In the process, many non-Russian ethnic groupscame under its control. In some cases ethnic groupswere concentrated in a single area. During the Sovietera, regional political boundaries often reflected thelocations of major ethnic groups, or nationalities. In

1991, after the Soviet breakup, several of these largerrepublics, including Russia, became independentcountries. Today 32 ethnic groups have their ownrepublics or administrative territories within Russia.

The SlavsEthnic Russians are a part of a larger ethnic group

known as Slavs, a family that also includes Poles,Serbs, Ukrainians, and other eastern Europeans.

Throughout Russia’s history the Russian Slavshave dominated the country’s politics and culture.Most Slavs practice Eastern Orthodoxy, a form ofChristianity brought to Russia from the easternMediterranean area. Russian national identity haslong been tied to the Slav, or ethnic Russian, culture.

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Major Ethnic Groups of Russia

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

RussianTurkicUkrainianFinnicCaucasian

OssetianMongolianUninhabited orsparsely populated

Major Ethnic Groups of Russia

1. Interpreting Maps Where in Russia do mostFinnic peoples live? Mongolians?

2. Applying Geography Skills How have the set-tlement patterns of ethnic groups affected regionalboundaries in Russia?

Although more than 100 languages are spokenin Russia today, Russian is the country’s officiallanguage. Ethnic Russians generally speak onlythis language, while people belonging to otherethnic groups speak both their own languages andRussian.

Turkic PeoplesRussia’s second-largest family of ethnic groups,

the Turkic peoples, live in the Caucasus area, inSiberia, and in the middle Volga area. AlthoughTurkic peoples are mainly Muslims, their ethnicity isbased primarily on language.

The Turkic peoples of Russia include the Tatars,Chuvash, Bashkirs, and Sakha. The most numer-ous of these groups are the Tatars, about one-thirdof whom live in Tatarstan (TA•tuhr•STAN) ineast-central Russia. The Tatar population there,however, is growing rapidly, as this observerreveals:

“ Tatars make up 48 percent of Tatarstan’s3.7 million population. Russians are 43percent. The ratio is close, but the Russiansare worried. . . . [T]he Tatar birthrate is40 percent higher than the Russian, andefforts to revive Tatar ways . . . will surelyerode Russian influence.”Mike Edwards, “Russia: Playing by New Rules,”

National Geographic, March 1993

Russia has ruled Tatarstan since the mid-1500s.In 1994, however, the Russian government grantedTatarstan a limited amount of sovereignty(SAH•vuh•ruhn•tee), or self-rule. The govern-ment hopes that this arrangement will dampenany desire the people of Tatarstan may have toseparate from Russia.

Caucasian PeoplesAnother large group of diverse peoples is classi-

fied as Caucasian (kaw•KAY•zhuhn) becausethey live in the Caucasus region of southeasternRussia. Mainly Muslims, the Caucasian peopleshave similar languages and cultures, but localdialects often make communication among themdifficult. Caucasian groups such as the Chechens,Dagestanis, and Ingushetians today are demand-ing independence or at least local self-rule.

Population Density and Distribution

Russia is the sixth most populous country in theworld, after China, India, the United States,Indonesia, and Brazil. Russia does not, however,have a large population relative to its land area.

Population and the EnvironmentWith a population of about 144.4 million people

and an area of about 6.6 million square miles (about 17.1 million sq. km), Russia’s average pop-ulation density is about 22 people per square mile(9 per sq. km). Compare this figure with that of theUnited States, where an average of 77 people livewithin a square mile (30 per sq. km), and you canbegin to appreciate how sparsely populated partsof Russia are.

Averages alone, however, can be misleading.About 75 percent of all Russians live in the areabetween the Belarus and Ukraine borders and theUral Mountains, making the population density ofEuropean Russia about 120 people per square mile(46 per sq. km). Meanwhile, Russia’s largest east-ern republic, Sakha, averages less than 1 person persquare mile.

Kazan Marketplace Consumers shop at thepoultry counter in the marketplace of Kazan, the majoreconomic center of Tatarstan.

Place What is Tatarstan’s political relationship withRussia?

C h a p t e r 1 5 365

Checking for Understanding1. Define ethnic group, nationality,

sovereignty.

2. Main Ideas Copy the web below,and use it to fill in current infor-mation about Russia’s population.

Critical Thinking3. Categorizing Information What

would be the advantages and dis-advantages of an ethnic groupforming an independent country?

4. Making Generalizations How mightimproved health care help solveRussia’s current population crisis?

5. Predicting Consequences What aresome likely effects of changes inRussia’s population in the future?

Analyzing Maps6. Human-Environment Interaction

Study the map of Russia’s ethnicgroups on page 364. Explain thepattern of settlement east of the Ural Mountains.

By contrast, the more densely settled EuropeanRussia includes the region’s industrialized cities,many of which are connected by waterways. Themajor industrial city is Moscow, Russia’s capital.Other industrial centers include St. Petersburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, Kazan, Perm, Volgograd, andYekaterinburg. Since 1990, urban population growthin most industrialized centers has leveled off ordecreased, particularly in cities with more than500,000 inhabitants.

Population TrendsDuring the Soviet era, many ethnic Russiansmigrated to non-Russian republics of the Soviet

Union. In the 1970s this trend began to reverse.Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991,more ethnic Russians have returned to theirhomeland. Most have settled in Moscow,St. Petersburg, and southwestern Russia.Because of this trend, the number of immi-grants to Russia has been greater than thenumber of Russians leaving the country.

Still, Russia is currently experiencing a popu-lation crisis because of a rise in illnesses as thequality and availability of health care havedeclined. Since 1992 the number of deaths hasexceeded the number of births. During the

1990s, male life expectancy dropped from 64 years to59 years, but is expected to rise slowly in the 2000s.During the same time period, female life expectancydecreased from 74 years to 72 years. Infant mortalityduring this period rose from 17.4 deaths per 1,000births to 19 per 1,000 births. One of the tasks facingRussia in the years ahead is to improve health care.

366 U n i t 5

7. Migration Consider pastpopulation trends in Russia.What might have drawnimmigrants to settle in anarea like Moscow?

Applying Geography Population Patterns

Density andDistribution

EthnicDiversity

The uneven distribution of Russia’s populationrelates to its physical environment. East of the UralMountains, the Siberian climate is harsh. Moun-tains, frozen tundra, and forests there are unsuit-able for farming. Although Siberia makes up about75 percent of Russia’s land area, only 25 percent ofRussia’s people live there.

Russian Language A poster inSt. Petersburg announces the open-ing of an opera.

Region What two cultural character-istics give ethnic Russians a sense ofidentity?

C h a p t e r 1 5 367

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowEvents in Russia are often in the news.What recent news events have helpedyou understand more about Russia’sgovernment and its challenges?

Read to Find Out• Who were the ancestors of the

ethnic Russians?

• Why did the rule of the czars endin revolution?

• What were the causes of the SovietUnion’s collapse?

• Why does Russia face an uncertainfuture?

Terms to Know• czar

• serf

• Russification

• socialism

• Bolshevik

• communism

• satellite

• Cold War

• perestroika

• glasnost

Places to Locate• Baltic Sea

• Black Sea

• St. Petersburg

History andGovernment

A Geographic ViewEnd of an EraThe Bolshevik dream finally endedwith Mikhail Gorbachev’s programof glasnost, or openness, whichallowed citizens to speak freely for the first time in decades. Allthe carefully constructed “truths”began to unravel, and there wasno turning back. Gorbachev’s era passed. Russia’s President,Boris Yeltsin, outlawed theCommunist Party by signing a few pieces of paper. The Bolsheviks surrendered withouta shot.

—Dusko Doder, “The Bolshevik Revolution,” National Geographic, October 1992

Mikhail Gorbachev saw firsthand both the costsand benefits of political change, even changes that come with demo-cratic reforms. As the last Soviet leader, Gorbachev tried to reform theSoviet system, but his efforts failed to prevent its collapse. The historyof Russia, once the dominant republic of the Soviet Union, is a storyof the rise and fall of great empires. Monarchs, Communist Party offi-cials, and democratic politicians—as well as foreign invaders—haveall shaped Russia’s national character.

Early Peoples and StatesRussia’s historical roots go back to the A.D. 600s, when Slav farm-

ers, hunters, and fishers settled near the waterways of the NorthEuropean Plain. Over time, the Slavs separated into distinct cul-tural groups. The West Slavs eventually became the Poles, Czechs,

Mikhail Gorbachev

368 U n i t 5

and Slovaks. The South Slavs became the Bulgar-ians, Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes. The East Slavsbecame the Russians, Ukrainians, and Belaru-sians. These East Slav peoples remained settledalong the Dnieper (NEE•puhr) River in the westand the Volga River in the east.

Kievan RusDuring the 800s Scandinavian warriors called

the Varangians settled among the Slavs living nearthe Dnieper and Volga Rivers. Within a century theVarangians had adopted the Slav language andmany Slav customs and had organized the Slav

communities into a loose union of city-statesknown as Kievan Rus. Ruled by princes, the lead-ing city-state, Kiev, controlled a prosperous trad-ing route, using Russia’s western rivers as a linkbetween the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea.

Eventually, fighting among the city-states weak-ened Kievan Rus. Then, in the early 1200s, Mongolinvaders from Central Asia conquered Kiev andmany of the Slav territories. Although the Mongolsallowed the Slavs self-rule, they continued to con-trol the area for more than 200 years. During thisperiod the Slav territories still remained in contactwith western and central Europe. However, they

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Russia’s Changing Borders, 1462–Present

Kievan RusMuscovy of Ivan III, 1462Boundary of Soviet Union in 1945Present boundaries

1462–15051505–16891689–19171917–1945

Russian and Soviet Expansion

1. Interpreting Maps In what time period didRussia gain control of St. Petersburg? Omsk?

2. Applying Geography Skills What geographi-cal factors influenced Russian leaders to expandtheir empire’s boundaries?

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

In 1533 Ivan the Great’s grandson, Ivan IV,became Russia’s first crowned czar (ZAHR), orsupreme ruler. Called Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IVcrushed all opposition to his power and expandedhis realm’s borders.

After Ivan’s reign, however, the country faced foreign invasion, economic decline, and socialupheaval. When the Romanov dynasty came topower in 1613, the government gradually tight-ened its grip on the people. By 1650 many peasantshad become serfs, a virtually enslaved workforcebound to the land and under the control of nobility.

Romanov CzarsWhile Russia struggled through chaos and harsh

rule, western Europe moved forward and left Russia behind, especially in the areas of science andtechnology. Then in the late 1600s, Czar Peter I—known as Peter the Great—came to power de-termined to modernize Russia. Under him, Russiaenlarged its territory, built a strong military, anddeveloped trade with Europe. To acquire seaports,Peter gained land along the Baltic Sea from Sweden.He also strengthened Russia’s control of Siberia.

A new capital—St. Petersburg —was carved outof the wilderness. Built along the Gulf of Finland,St. Petersburg provided access to the Baltic Sea andgave Russia a “window to the West.” Since most ofRussia’s other ports were icebound for almost halfthe year, St. Petersburg became a major port.

During the late 1700s, Empress Catherine theGreat continued to expand Russia’s empire andgained a long-sought-after warm-water port on theBlack Sea. By that time the Russian nobility hadadopted western European ways—for example,using French instead of Russian as their primarylanguage. As a result, a cultural gap developedbetween the nobility and Russia’s serfs, who fol-lowed traditional Russian ways. Meanwhile,poverty and heavy work fell even more harshly onthe serfs. Russia’s great expansion also brought

C h a p t e r 1 5 369

followed their own distinctive cultural path basedon the traditions of Eastern Orthodoxy.

The Rise of RussiaWhen the Mongols first overran Kiev, many

Slavs fled into nearby forests, and some of themlater settled along the Moskva River to the north-east. In time one of their settlements grew intothe city of Moscow, which became the center ofa territory called Muscovy (muh•SKOH•vee).Muscovy was linked by rivers to major traderoutes and surrounded by lands good for farmingand trapping fur-bearing animals.

For about two centuries, Muscovy’s princes keptpeace with the Mongols. Their territory grew inpower as the princes helped the Mongols collecttaxes from other Slav territories. By the late 1400s,however, the Muscovites became strong enough torefuse payments to the Mongols and to drive themout. Following this triumph, Muscovy’s PrinceIvan III brought many Slav territories under hiscontrol, thus earning the title “the Great.” Ivan’sexpanded realm eventually became known as Rus-sia. In the heart of Moscow, Ivan built a hugefortress, called the Kremlin, and filled it withchurches and palaces.

The CatherinePalace Along with other palaces, the summer residence ofCatherine the Great is located outside of St. Petersburg.

Region How did Catherine the Great expand Russia’s empire?

370 U n i t 5

under its rule many non-Russians, including Poles,Ukrainians, Estonians, Baltic Germans, Jews, andTatars in Crimea near the Black Sea.

The Russian RevolutionThe 1800s saw a long cycle of popular discontent,

half-hearted political reforms, and governmentalrepression. Inspired by the American and FrenchRevolutions, educated Russians wanted to makeRussian society more open. The government, how-ever, held on tightly to power, and reforms were lim-ited. Czar Alexander II freed the serfs in 1861, butthey had no education and few ways to earn a liv-ing. Industrialization drew some peasants from thecountry to the cities, where they worked long hoursin poor conditions for meager wages.

At the same time, non-Russian peoples werefacing prejudice and hostility. Spurred by increas-ing nationalism, the government introduced thepolicy of Russification, which required everyoneto speak Russian and follow Eastern OrthodoxChristianity. People who refused were often per-secuted. Harsh treatment was directed especiallytoward Jews, who were often blamed for Russia’sproblems.

Frustrated and discontented, many Russianthinkers and workers were attracted to socialism, abelief that calls for greater economic equality in soci-ety. Some Russians especially liked the socialistideas of German philosopher Karl Marx. Marxadvocated public ownership of all land and a class-less society with an equal sharing of wealth. Heclaimed that continual struggle between the wealthyand working classes would lead to a worldwiderevolution. This revolution, he thought, would beled by workers and end the power of the wealthy.

In the early 1900s, discontent with the iron rule ofthe czars spilled into the streets. Strikes and demon-strations in 1905 nearly ended the reign of CzarNicholas II. One event, called Bloody Sunday,began with a peaceful crowd of workers desiringbetter working conditions and personal freedomsmarching toward the czar’s palace in St. Petersburg.The march ended abruptly when soldiers fired intothe marchers, killing nearly 1,000 people.

Twelve years later, in 1917, the hardships ofWorld War I brought even larger numbers of work-ers into the streets of the capital. With soldiers join-ing them, the workers demanded “bread andfreedom.” Finally, Nicholas II was forced to give uphis throne, ending the rule of the czars in Russia.

The Soviet EraThe Russian Revolution of March 1917 estab-

lished a representative government, but it was too weak to control the passion for change thathad swept Russia. In November of that year,the Bolsheviks, a revolutionary group led byVladimir Ilyich Lenin, seized control. The victori-ous Bolsheviks believed in communism, a philos-ophy based on Karl Marx’s ideas that called for theviolent overthrow of government and the creationof a new society led by workers.

Promising the Russian people “Peace, Land, andBread!” the Bolsheviks withdrew Russia from WorldWar I, surrendering much territory to Germany.They used their complete hold on political power totake over industry, direct food distribution, establishan eight-hour workday, and reform the army.

Not all Russians supported the Bolsheviks. Tomaintain power, the Bolsheviks dealt harshly withtheir opponents. A civil war soon divided thecountry, pitting the Bolshevik Red Army againstthe anti-Bolshevik White Army.

the arts of RUSSIA

Fabergé Eggs Russian goldsmith andjeweler Peter Carl Fabergé createdimaginative jeweled and enameledEaster eggs for the czars of Russia

and other royalty in Europeand Asia. The eggs were

often created to markimportant events,such as coronationsand marriages.Each egg wasunique and contained a tinysurprise inside.

had destructive nuclear weapons, outright con-flict was avoided. Instead, the two countries usedas “weapons” propaganda, the threat of force, andeconomic aid to developing countries.

The Soviet BreakupDuring the Cold War, the Soviet economy weak-

ened while many other economies grew. Sovietworkers struggled with economic hardships, yettheir leaders enjoyed great privileges. By the 1980s itwas clear that communism was failing.

In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev, a reform-mindedofficial, assumed power in the Soviet Union. Gorbachev was keenly aware of the abuses of thepast—Joseph Stalin had imprisoned both his grand-fathers. Although Gorbachev remained a dedicatedcommunist, he began a policy of economic restruc-turing called perestroika (PEHR•uh•STROY•kuh)and a policy of greater political openness calledglasnost (GLAZ•nohst). Gorbachev’s reforms, how-ever, failed to save the Soviet Union.

Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and other com-munist countries overthrew their communist rulersin 1989. Meanwhile, nationalist fervor was rising in

C h a p t e r 1 5 371

History

The Soviet UnionIn 1921 the Bolsheviks, now known as Commu-

nists, won the civil war. The following year theyestablished a new country, the Union of SovietSocialist Republics (USSR), or the Soviet Union,with Moscow as the capital. Under the Commu-nists the Soviet Union gradually gained backUkraine, Belorussia (now Belarus), much of theCaucasus region, and a large part of Central Asia.

After Lenin’s death in 1924, Joseph Stalin, a lead-ing Communist Party official, began a five-yearclimb to power. Defeating his rivals, Stalin setabout making the Soviet Union into a powerfulindustrial giant by ruthlessly taking control offarms and factories. Millions either were killed ordied as a result of hunger, physical hardships, orthe brutal conditions in labor camps. Stalin alsoeliminated from the party and the military thosepeople who might threaten his power.

A SuperpowerDuring World War II, the growth of industry—

and the fierce Russian winter—helped theRussians push out the invadingGermans, but at great cost. Morethan 27 million Russian soldiersand civilians died as a result of thewar. At the war’s end in 1945, theSoviet Union controlled much ofeastern Europe. By 1949 most ofthe countries in the region hadbecome Soviet satellites, countriescontrolled by the Soviet Union.These satellite states, notably EastGermany, Hungary, Poland, andCzechoslovakia, strengthened theSoviet Union’s military and sup-plied critically needed raw materi-als, such as coal and iron ore, aswell as manufactured goods.

For the next four decades, theSoviet Union and the UnitedStates were engaged in the ColdWar, the struggle between the twocompeting systems—communistand capitalist—for world influ-ence and power. Since each country

Lenin’s Plan Leninand the Bolsheviks promised to build an economy in which each citizen shared equally in the wealth.

Place What conditions led many people to identify with thepromises of Lenin?

The coup collapsed, and Gorbachev remainedthe leader of the Soviet Union. By year’s end, however, all the remaining Soviet republics haddeclared independence. Boris Yeltsin remainedpresident of Russia, the largest of the formerSoviet republics. Russia, Belarus, and Ukraineformed the Commonwealth of Independent States(CIS) in 1991, and they eventually were joined byother former republics. On December 25, 1991,Gorbachev’s presidency ended, and the SovietUnion ceased to exist.

A New RussiaBoris Yeltsin assumed the leadership of a devas-

tated Russia. The economy was in shambles, andethnic conflicts threatened the Caucasus region.

372 U n i t 5

the non-Russian Soviet republics. The Baltic states ofLatvia, Lithuania, and Estonia were the first Sovietrepublics to declare independence.

Then in 1991 loyal Communists tried to overthrowGorbachev and preserve the Soviet Union. BorisYeltsin, who had recently become the first democra-tically elected president of the Russian republic,rallied the people of Moscow to defy the plotters. Areporter described how Yeltsin’s cause was helpedby financier Konstantin Borovoy:

“ On the first day…, few Russians knew thatYeltsin was resisting…. [Yeltsin] sent faxesto Borovoy’s office…. Brokers copied themand spread leaflets…. Citizens…threw upbarricades as tanks took positions…. ‘The[secret police] came to arrest the Xeroxmachines,’ Borovoy said, ‘but we hadalready taken them to a safer place.’…”Mike Edwards, “Russia: Playing by

New Rules,” National Geographic,March 1993

Red Square, Moscow A retired Russiancolonel confronts an anti-communist demonstratorin the early 1990s.

Place How did Gorbachev seek to reform theSoviet system?

A Market EconomyOn the economic front, Russia began moving

from a command economy to a market economy.This transition caused massive unemployment asoutdated and inefficient factories were closed andagriculture was restructured. By 2000, however,the Russian economy began to improve. The rateof inflation, at an unbelievable high of 1,500 per-cent in 1992, fell below 20 percent by 1997. In addi-tion, Russia’s currency, the ruble, which had beensharply losing value on international markets,began to stabilize.

Separatist MovementsAfter the fall of the Soviet Union, separatist

movements and ethnic conflict threatened Russia’sstability. Beginning in the 1990s, Tatarstan, Dages-tan, Chechnya, and other Russian ethnic territoriesdemanded greater self-rule or sought a completebreak from Moscow. Although some conflicts havebeen settled by compromise, often violence orfull-scale war has erupted. The bloody war betweenthe Russian government and separatist forces inChechnya is a tragic example. In 1991 the Chechensdeclared their independence. Fearing Russia’sbreakup if other groups did the same, Boris Yeltsinsent Russian troops into Chechnya in 1994. UnderYeltsin’s successor, Vladimir Putin, Russia claimedto control much of the territory. Chechen resistance,

Checking for Understanding1. Define czar, serf, Russification,

socialism, Bolshevik, communism,satellite, Cold War, perestroika,glasnost.

2. Main Ideas List the key events in Russia or in the Soviet Unionduring each of the following time periods: Kievan Rus, RussianEmpire, Soviet Union, and Russia.

Critical Thinking3. Making Inferences Why do you

think Russians have almost alwayshad a centralized government?What problems do you think thegovernment had as Russia grew?

4. Comparing and ContrastingHow was the government duringczarist rule and the Soviet erasimilar? Different?

5. Predicting Consequences Howmight Russia be affected if sepa-ratist groups gain independence?

Analyzing Maps6. Human-Environment Interaction

Look at the map of Russia’s chang-ing borders on page 368. Whatgeographic factors encouragedRussian expansion?

7. Geography and HistoryThink about ways thatphysical geography influ-enced the Russian people’shistory and culture. Write anessay explaining the impactof geography on one of Russia’s ethnic groups.

Applying Geography

however, continued in rural areas. By 2001 about335,000 people had been displaced by the conflict,and Chechens faced severe food shortages.

The years of warfare have ravaged Chechnya’scivilian population and the area’s oil-based econ-omy. The conflict has also drained economic-development funds from the rest of Russia.

C h a p t e r 1 5 373

Kievan RusEra Dates and Key Events

Apartment building damaged during the Chechen conflict

EASTWARD HO? Opening the Russianfrontier meant traveling east—fareast. But Conestoga wagons couldnot have crossed the frozen lands of Siberia. Encompassing more than

half of Russia’s total area, Siberia dwarfs theAmerican West and ranks as one of Earth’scoldest climates. Only the Trans-SiberianRailroad could accomplish Russia’s east-ward expansion.

Czar Alexander III approved plansfor the railroad that would link theEuropean and Asian parts of theRussian Empire and bring eastern landsunder Russia’s control. Construction ofthe world’s longest railroad began in1891.The builders hoped to connectMoscow to the port city of Vladivostok,on the Sea of Japan, by 1900. The dis-tance between the cities is nearly 6,000miles (9,650 km).

Get Me to Vladivostok on Time

Huge construction problems loomed from the start. Siberia’s severe climate andrugged topography slowed progress. By theexpected end date of 1900, two unfinishedsegments remained.The first was the sec-tion around Lake Baikal, the world’s deepestfreshwater lake.To lay track around thelake’s southern tip, bridges spanning hun-dreds of gorges and 33 tunnels through

A train bound for Vladivostok rumbles overTrans-Siberian tracks. More passengersand freight move by train than by any otherform of transportation in Russia.

▲

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rock would have to be built. Farthereast, the Shilkaand Amur Riverspresented similarchallenges.

As a temporary solution, an icebreaking steam ferry about the sizeof a football field carried rail cars and up to 800 passengers at a timeacross Lake Baikal. Farther down the line, passengers and freightwere loaded onto riverboats—ice sledges in winter—for the 1,400-mile (2,250-km) trip along the rivers whose banks had yet to be conquered by rail.

Eager to complete an east-west railway, Russia negotiated an alter-nate route through Chinese-controlled Manchuria that bypassed theShilka and Amur Rivers. Completion of this shortcut, along with theLake Baikal segment in 1904, made travel by rail between Moscowand Vladivostok possible for the first time.Twelve years later, theoriginal route within Russia was completed.

A Driving Force

The railroad opened Russia’s interior to homesteaders and devel-opers who exploited Siberia’s vast store of raw materials—includingcoal, timber, and gold. During World War II, rail cars carried suppliesto the front and moved hundreds of factories from western sites inthe Soviet Union to safer sites east of the Ural Mountains.

Since the 1950s much of the line has been electrified. From startto finish, passengers can make the trip in slightly less than a weekacross seven time zones.

1891 Construction begins (photo above) on Trans-Siberian Railroad

1900 Line opens using boats to cross Lake Baikal and the Shilka and Amur Rivers

1903 Shortcut opensthrough Manchuria

1904 Workers finish sectionaround Lake Baikal

1916 Train travel begins(background photo)along original routein Russia

1950s Electrification of railline begins

Workers built more than200 bridges to span riversand gorges along the railway’s route.

Looking Ahead

Today the Trans-Siberian Railroad shows signs of wear.WithRussia’s political turmoil and shaky economy, passenger andfreight traffic have steadily declined.Worker morale is low.Will the railroad withstand Russia’s upheavals? If the railroad falls apart, how might that affect Russia’s future?

▲

U n i t 5 375

Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowThink of books or movies about Russia that you may have read orseen. What images of life in Russiastand out in your mind?

Read to Find Out• How has the role of religion

changed in post-Soviet Russia?

• How are education and healthcare in Russia adjusting to the fall of communism?

• What role do art, music, and liter-ature have in Russia’s cultural heritage?

Terms to Know• atheism

• patriarch

• icon

• pogrom

• intelligentsia

• socialist realism

Places to Locate• Caspian Sea

• Lake Baikal

Cultures andLifestyles

A Geographic ViewA Cultural Center. . . [T]oday’s Russian aristocracy ofentrepreneurs and artists . . . [feel] nos-talgia for a Russia long gone—an age of glittering accomplishment when St.Petersburg reigned as a world center ofmusic, ballet, and literature. . . . Reflect-ing that legacy, the city counts some30 theaters devoted to the performingarts. . . . Under communist rule, thearts . . . were lavishly subsidized. TheBolsheviks may have made Moscowthe political capital of the SovietUnion, but St. Petersburg remained itscultural rival—a position Petersburgersare resolved to maintain.

—Steve Raymer, “St. Petersburg: Capital of the Tsars,” National Geographic, December 1993

Russia’s adjustment to a new government and economicsystem has had a profound effect on all Russians. As they move into anew era, Russia’s people are also looking for a cultural renewal. Nowthat the Soviet state no longer dictates their personal lives, millions ofRussians are rediscovering their faiths and traditions, reeducatingthemselves, and expressing themselves creatively.

Religion in RussiaThe Eastern Orthodox Church had been central to Russian culture

for a thousand years before the communist revolution in 1917. Afteracquiring power, the Soviet government strictly discouraged religiouspractices. It actively promoted atheism (AY•thee•IH•zuhm), or thebelief that there is no God or other supreme being, in schools andother public institutions. In the late 1980s, however, the governmentbegan to relax its restrictions on religion.

376 U n i t 5

A Russian family reciting poems

C h a p t e r 1 5 377

After the Soviet breakup, many Russiansreturned to religious practices. However, theinflux of many foreign missionaries from WesternChristian denominations prompted lawmakers in1997 to place restrictions on the activities of newlyestablished religious groups. Only Christianity,Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism were allowed fullliberty as traditional religions of Russia.

History

Christianity in RussiaIn 988 Prince Vladimir, leader of Kievan Rus,

adopted Eastern Orthodox Christianity as Russia’sofficial religion. By 1453 the Byzantine Empire, thecenter of the Eastern Orthodox Church, had fallen,and Russia asserted its claim as leader of theOrthodox Christian world.

During the 1900s the Soviet government weak-ened Orthodoxy’s influence, but today the RussianOrthodox Church is enjoying a resurgence. MostRussians who claim a religious affiliation belong to

the Russian branch of the Orthodox Church. Thefaithful have repaired or rebuilt many of thechurches that were looted or destroyed during Soviettimes. Like some other Eastern Orthodox churches,the Russian Church has a spiritual leader called apatriarch (PAY•tree•AHRK) and uses icons, or reli-gious images or symbols, in its religious practices.

Despite recent government efforts to restore thedominant position of Eastern Orthodoxy andrestrict other denominations, Russia is also home tomany other Christian groups, including RomanCatholics and Protestants. Persecuted during theSoviet era along with members of all other reli-gions, these groups have reemerged since the 1980s.

IslamIslam, the second-largest religion in Russia,

is also enjoying a rebirth. Islam is practiced mostlyby people living in the southern regions of Russia,particularly in the Caucasus region and in areasnorth of Kazakhstan. Most Russian Muslims belong

Sources: World Almanac, 2001; Britannica Book of the Year, 2000

Nonreligious71.1%

Christian17.2%

Muslim10%

Jewish 0.4%

Other religions1.3%

Christian

Muslim

Jewish

Other religions

25,100,000

14,600,000

600,000

Nonreligious 103,800,000

1,900,000

Religion Number of Followers

GRAPH STUDY

Russia: Religions

1. Interpreting Graphs How many more Christians than Muslims live in Russia?

2. Applying Geography Skills Why do you thinkthere is such a large percentage of nonreligiouspeople in Russia?

BuddhismRussia has two ethnic republics that are mainly

Buddhist. Kalmykia (kal•MIH•kee•uh), near theCaspian Sea in the southwest, and Buryatia, nearLake Baikal in south-central Russia, together havenearly half a million Buddhists. For this reasonBuddhism is accepted in today’s Russia as a tradi-tional religion.

EducationDuring the 1900s education in Russia showed

significant advances. Today the country’s literacyrate is nearly 100 percent in most urban areas pop-ulated by ethnic Russians. This high rate is largelythe result of the Soviet emphasis on free butmandatory education. During the Soviet era, theeducation system favored military, science, andengineering studies rather than language, history,and literature. This educational focus produced gen-erations of technology-focused government offi-cials. They, along with prominent educators, writers,and artists, made up the Soviet intelligentsia(in•TEH• luh•JEHN•see•uh), or intellectual elite.

In contrast, doctors and teach-ers were among the lowest-paid professionals in Sovietsociety.

When the Soviet Unioncollapsed, the curriculum inRussia’s schools changed dra-matically. Communist teach-ings disappeared, and schoolsemphasized a more objectiveand less authoritarian ap-proach to learning. Today stu-dents in Russia have a choice ofseveral different kinds of highschools, including traditionalschools, schools specializing inelective studies such as lan-guages, university preparatoryschools, and alternative schoolswith experimental programs.

Unfortunately, Russia’s un-stable economy has severely lim-ited budgets for schools. Manyschools are overcrowded andin disrepair. Frustrated teachers

378 U n i t 5

to the Sunni branch of Islam. Sunni Islam is alsopracticed by people in most Arab countries ofSouthwest Asia as well as Turkey and Afghanistan.Some citizens of Russia also practice other forms ofIslam, including Sufism, which is a deeply spiritualbranch of Islam.

JudaismPeople practicing Judaism in Russia have long

been persecuted. In czarist times Jews could settleonly in certain areas and could not own land. Theywere often the targets of organized persecution andmassacres known as pogroms. Yet Jewish communi-ties managed to thrive in many of Russia’s cities.

Events in the twentieth century took a tragic tollon Russia’s Jews. During most of the communistera, Jews experienced discrimination and were dis-couraged from practicing their religion or celebrat-ing their culture. As a result, many Jews migrated toIsrael or the United States, though the process wasdifficult in some cases. By 1995, however, 700,000Jews still lived in Russia. Despite lingering preju-dice, Jewish communities in Russia are restoringtheir religious practices and organizing schools.

Russian EducationStudents in Moscow School 1173 are linked by the Internet to students in more than 1,000 U.S. schools and 27 from other countries.

Place What is the main reason for Russia’s high literacy rate?

C h a p t e r 1 5 379

often abandon teaching because of low pay, lack ofrespect, and low morale. In an unstable economy,many young people focus on earning moneyrather than getting an education. Still, Russian stu-dents and teachers are reexamining Russia’s tradi-tions in education and the arts.

Health CareDisease, lifestyle choices such as smoking

tobacco and drinking alcoholic beverages, andinefficient health care systems all threaten thewell-being of Russia’s people. Russian birthratesfell after World War II because of the massive lossof life in the war. This drop, coupled with an agingpopulation in the 1990s, is shrinking Russia’s pop-ulation, but the trend may be slowing. Male lifeexpectancy in Russia is expected to rise slowly inthe 2000s, moving from a low of59 years in the late 1990s, com-pared with 74 years in theUnited States during the sameperiod. However, infertility inRussia is increasing by morethan 3 percent a year, and 75 per-cent of all pregnant womendevelop serious health prob-lems. Concern about increasingrates of infectious disease, suchas tuberculosis, typhoid, anddiphtheria, has led some coun-tries to carefully screen Russianimmigrants.

Today the Russian health caresystem is struggling to meetpeople’s needs. Privatization hashelped, but the government stillowns and manages many clinicsand hospitals, and these areoften inefficient. Doctors andnurses are giving up their pro-fessions because they can earnmore money as cab drivers orstore clerks. Better insurancefunding and wiser health caremanagement are among themany reforms needed to improvehealth care in Russia.

The ArtsRussians revere their artists, musicians, and writ-

ers not only for their creativity but also for theircourage in expressing themselves in the face of cen-sorship. Modern Russians are still devoted to theirlong and rich cultural heritage.

Russia’s Artistic Golden AgeBefore the late 1600s, Russian architects and

artists often found inspiration in religion. Theybuilt beautiful churches, crowned with onion-shaped domes and filled with icons of Jesus, Mary,and the saints as well as wall paintings of biblicalstories. When Peter the Great introduced westernEuropean culture to Russia in the early 1700s,Russian arts began to focus on nonreligious themes.By the early 1800s, Russia had entered an artisticgolden age that lasted into the 1900s.

CountryFemale

Life Expectancy Rate of

Natural Increase

Infant Mortality

Rate (per 1000)

Source: 2001 World Population Data Sheet

Male

Czech Republic

Poland

Russia

Albania

Ukraine

4.1

9.2

16.0

12.0

15.0

71

68

59

69

63

78

77

72

75

74

–0.2

0.0

–0.7

1.2

–0.7

CHART STUDY

State of Health

1. Interpreting Charts Which country has the highest infant mortality rate?

2. Applying Geography Skills How are infant mortality rates andlife expectancy related to the general state of health in a country?

380 U n i t 5

Russian painters such as Ilya Repin, WassilyKandinksy, and Marc Chagall contributed to thewealth of Russian art. Composers Pyotr (Peter)Tchaikovsky, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, andModest Mussorgsky revolutionized Russian classi-cal music and created memorable ballets. Many of their compositions used themes from Russianfolk music. Today the Bolshoi and Kirov balletcompanies are world famous for their stunningperformances of traditional Russian ballet.

Russian literature owes a great debt to poetssuch as Alexander Pushkin, Boris Pasternak, andAnna Akhmatova, who wrote eloquently abouttheir private lives and about historical events.

Novelists of the 1800s, such as Leo Tolstoy andFyodor Dostoyevsky, became known for epic worksfilled with vivid characters caught up in the strug-gle between good and evil or between love andhate. These two literary giants also focused onsocial and political injustices of life under the czars.Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Dostoyevsky’s Crimeand Punishment still captivate readers today.

Government

Culture and the SovietsAfter 1917 the Soviet government severely lim-

ited individual artistic expression. It believed thatall artists had the duty to glorify the achievementsof Soviet communism in their works. This ap-proach to art was called socialist realism. Writers,painters, and other artists who did not follow gov-ernment guidelines were severely punished. Thewriter Alexander Solzhenitsyn, for example, wasbanished to a succession of labor camps and finallyexpelled from the country. He described the hor-rors of the labor camps in his famous work, TheGulag Archipelago.

Traditional Russian music includes many styles, from the rich folk traditionsof the steppes to religious choral music performed in richly decoratedurban churches. In the former Soviet Union, music and art were government-controlled, but individual artistic expression is very much alive today.

Instrument SpotlightThe balalaika appeared in Russia during the 1600s and was based on a two-string Tatar instrument from the 1200s. The instrument is crafted of pine in a rounded or triangular shape, and it hasthree strings, which are strummed or plucked. Balalaikas are often played in folk groups along with accordions, guitars, zithers, and percussion instru-ments. Todaythere is a widerange of balalaikas in different sizes,ranging fromsoprano to bass.

music of RUSSIA

Student Web Activity Visit the Glencoe World GeographyWeb site at tx.geography.glencoe.com and click on Student WebActivities—Chapter 15 for an activity on nineteenth-centuryRussian painters.

World Music: A Cultural Legacy Hear music of this region on Disc 1, Tracks 20–23.

Checking for Understanding1. Define atheism, patriarch, icon,

pogrom, intelligentsia, socialistrealism.

2. Main Ideas Create a graphic organizer like the one below, anduse it to fill in the key details foreach aspect of Russian culturetoday.

Critical Thinking3. Making Inferences Why do you

think Russian lawmakers haverestricted activity by religious groupsother than Russia’s four traditionalreligions?

4. Comparing and Contrasting Whatwas the education system likeduring the Soviet era, and what is it like today?

5. Making Generalizations Howhave Russian artists, musicians,and writers inspired the Russianpeople during difficult times?

Analyzing Graphs6. Region Study the graph of reli-

gions in Russia on page 377. Whatpercentage of people living inRussia today is Muslim? What percentage is nonreligious?

7. Influence of Location Inwhich part of Russia do most Russian followers ofIslam live? Why do youthink this is so? Write aparagraph to explain yourreasoning.

Applying Geography

Post-Soviet ArtsBeginning in the mid-1980s, activity in the arts

renewed, as loosening government controls allowedthe printing of previously unpublished works andnew materials. During the height of Soviet repression,some of these works had been smuggled from Russiaand printed in other countries. In 1989, a journalistfrom the United States noted the frenzy of culturalactivity that came with the dawn of freedom:

“ On [Moscow’s] Arbat pedestrian mall,would-be Pushkins and Pasternaks peddletheir autographed poetry for a ruble ormore a page. . . . More than 200 experi-mental studio theaters have sprouted inMoscow alone. The cultural explosion hasbeen felt as far away as the Pacific port ofNakhodka, where local artists set up apuppet theater workshop, and in Yaroslavlin the Soviet heartland, scene of a rollick-ing street festival celebrating the arts.”John Kohan, “Freedom

Waiting for Vision,” Time, April 10, 1989

Life and LeisureDaily life has always been difficult for ordinary

people in Russia. During Soviet times apartment

dwellers often found residential buildings crowded.Because of shortages of consumer goods, peoplespent many hours trying to purchase daily staples.Today, although some Russians are prosperingand are building new homes in suburbs, othersstill live in crowded apartments and find it hard topay the high prices charged for certain goods.Despite the frustrations, urban life offers manyopportunities for people to enjoy the arts and cul-ture. Reading, playing chess, and attending con-certs, the ballet, and the theater all providepopular entertainment.

Both in cities and rural areas, Russians enjoyrelaxing at mealtime with family and close friends.Sports, both amateur and professional, are quitepopular with all age groups. Russia’s tennis, trackand field, and ice hockey athletes have hadremarkable success in international events, as havefigure skaters and gymnasts.

In the Soviet era, holidays were celebrated tohonor Soviet workers or Soviet history. On May 1,the traditional workers’ holiday known as MayDay, great parades passed through Red Square, alarge open area next to the Kremlin.

Today Russians observe May Day more as aspring festival than as a workers’ holiday. Tradi-tional religious holidays also have reemerged. In1991, Christmas, celebrated by Eastern Ortho-dox Christians, became an official holiday inRussia for the first time since 1918.

C h a p t e r 1 5 381

Aspects of Russian Culture

Religion Education HealthCare

TheArts

Learning the SkillKnowing whether you are

reading a primary or secondarysource is important for evaluat-ing the information. A primarysource has the advantage offirsthand knowledge of anevent. A secondary source oftenbenefits from a broader per-spective on the event.

Primary sources may includeletters, interviews with eyewit-nesses, photographs, and histori-cal documents. Secondary sourcesrely on primary sources to createa broader picture. History books,encyclopedias, and documentaryfilms are examples of secondarysources.

To analyze primary and sec-ondary sources, ask yourself thefollowing questions:

• Did the source witness theevent, or just gather infor-mation about it?

• When was the account writ-ten? At the time of, or afterthe event?

• Is the account valid? Do emo-tions, opinions, and biasesinfluence the account?

• How useful is the source?What kind of informationdoes the source provide, and what questions are leftunanswered?

Practicing the SkillRead the following excerpt

about the Bolshevik seizure ofpower in 1917, and then answerthe questions.

“A tall iron gate surrounded thepalace. One of the gates hadnot been locked. We saw thisand opened the gate wide….Like a wave of black lava, wemoved into the palace, fol-lowed by workers and soldiers.There was no resistance, noneat all. They surrendered theirweapons. We arrested the mem-bers of the … government.”—Karl G. Rianni, colleague of Lenin,quoted by Dusko Doder, “The Bol-shevik Revolution,” National Geo-graphic, October 1992

1. What information does thesource provide?

2. What is the writer’s relation-ship to the information?

3. Is the source a primary orsecondary source? How doyou know?

Analyzing Primary and Secondary SourcesWhen you read an account written by someone who wit-

nessed an event, you are reading a primary source. If youread about the event based on a historian’s research, you arereading a secondary source.

382 U n i t 5

Research a topic about Russia.Analyze your sources, and evaluatetheir validity and usefulness as pri-mary or secondary sources.

The Glencoe Skillbuilder Interactive Workbook,

Level 2 provides instruction andpractice in key social studies skills.

This military hero who played a role in the 1917 Russian Revolution can be aprimary source for historical research.

SUMMARY & STUDY GUIDE

C h a p t e r 1 5 383

Key Points• More than 80 percent of Russia’s population is

ethnic Russian, and the remainder comprises about 100 different ethnic groups.

• Although more than 100 different languages arespoken in Russia, Russian is the official language.

• Russia is experiencing a population crisis, largelythe result of health care problems.

• Russia’s population is unevenly distributed, with 75 percent of Russians living west of the Urals.

Organizing Your NotesCreate an outline similar to theone started below to help youorganize important details fromthis section.

Terms to Know• czar• serf• Russification• socialism• Bolshevik• communism• satellite• Cold War• perestroika• glasnost

Key Points• Kievan Rus, an early Slavic state, grew out of

settlements of Slavs and Varangians.

• Under the czars Russia expanded its territoryand became an enormous empire.

• In 1917 a revolution overthrew Czar Nicholas II.Later that year, the Bolsheviks, under Lenin,seized power.

• In 1922 the Communists formed the Union ofSoviet Socialist Republics, or Soviet Union.

• In December 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed andwas replaced by Russia and other independentrepublics.

Organizing Your NotesOrganize your notes for this section by listing the importantevents under each century ofRussian history.

Terms to Know• ethnic group• nationality• sovereignty

SECTION 1 Population Patterns (pp. 363–366)

SECTION 2 History and Government (pp. 367–373)

Population PatternsI. Russia’s Ethnic Diversity

A. Ethnic RegionsB. SlavsC.

Russian HistoryBefore 1601– 1701– 1801– 1901–1600 1700 1800 1900 Present

Terms to Know• atheism• patriarch• icon• pogrom• intelligentsia• socialist realism

Key Points• Since the Soviet Union’s collapse, many Russians

have resumed their religious practices.

• Post-Soviet Russian schools are more open tonew ideas and methods, but they face low budgets, overcrowding, and disrepair.

• Russia’s artistic golden age began in the 1800s.After 1917 the Soviet government severelyrestricted certain kinds of artistic expression.

• Today Russians’ respect for culture, traditions,and the arts has increased as a result of thenew freedoms.

Organizing Your NotesCreate web diagrams like the one below to help you organizeyour notes for this section. Makeseparate diagrams for Religion,Education, Health Care, and the Arts.

SECTION 3 Cultures and Lifestyles (pp. 376–381)

Religion

Critical Thinking1. Drawing Conclusions Explain why you

agree or disagree with the following state-ment: “The Soviet Union was a 74-year-longexperiment that failed.”

2. Making Inferences Why do you thinkmany people in Russia have returned to ear-lier traditions?

3. Finding and Summarizing the MainIdea Fill in four key events in Russian his-tory in the order they occurred, on a flow-chart. Then explain why each event was aturning point in Russia’s history.

Reviewing Key TermsWrite the key term that best completes each ofthe following sentences. Refer to the Terms toKnow in the Summary & Study Guide on page 383.

1. A person who was part of the revolutionarygroup led by Lenin was called a(n) __________.

2. A(n) __________ ruled Russia at the time ofthe Russian Revolution.

3. The __________ is the head of the RussianOrthodox Church.

4. The Soviet Union’s intellectual elite was calledthe __________.

5. A religious symbol is called a(n) __________.

6. The Russian term for restructur-ing is __________.

7. The Russian term for politicalopenness is __________.

8. A peasant worker who farmeda plot of land that was ownedby someone else was called a(n)__________.

9. __________ is the belief thatthere is no God or supremebeing.

Reviewing FactsSECTION 1

1. Which ethnic group forms themajority in Russia?

2. Where do most of Russia’s people live?

SECTION 23. How did princes and czars

change Russia’s territory?

4. What were the major goals andevents of the Soviet era?

SECTION 35. What major religions are found

in Russia?

6. How have education and healthcare changed since the Sovietbreakup?

Locating PlacesRussia: Physical-Political Geography

Match the letters on the map with the places and physical features of Russia. Write your answers on a sheet of paper.

1. St. Petersburg2. Baltic Sea3. Barents Sea

4. Volga River5. Moscow6. Yenisey River

7. Yekaterinburg8. Black Sea

80°N

70°N

60°N

50°N

40°N

30°N

20°N

60°E

30°E

0°

120°E

150°

E18

0°

90°E

ARCTIC CIRCLE

TROPIC OF CANCER

A

B

H

EF

C

GD

Two-Point Equidistant projection1,000

1,0000 mi.

0 km

N

ASSESSMENT & ACTIVITIES

384 U n i t 5

Key Events

Key Events Key Events Key Events Key Events

C h a p t e r X 385

Self-Check Quiz Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Self-Check Quizzes—Chapter 15 toprepare for the Chapter Test.

Using the Regional AtlasRefer to the Regional Atlas on pages 338–341.

1. Human-Environment Interaction Whichimportant rivers have helped in Russia’sdevelopment?

2. Place What physical processes have affect-ed migration and patterns of settlement inRussia?

Thinking Like a GeographerRussia’s population is spread unevenly across anenormous country. What physical features influ-ence population density? How might humanaction affect population density? Design anddraw a chart of elements that encourage popula-tion and those that discourage it.

Problem-Solving ActivityContemporary Issues Case Study Chooseone aspect of Russian culture today in which Russ-ian and foreign cultural traits have converged, orcome together. Research your topic in news mag-azines and newspapers or on the Internet to finda specific example, such as growth of U.S.-basedfast-food restaurants or the spread of Westernreligions. Then write a one-page essay describingyour example.

GeoJournalSummarizing Return to the chart you made inyour GeoJournal before you started reading thischapter. Write a brief summary of what youlearned about Russia from reading the textbook.Use your chart, the textbook, and the Internet toprepare your summary.

Technology ActivityUsing the Internet for Research The

Soviet government required all artists to portraycommunism in a positive way. Use the Internet tolocate examples of socialist realism in Russian art.Develop a brochure to educate people about thisstyle of art. Download examples, and use them asillustrations in your brochure.

Read the quote by Zina Popova below, andthen choose the best answer for each of the following multiple-choice questions. If youhave trouble answering the questions, use theprocess of elimination to narrow your choices.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

C h a p t e r 1 5 385

In answering questions about quota-tions, make sure that you have a clearunderstanding of the quote. Also make

sure that you understand the perspective of the per-son being quoted. Often, as in this case, you can findthis information after the person’s name.

“That hero stuff was a millstone around [mymother’s] neck. Mama told me she knew nothingabout Lenin and Marxism when she joined therevolutionaries. They were spurred by hunger.My mother believed in the myth of the OctoberRevolution but only for a few years. Then therewas no exit. She put in her time, like most of theothers.”—Zina Popova, in “The Bolshevik Revolution,” NationalGeographic, October 1992

1. The quote above could be used by a geo-grapher to learn more about a country’s

A cultural geography.B foreign policy.C ethnic minorities.D physical geography.

2. Zina Popova’s perspective on the Bolshevik Revolution comes from

F the Communist Party.G her own experience.H her mother.J a reference book.