Chapter 20

RUSSIA

QUICK FACTS --RUSSIA• LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD BY

LAND AREA

• STRETCHES ACROSS 11 TIME ZONES

• LAKE BAIKAL--WORLDS DEEPEST LAKE

• 8 DIFFERENT CLIMATES IN RUSSIA

• CAPITAL CITY IS MOSCOW

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CHAP 20. RUSSIA-- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS– HIGHEST MOUNTAIN RANGE– BETWEEN THE BLACK AND CASPIAN SEAS– LOCATED ALONG SOUTH AND EASTERN

BORDERS

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PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RUSSIA

• PLAINS– LOCATED IN LAND WEST OF YENSEI RIVER.– MOST GRAIN PRODUCTION OCCURS HERE

• URAL MOUNTAINS– STRETCHES FROM NORTH TO SOUTH– LOW MOUNTAINS THAT DIVIDE EUROPE – CONTAINS VALUABLE MINERALS– MOST OF PEOPLE LIVE WEST OF THESE MOUNTAINS

• RIVERS– RUSSIA HAS MANY RIVERS THAT EMPTY INTO THE

SEAS– VOLGA RIVER IS LONGEST RIVER --MAIN WATERWAY

FOR TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION

ECO-SYSTEMS OF RUSSIA

• CLIMATES ARE EITHER CONTINENTAL OR SUB ARCTIC CLIMATES.

• CONTINENTAL CLIMATE– LOCATED IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN

RUSSIA– SHORT SUMMMERS WITH TEMPS. IN THE

80”S

• SUBARCTIC CLIMATE– LOCATED IN THE NORTH– CAN HAVE TEMPERATURES NEAR 80

DEGREES

ECOSYSTEMS OF RUSSIA

• TUNDRA– FROZEN LAND OR NORTH– LOWEST RECORDED TEMP. -97 DEGREES– PERMAFROST--FROZEN SOIL OF THIS

REGION

• TAIGA– WORLDS LARGEST FORESTED AREA– DECIDUOUS AND CONIFEROUS TREES

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ECO-SYSTEMS OF RUSSIA

• THE STEPPES• FORMERLY GRASSLANDS• LOCATED IN THE SOUTH/ SOUTHEAST

GREATEST AGRICULTURAL AREA• MINERAL RICH SOILS CALLED

“CHERNOZEM”.

ECO SYSTEMS--SIBERIA• PICTURED AS A REMOTE AND HARSH AREA--

ISOLATED FROM THE REST OF EUROPE!• COOL TO COLD AREA WITH PERMAFROST.• LITTLE AGRICULTURE.• LARGE NUMBERS OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

(OIL, NATURAL GAS, ZINC, GOLD, SILVER, PLATINUM)

• CLIMATE MAKES IT DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE TO TO GET TO THESE RESOURCES

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi_FF3NyARo

CHAPTER 20 SECTION 2--RUSSIAN HISTORY

• Initially settled by “Slavic People”.-800 A.D.• Conquered by the Vikings, then ruled by Russian

Princes.• Adopted the Russian Orthodox Church.• Conquered and controlled by the “Mongols” or

(Tatars, Golden Horde) in 1237.• Russian Princes fought to win back land.• Russian princes called “czars” began to rule in the

1600’s.• Repelled invasion led by French Emperor

Napoleon in 1800’s

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RUSSIAN HISTORY • Russia in the 1900’s

– Lose battles in WW I– Food shortages led to riots in St. Petersburg– Czar forced to give up control--”abdicate”– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxcVJPMVH78

• Russian Revolution leads to Communism– Follow the teachings of Karl Marx– Establish “republics” ruled by a governing council called

the “soviet”– First two “dictators” of the Soviet Union were:

• V.I. Lenin and Josef Stalin

– Establish an economy run by the government--Command Economy

RUSSIAN HISTORY

• People who protested communism sent to the Siberian Labor camps or jail.

• All farmland controlled by government--huge state farms called collectives. (peasant run farms)

• Industry controlled by government.

• All farms and industry had specific amounts they were to produce--5 Year Plans.

RUSSIAN HISTORY

• Russia fought against Germany in WW II.

• When war ended, Soviet Union controlled East Germany and Eastern Europe.

• Led to a period of conflict between U.S. and Soviet Union called --”COLD WAR”!

• NO ACTUAL BATTLES WERE FOUGHT BUT BOTH COUNTRIES STOCKPILED NUCLEAR WEAPONS!

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COMMUNISM COMES TO AN END IN RUSSIA

• 1980’S Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev established “GLASNOST”.

• PERESTROIKA established in RUSSIA in 1980’s.• BALTIC REPUBLICS declare independence• Free Elections are held in 1991• BORIS YELTSIN elected as President of Russian

Republic.• Gorbachev resigns, states the “SOVIET UNION is

no more!”

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RUSSIA UNDER VLADIMIR PUTIN

• ELECTED PRESIDENT IN 2000

• TOOK AWAY SOME DEMOCRATIC REFORMS

• WORKED TO TAKE BACK CHECHNYA AND COMBAT TERRORISM

• RUSSIA BECOMING MORE ACTIVE IN WORLD AFFAIRS. (MIDDLE EAST)

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CHAP. 20 SECTION 3. ISSUES IN RUSSIA

• 80% OF PEOPLE CONSIDER THEMSELVES AS “RUSSIANS”

• 20% ARE ETHNIC MINORITIES• 75% OF PEOPLE LIVE IN LARGE CITIES

– RUSSIA HAS BUILT LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEXES FOR THE PEOPLE

– MANY RUSSIANS TRAVEL TO BALCK SEA FOR VACATIONS

– RELAXED RULES LEAD TO MORE CHANCES FOR “WESTERN MUSIC, ART,DRESS

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• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giMQ05Q97mU

ETHNIC TURMOIL

• REBELLION IN THE PROVINCE OF CHECHNYA• LARGE MUSLIM POPULATION• AGAINST RUSSIAN RULE SINCE 1944• RUSSIA REFUSES TO GIVE UP ON CHECHNYA

BECAUSE OF RAILROADS AND OIL PIPELINES• FIGHTING SINCE 1994. CHECHEN TERRORIST

ATTACKS IN MOSCOW!• http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2ae_1266848142

TRANSPORTATION IN RUSSIA

• 3/4 OF RAW MATERIALS COME FROM SIBERIA.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5f4_gdajTc&playnext=1&list=PLB68C63979B7F7369

• TRUCKERS CAN TRANSPORT GOODS OVER FROZEN LAKES

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS• APRIL 1986--NUCLEAR ACCIDENT AT

CHERNOBYL

• DANGEROUS RADIATION KILLED THOUSANDS

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbCcutzXzYg

• CAUSED BIRTH DEFECTS AND INCREASE IN CANCER DEATHS

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