Current Events

• R. hopes to win W., M., and D.C.• S. agrees to six-point peace plan.• Flying c. closer to reality.• Man may have bought $2 m. painting at g.s.

On this day…

• 1860 P.E. makes debut.• 1882 J.J. killed by fellow gang member.• 1936 B.H.—convicted killer of C.L. baby executed.• 1969 R.N. wants to V. the V.W.

http://www.zonu.com/detail-en/2009-09-17-582/Caucasus-and-Central-Asia-Political-Map-2003.html

Physical Geography of E.E. and Russia

• Eastern Europe and Russia is over 8 million square miles– Area is larger than that of Canada, U.S., and Mexico combined!!

Plains

• North European Plain– ¾ of Russian and Eurasian people live here– Warsaw, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kiev (Ukraine)

• Ukraine is most significant farming country in region– Rich Topsoil

• Known as chernozem

• West Siberian Plain– East of Ural Mountains– World’s largest area of flat land– Much of it is evergreen and swamp

• Turan Lowland– Between Caspian Sea and the Tian Shan Mountain Range– Much of it is desert

Mountains• Carpathian Mountains

– Part of Alpine Mountain Range– Stretches from southern Germany into Czech Republic, Slovakia into

Romania

• Caucasus Mountains– Southwest corner of Eurasia– Forms border between Russia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia– Mt. Elbrus rises 18,510 feet

• Ural Mountains– Stretch from Arctic Ocean to Aral Sea– Rise only a few thousand feet– Divides Asia and Europe

• Tian Shan– “Heavenly Mountains” in Chinese – Cover much of Kyrgyzstan

• Eastern Siberian Uplands– Wilderness of forest, mountains, plateaus

• Pamirs– Eastern Tajikistan– Highest peak in region, rising 24,590 feet (Pik Imeni Ismail Samani)

Seas and Lakes

• Much of the northern lakes and seas are ice-covered in northern Russia– White, Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian

• Baltic Sea– Major seaport to St. Petersburg

• One of Russia’s first “warm” weather ports– Borders Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

• Caspian Sea– Largest inland lake– Actually is saltwater lake– Sinking due to lack of flow from rivers

• Lake Baikal– Deepest lake in world– Holds 1/5 of world’s freshwater supply

• Danube River– Originates in southern Germany flowing through eastern Europe to Black Sea– Most important waterway in Eastern Europe

• Volga River– Crosses the Northern European Plain– Flows 2,193 miles to Caspian Sea– Frozen for much of year in the northern part– Provides hydroelectricity and irrigation for farming