RUSSIAN PHYSICAL

GEOGRAPHY

Climate

Although Russia has almost every climate region it is mostly Subarctic and Humid Continental

VegetationVegetationTundra – permafrost

grasslands with scattered shrubs in the north

Taiga – dense evergreen forest◦Ideal for Russian lumber

industryChernozem – means

“black earth” steppe-grassland region◦Southern Russia◦Ideal for agriculture

Tundra

Chernozem

RUSSIAN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHYRUSSIAN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

EUROPE

ASIA

• “Transcontinental countries” touch two or more continents• Countries that touch both European and Asian continents

are called Eurasia• Ural Mountains is the primary boundary of the two

continents

Beyond the Ural Mountains there are 9 other landforms that separate Europe from Asia, how many can you guess?

1.Ural Mountains2.Ural River3.Caspian Sea4.Caucasus Mt.

(origin of the word Caucasian)

5.Black Sea6.Bosporus Strait7.Marmara Sea

(smallest sea)

8.Dardanelles Strait

9.Aegean Sea10.Mediterranean

HOW MANY COUNTRIES ARE EURASIAN?

There are 5 countries that make up Eurasia, what are they?

1.Russia2.Kazakhstan3.Azerbaijan4.Georgia5.Turkey

EUROPE

ASIA

Russia’s Southern BoundaryRussia’s Southern BoundaryBlack sea, Caucasus Mountains, Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China

RUSSIAN LAKESRUSSIAN LAKES

Russia’s largest lake in the Caspian Sea◦Caspian is a Sea due

to its size and salt content, however, by definition a lake is a landlocked body of water

It is about the same size as California

Caspian Sea contain large amounts of oil

LAKE BAIKALLAKE BAIKALLargest fresh water lake in the world in

volume. Second only to the Caspian Sea in size.

5370 feet deepContains 20% of all the worlds fresh water1,085 species of plants and 1,550 species

and varieties of animals – many are found only here.

Scientist believe there are still many species left to find, but water is too dark and deep to explore

LAKE BAIKAL

ARAL SEA•Aral Sea is also a lake

•Aral Sea is shrinking – WHY

1. Environmental and climatic changes

2. Diversion of water from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers

3. Poor management of resources has damaged the region’s environment

•

Shrinking Aral Sea

VOLGA VOLGA RIVERRIVER

Largest River in Russia

Eleven out of Russia’s 20 largest cities are located on the Volga (Including Moscow)

Nearly 75% of Russia’s population lives in Europe

SIBERIASIBERIA• Means “STEPPING

LAND”• All land located

east of the Ural Mountains

• No warm ocean currents reach Russia

• Many resources; timber, oil, and coal mining

SIBERIASIBERIATWO REGIONSWest Siberian Plain – is flat frozen tundra and woodlandsCentral Siberian Plateau – located in mid-Asia (high flat peaks)

Wooly Mammoths

Siberian Tiger

Siberian Arctic Fox

480 bear paws from pelt trafficking

BERING STRAITBERING STRAIT

Separates the United States from Russia

Only 53 miles wide