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
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)