Transcript Russian Republics - World Geography ROCKS
EURASIA- Europe and Asia Three Regions 1.Russia and Western Republics 2. Transcaucasia Republics 3. Central Asia Republics
• Russian state began in the region between the Baltic, Black and Caspian seas.
•
Czar
= Emperor; Ivan the Great 1 st Czar of USSR • 1917 Russian Revolution •
Command Economy
helped to establish a
communist
government • Late 1940’s tensions between U.S. and Soviet Union lead to the
Cold War
lasted through the 1980’s • USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) falls in 1991 •
Kremlin
- Government building; president lives there • Christian Orthodox
Two Types of Economies
Capitalism (Free Market Economy)
--Production of goods is based on consumer demand --Government interferes as little as possible in the economy --Individuals create businesses to gain profits
Command Economy
--Government owns all resources (means of production) --Government makes al economic decisions --Individuals can not own property or go into business for themselves
Totalitarian Political System
Two types of totalitarian political systems: Government holds all political power; individual rights and freedoms are limited; No political elections or voting takes place
1.
2.
Communist: example, former USSR Dictatorship: examples, North Korea, Cuba and Afghanistan
Freedom Based Government System
Democracy: People (citizens) hold political power, either directly or through elected representatives Citizens have individual rights and freedoms such as the right to vote, freedom of speech and freedom to choose religion Example: the United States, Canada and Sweden
Russia is the biggest country in the world, twice as big as the USA
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains (also known as the Urals) are a mountain range that runs north-south through western Russia. They are considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia.
Siberia -large area in central Russia -almost always cold -most people live in western Russia
Lacks Mt. barriers to keep cold Arctic winds out
Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and makes up about 77 percent of Russia’s territory Siberia’s Biome (groups of
ecosystems with similar climates
and organisms) is mostly a frozen tundra; a belt on the northern fringe Vegetation is taiga (largest coniferous forest on earth) in the temperate southern zone.
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal, meaning "the rich lake” is the world's second most voluminous lake, after the Caspian Sea Lake Baikal is the deepest, and among the clearest of all lakes in the world. At more than 25 million years old, Baikal is also the world's oldest lake
Human-Environment Interaction
The Trans-Siberian Railroad is a network of railways that connect East and Western Eurasia Links Moscow with Russia’s far east provinces, Mongolia, China and the Sea of Japan (Port of Vladivostok) Today, the railroad is part of the Eurasian Land Bridge.
• Baltic Republics- Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
• Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine together with the Baltic Republics form the Western Republics.
• Today Moldova faces warfare • The majority of the violence is due to attempts of
secession
(the act of withdrawing from an organization, union especially a political entity )
• One of the largest countries in eastern Europe • The Food Basket of eastern Europe a major source of dairies , meat and vegetables.
• Chernobyl Legacy
Food Producing Region
Russian Steppes- temperate grasslands Chernozem(black soil) world’s most fertile soil Major grain producers (wheat) Extends from Ukraine to Siberia
Human Environment Interaction
The Aral Sea has lost 80% of its water Aral Sea no longer gets water from Amu Darya or Syr Darya rivers; water diverted to irrigate cotton crops in Central Asia All 24 fish species are extinct Sharp rise in throat cancer, respiratory diseases due to run off from heavy use of pesticides
H.E.I Technology Innovations
Standard of living can be improved for communities surrounding the Aral Sea.
Drying of Aral Sea can be slowed down or stopped by
1 solution; introduce drought resistant cotton plants that need less water
Human-Environment Interaction
Chernobyl disaster; a nuclear reactor accident that occurred on April 26 th , 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine (during this time it was part of the U.S.S.R.). Worst nuclear power plant disaster in history Resulted in a severe release of radioactivity following a massive power explosion that destroyed the reactor. Most deaths from the accident were caused by radiation
poisoning.
• Gate way of migration between Europe & Asia brought many cultures & languages; people kept their languages • Ja bail Al - Alsun or Mountain of Languages • Religion-Christian and Islamic
Five independent Republics
The Silk Road
Runs from China through Siberia, Central Asia to Eastern Europe (Turkey)
The Silk Road
Transportation of Chinese Silk Gold, wine, porcelain, and perfumes Silver, and spices were other goods transported
Key Content
Yurts – houses of Central Asian nomads Nomads – people who have no permanent home Polygon – testing site of 470 nuclear devices in Kazakhstan Transcaucasia major industry (money maker ) – Oil, tourism and wine making