PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF RUSSIA SSWG 1 C FEATURES

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF RUSSIA SSWG 1 C.

FEATURES OF RUSSIA • 3 TIMES SIZE OF U. S. • 11 TIME ZONES • NEARLY 1/6 OF EARTH’S LAND SURFACE • 8. 5 MILLION SQUARE MILES

NORTHERN RUSSIA PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY • NORTHERN 2/3 OF REGION BROKEN INTO 4 DISTINCT REGIONS • NORTHERN EUROPEAN PLAIN • WEST SIBERIAN PLAIN • CENTRAL SIBERIAN PLATEAU • RUSSIAN FAR EAST

NORTHERN EUROPEAN PLAIN • 1, 000 MILES OF LOWLAND • WESTERN BORDER OF RUSSIA TO THE URAL MOUNTAINS • CHERNOZEM – BLACK EARTH; MOST FERTILE SOILS • MANY AGRICULTURAL REGIONS HERE • 75% OF POPULATION HERE • 3 LARGEST CITIES: MOSCOW, ST. PETERSBURG, KIEV

WEST SIBERIAN PLAIN • URAL MOUNTAINS SEPARATE NORTHERN EUROPEAN & WEST SIBERIAN PLAINS • EURASIA – SINGLE CONTINENT OF EUROPE & ASIA • URAL MTNS DIVIDE THE TWO • LIES BETWEEN URAL AND YENISEY RIVER & BETWEEN SHORES OF ARCTIC OCEAN AND FOOTHILLS OF ALTAY MOUNTAINS • RIVERS FLOW NORTH TO ARCTIC OCEAN • PLAIN TILTS NORTHWARD

CENTRAL SIBERIAN PLATEAU AND RUSSIAN FAR EAST • PLAINS, UPLANDS & MOUNTAINS • HIGH PLATEAUS MAKE UP CENTRAL SIBERIAN PLATEAU • LIES BETWEEN YENISEY & LENA RIVERS • RUSSIAN FAR EAST = VOLCANIC RANGES

SOUTHERN RUSSIA GEOGRAPHY • MOUNTAINS, BARREN UPLANDS & SEMIARID GRASSLANDS

MOUNTAINS • CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS – SEPARATE BLACK & CASPIAN SEAS • FORM BORDER BETWEEN RUSSIA & TRANSCAUCASIA (ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA) • MOUNTAINS FORM SOUTHEASTERN BORDER OF CENTRAL ASIA (KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN, TURKMENISTAN, UZBEKISTAN) • HIGH MOUNTAINS PREVENT MOIST AIR FROM ENTERING THE REGION FROM SOUTH

TURAN PLAIN • EXTENSIVE LOWLAND • LIES BETWEEN CASPIAN SEA & MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL ASIA • TWO MAJOR RIVERS CROSS HERE, BUT IS VERY DRY • TWO LARGE DESERTS LOCATED HERE

RIVERS • MAJOR DRAINAGE BASINS – ARCTIC OCEAN, CASPIAN SEA, PACIFIC OCEAN, BALTIC SEA, BLACK SEA, ARAL SEA • ARCTIC BASIN = LARGEST = OB, YENISEY & LENA RIVERS • CASPIAN BASIN – VOLGA RIVER = LONGEST RIVER ON CONTINENT • BEGINS NEAR MOSCOW, FLOWS 2, 300 MILES TO CASPIAN • CARRIES ABOUT 60% OF RUSSIA’S RIVER TRAFFIC

LAKES • CASPIAN & ARAL SEA – TWO OF THE LARGEST LAKES IN WORLD • CASPIAN SEA = 750 MILES LONG, SALTWATER • ARAL SEA – EAST OF CASPIAN, SALTWATER • SINCE 1960 S, LOST 87% OF WATER VOLUME DUE TO IRRIGATION PROJECTS DIVERTING WATER AWAY FROM RIVERS THAT FEED LAKE • LAKE BAIKAL – DEEPEST LAKE IN WORLD, 400 MILES LONG, 20% OF WORLDS FRESHWATER

NATURAL RESOURCES

NATURAL RESOURCES • CHALLENGES • HOW TO MANAGE THEM • HOW TO TRANSPORT THEM FROM HARSH, DISTANT REGIONS • HOW TO USE THEM WITHOUT DAMAGING ENVIRONMENT • HUGE RESERVES OF COAL, IRON ORE, OTHER METALS, OIL, NATURAL GAS, PETROLEUM (CASPIAN SEA) • 1/5 WORLDS TIMBER • POWERFUL RIVERS = HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT • HARSH CLIMATE, RUGGED TERRAIN, VAST DISTANCES = DIFFICULT TO REMOVE RESOURCES FROM GROUND & TRANSPORT THEM • MANY RESOURCES LOCATED IN SIBERIA – FRIGID, ARCTIC SUBREGION • DIFFICULT TO ATTRACT WORKERS TO REGION • POLITICAL & ECONOMIC CHANGES

CLIMATE • HUMID CONTINENTAL & SUBARCTIC CLIMATES = NORTH & EASTERN AREAS OF REGION • SEMIARID & DESERT = CENTRAL ASIA • SUBTROPICAL, MOIST MEDITERRANEAN AIR = TRANSCAUCASIA • HIGH LATITUDES & WALL OF MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHEAST • VAST SIZE = MUCH OF REGION INLAND, NO MODERATING INFLUENCE OF SEA • CONTINENTALITY – EFFECT OF DISTANCE ON CLIMATES • INLAND = LESS RAIN & EXTREME TEMPERATURES

VEGETATION • 4 MAJOR VEGETATION REGIONS RUNNING EAST TO WEST • TUNDRA = ARCTIC; MOSSES, LICHENS, SMALL HERBS, LOW SHRUBS • FOREST = TAIGA = LARGEST FOREST ON EARTH WITH CONIFEROUS TREES, FOXES, ELK, BEAR, WOLVES • STEPPE = TEMPERATE GRASSLAND EXTENDING FROM SOUTHERN UKRAINE THROUGH NORTHERN KAZAKHSTAN; CHERNOZEM GROWS GRAIN • DESERT = WEST & CENTRAL AREAS OF CENTRAL ASIA