RUSSIA A LAND OF EXTREMES LANDFORMS OF RUSSIA
- Slides: 8
RUSSIA: A LAND OF EXTREMES LANDFORMS OF RUSSIA AND ITS REPUBLICS
THE NORTHERN TWO-THIRDS • Broken up into 4 regions (From West to East) – Northern European Plain – West Siberian Plain – Central Siberian Plateau – Russian Far East • Northern European Plain (NEP) – Stretches over 1, 000 miles from Europe to Ural Mountains – Chernozem- black earth; abundant in NEP • High quality soil • majority of agricultural areas located here – 75% of population lives here – Major cities • Moscow (Russia’s capital) • Kiev (Ukraine’s capital) • St. Petersburg (Think Aloud: Why was this city once so important to Russia? )
• West Siberian Plain (WSP) – Ural Mountains: dividing “wall” of Europe and Asia • Central Siberian Plateau – Uplands and mountains dominate the land – Lies between Yenisei and Lena Rivers • Russian Far East – Kamchatka Peninsula • Has 120 volcanos; 20 are still active
THE REPUBLICS OF RUSSIA • Transcaucasia – Separated by Caucasus Mountains – Bordered by the Black Sea and Caspian Sea • Central Asia – Tian Shan Mountains a. k. a. “Heavenly Mountains” – Arid climate from lack of moist air
MAJOR LAKES AND RIVERS • Volga River- longest river in Europe **Review Question: What is the 2 nd largest river in the world? ** • Caspian Sea is a large lake (750 miles long) • Aral Sea is also a lake – 87% water volume loss due to irrigation • Lake Baikal- largest lake in the world – One mile deep and 400 miles wide
RUSSIA’S CLIMATE • Most of the region is hundreds of miles from the sea, causes continentally • Little precipitation causes impact on climate • Some regions drive on frozen lakes and rivers • Russia contains the Taiga, which is a large forest containing trees and furred animals.
WELCOME TO SIBERIA • Frigid and subarctic region of Russia that lies on Asian continent. • Harsh climate, rugged terrain and vast distance • Holds most of Russia’s abundant resources • Difficult to attract people to the region • Temp. Range: -90 degrees to 50 degrees max. • Permafrost up to 1, 500 feet deep
