RUSSIA

• Explain the physical, climate, and population characteristics of Russia

• Describe Russia’s National Conception Day campaign and predict its impacts 100% participation.

• Explain Russia’s geographic problems

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• Russia is MOSTLY a part of Asia – Ural Mountains– Eurasia

• World’s Largest Country in Land Area– Spans ___ Different Time

Zones– 5,ooo miles of coastline

• Grasslands & Plains• Mountains• Forests• Tundra

• Siberia

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Water Resources– Several Rivers but…

– Lake Baikal• World’s Deepest Freshwater Lake• World’s Oldest Lake

– Caspian Sea• World’s largest inland body of water• Caviar resources• Oil Resources

CLIMATE• Mostly continental but

also dry and polar

• Very Harsh Climate– Why?– Impacts?

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

• About 50% of the US population

• Population Growth?• The Russian Cross (more

like an ‘X’)– Declining Birth Rates– Rising Death Rates• Alcoholism• Suicide• Abortion

• The Russian Remedy– National Conception

Day- Sept. 12

HISTORYECONOMIC & POLITICAL

CHARACTERISTICS• Early Russia• Mongols vs.

Russian Princes• Capital: Moscow

• Czarist Russia• Czars:• Capital: St. Petersburg• Time of Expansion &

Challengers• Became the world’s

largest contiguous empire

• Role of Geography

COMMUNIST RUSSIA• Russian Revolution- February 1917• Establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist

Republics (USSR)

– Federation – 15 republics based on ethnic groups

– Communism in the Soviet Union• Classless society• Command economy• Collectivization• Industrialization

– Leaders• What was life like in the USSR?

POST-COMMUNIST RUSSIA• Uncertain future–Miss the

benefits of communism

– Constitution allows for the president to rule by decree

– Democratic reforms have been reversed

– Rebellion in Chechnya

• 1980s- Mikhail Gorbachev began radical reforms– Glasnost– Perestroika

• 1991- Soviet Union fell– 15 new

countries

1.Ethnic Turmoil

2.Transportation

3.Economic Problems

4.Environmental Problems

GEOGRAPHIC ISSUES IN RUSSIA

GEOGRAPHIC ISSUES CONTINUED• The Aral Sea– Shrinking sea– Less than half of

its original size– Anthrax Island

• Chernobyl– World’s Worst

Nuclear Accident– Radiation spread

throughout Europe

– Impacts:

“BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT

INTERACTION IN RUSSIA’S HISTORY”