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Russia and the Near Abroad

Russia and the Near Abroad. Top 10 Notes Chapters 6 and 7. #1 – What is Eurasia?. Some geographers suggest that the huge connected landmass of Europe and Asia should be seen as ONE continent – Eurasia! The landmass is nearly ½ of the Northern Hemisphere (8.5 million square miles).

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Russia and the Near Abroad

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  1. Russia and the Near Abroad Top 10 Notes Chapters 6 and 7

  2. #1 – What is Eurasia? • Some geographers suggest that the huge connected landmass of Europe and Asia should be seen as ONE continent – Eurasia! • The landmass is nearly ½ of the Northern Hemisphere (8.5 million square miles). • Spans 11 time zones • Largest country in this region is Russia (2x the size of USA).

  3. #2 – Independent Republics • 15 Countries within 4 regions • Slavic States: Belarus, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine. • Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan (tuh-jik-uh-stan) , Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (ooz-bek-uh-stan). • Caucasus Region: Armenia, Azerbaijan (ah-zer-bahy-jahn), and Georgia. • Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – closer to Europe than Russia.

  4. #3 – Physical Features of Eurasia • Ural Mountains – usually considered the boundary between Europe and Asia. • In the west the land is flat and becomes increasingly mountainous toward the east and south. • Steppes – vast grassland plains in central Russia. • Siberia – the Asian part of Russia – harsh climate.

  5. #4 – People and Cultures • Northern Eurasia population – 280 million and population density is low (32 people per square mile) • Losing population as the death rate is higher than birth rate (poverty, smoking, alcohol abuse, abortion related deaths, suicide) • Over 100 ethnic groups and speak more than 200 languages.

  6. #5 – Climate and Vegetation • Four broad bands of vegetation: tundra, forest, steppe, and desert. • Largest continuous area of forest in the world is the Russian Taiga – coniferous trees.

  7. #6 – Economy and Resources • Russia has many resources…in remote locations: huge deposits of coal, oil, natural gas, gold, diamonds, etc. lie under permafrost (permanently frozen soil) in Siberia! • Longest railroad in the world is the Trans Siberian Railroad – 5,700 miles long!

  8. #7 – Chernobyl • 1986: Accidental explosion destroyed a nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, Ukraine. • Cloud of radiation went into the air. • 26 people were killed, hundreds injured, millions exposed to radiation. • 12.3 million acres of land were polluted from radiation • Long term effects: water pollution, birth defects, various kinds of cancer. • Town of Chernobyl no longer exists – people were evacuated, buildings bulldozed to the ground, nuclear reactor was encased in steel to prevent further radiation from escaping and causing harm. • Not fit for human occupation for a long time!

  9. #8 – Armenian Genocide • WWI – Turks attempted to deport the entire Armenian population of 1,750,000. • 1/3 died during transportation or were massacred by the Turks • Intentional destruction of these people. • Many fled to Russia to escape persecution.

  10. #9 – Chechnya Issues • This region declared its independence from Russia in 1991– Russia continues to fight to keep it • Chechens are Sunni Muslims • 2002: Terrorists from Chechnya seize a theater in Moscow and over 300 die (receiving aid from al-Qa’ida) • Sept. 1, 2004: Terrorists from Chechnya take hostages at a Beslan elementary school in Russia and 344 killed (including 186 kids) and hundreds wounded

  11. #10 – Brief History of Russia • 800 B.C.E: Vikings settle city of Kiev (in Ukraine) • 1240-1440: Mongols invade and settle city of Moscow. • 1480-1900s: Czars (emperors) conquer other lands and add the territory to Russia (included most of Northern Eurasia) • Famous Czars: Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great • 1917: Bolshevik Revolution (led by Vladimir Lenin) overthrew the Czar Nicholas (Anastasia) and set up a Communist dictatorship, aka: Soviet Union (USSR). • 1924: Josef Stalin comes to power as a ruthless dictator and Leon Trotsky leads Red Army • 1957: Russia sent up the first satellite (Sputnik) and starts the space race with the USA with Secretary Nikita Khrushchev

  12. #10 Brief History of Russia • 1950s-1980s: USSR and USA are enemies in the Cold War • 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev began reforms • Glasnost (openness) which allowed citizens to say what they wanted without fear of government. • Perestroika – economic restructuring which called for a gradual change from command system to private ownership of goods and services. • 1991: Soviet Union dissolved and major republics became independent nations. Russians voted for Boris Yeltsin as first democratic president. • 2000-2008: Vladimir Putin is elected as president • 2008: Dmitri A. Medvedev is elected president and Putin is Prime Minister • 2012: Putin is president, Medvedev Prime Minister- CORRUPT!!!

  13. Atlas Pages • Europe-side of “Eurasia” • 134 • 136 • 145 • 148 • Asia-side of “Eurasia” • 152 • 154

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