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Landforms, Resources, Climate, and Human-Environment Interaction in Russia & the Republics

This chapter explores the key features of landforms, resources, climate, vegetation, and human-environment interaction in Russia and the Republics. It examines the difficulties in developing resources, the major rivers and lakes, and the regional resources available. It also covers the climate and vegetation regions, including the extreme temperatures of Siberia, and describes the impact of human activities on the environment, such as the shrinking Aral Sea and the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

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Landforms, Resources, Climate, and Human-Environment Interaction in Russia & the Republics

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  1. Chapter 15Physical Geography of Russia & the RepublicsA Land of Extremes Objective: Examine key features of the landforms, resources, climate, vegetation, & human-environment interaction in Russia & the Republics

  2. Chapter 15 Section 1Landforms & Resources Vocabulary: Chernozem, Ural Mountains, Eurasia, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, & Siberia Objective: Identify resources & explain why they are difficult to develop

  3. Northern Landforms • Russia & the Republics cover over eight & a half million square miles • The Northern European plain contains chernozem “fertile soil” & most agriculture takes place here • 75% of population live in this region (major cities Moscow, St. Petersburg, & Kiev) • Ural Mountains divides Europe & Asia in the West Siberian Plain

  4. Southern Landforms • Transcaucasia contains Armenia, Azerbaijan, & Georgia • Central Asia includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, & Uzbekistan • High ranges contribute to the arid climate of Central Asia

  5. Rivers & Lakes • The main drainage basins in Russia & the Republics are the Arctic Ocean, Caspian Sea, Pacific Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, & Aral Sea Basins • The Volga River carries 60% of Russia’s river traffic • The Caspian & Aral Sea are two of the largest seas & both are saltwater • Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world & holds 20% of the world’s fresh water

  6. Regional Resources • Russia & the Republics boast huge reserves of coal, deposits of iron ore, other metals, oil, & natural gas • Russia’s vast forests hold 1/5th of the world’s timber resources • Harsh climate, rugged terrain, & vast distances make it difficult for Russia & the Republics to remove resources from the ground & transport them to markets • Resources are found in Siberia (frigid arctic & subarctic region)

  7. Chapter 15 Section 2Climate & Vegetation Vocabulary: Continentality & Taiga Objective: Describe four major vegetation regions of Russia & the Republics

  8. A Climate of Extremes • Humid continental & subarctic climates dominate much of Russia & the Republics • Siberia average temperatures rarely exceed 50 degrees & sometimes drop below -90 degrees • Some areas consist of permafrost • Central Asia however have semiarid & desert climates • Transcaucasia has a subtropical climate zone

  9. Vegetation Regions • Tundra: in the Arctic climate zones very few types of vegetation are able to survive • Forest: also known as the Taiga • Steppe: grassland that where fertile soil is found (produces mostly grain) • Desert: two main deserts are the Kara Kum & Kyzyl Kum

  10. Chapter 15 Section 3Human-Environment Interaction Vocabulary: Runoff & Trans-Siberian Railroad Objective: Describe how Russia’s harsh winter has been both an obstacle & an advantage to the country

  11. The Shrinking Aral Sea • In the 1950s officials began to take large amounts of water from the rivers to irrigate Central Asia’s cotton fields • Since the 1960s the sea has begun to evaporate • Pesticides & fertilizers runoff into the Aral sea killing all of the native species of fish • Pollution has caused drastic increases in diseases like throat cancer & respiratory diseases • Child mortality rates in Central Asia are among the highest in the world

  12. The Russian Winter • 32 million people make their homes in Siberia • Temperatures drop so low in Siberia that basic human activities become painful • However, warmer weather melts the ice & creates pools of water that attract mosquitoes & black flies • They build on top of concrete pillars to make sure their buildings don’t sink in summer • However its has helped to protect them from invasion of European armies

  13. Crossing the “Wild East” • Russia’s emperor ordered work to start on the Trans-Siberian Railroad that would link Moscow to Vladivostok • It covers 5700 miles & crosses seven time zones • Russian officials also started this project to populate Siberia to make profit off of its resources

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