Geography and History of Russia and Eastern Europe
Jan 02, 2016
Geography and History of Russia and Eastern Europe
Things To Look For In The Unit • Severe climates, ethnic diversity,
and the absence of natural barriers affected Russia’s development
• Early Russia absorbed Byzantine influences. Much later, western ideas had a major impact on Russia
• In the 1800’s Russia experienced unrest as it tried to become a modern world power
• Powerful empires competed for control of Eastern Europe, while the peoples of the region sought to maintain their independence.
Geographic Setting • Russia has many different geographic regions
that make the country diverse• Steppe- huge, open plain that stretches across
the Ukraine and Russia – “The whole of the country was a vast green
wilderness. Never a plow has passed over its measureless waves of wild grass…”• Nicholas Gogol (Russian Writer) describing the Russian
Steppe
• Question: What are the good things and bad things about an area like this?
How would you describe this picture ?
Russia: A Vast Country • Formally called the USSR (Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics) or simply the Soviet Union– Made up of 15 Republics that were all controlled by
Moscow (Capital)
• Covered 6,000 miles over both Europe and Asia– Twice the size of the United States
• Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991 after the Republics declared independence
• Russia was the largest republic and has most of the people living there
Landforms• Huge plain that stretches from Europe to
Central Asia • The Ural Mountains mark the border between
Europe and Asia– Not tall enough to be a real barrier
• Throughout history invaders and conquerors have travelled across the plain
• Besides warfare and death the invaders also brought new ideas and technology
Plateaus and Mountains • Caucasus Mountains– Between the Black and Caspian Seas– In the republics of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan – They also separate Russia from Turkey and Iran
• Pamir Mountains– Separate Russia and other Central Asian from
Afghanistan and China – Tall enough to block moisture from rain clouds– Creates desert areas on one side of mountain
Caucasus and Pamir Mountains
Seas, Lakes and Rivers • Large inland seas and lakes provided people with water and
transportation• Seas
– Caspian Sea- worlds largest inland sea– Aral Sea- slowly shrinking in size
• Lakes– Lake Baikal- holds more water than all the Great Lakes in the
United States• Rivers
– Dnieper– Don– Volga– Ob– Yenisei– Lena
Question To Ponder:
How would large amounts of waterways and freshwater be
beneficial to the people, both past and present of Russia?
Climate in Russia • Most parts of Russia (Former Soviet Union) are
above 49 Degrees North Latitude– The same line that divides America and Canada
• Harsh, cold winters and short, hot summers• Permafrost- layer of soil below the surface that
remains permanently frozen• Makes it hard to build homes and factories • Historically Russians have sought warm weather
ports along the Black Sea• Winter helped beat both the French and the
Germans during war times
Vegetation and Resources • Six different climate zones
in Russia:– Tundra Zone- Arctic North
Region– Taiga Zone- large evergreen
forests (larger than the US)– Forest Zone- leafy trees (like
PA)– Steppe- large, open land,
great for farming– Desert Zone- Central Asia– Caucasus Zone- moist and
sub-tropical are • Different zones provide for
different weather and climates
• Diverse areas and peoples
• Great variety of Natural Resources– Huge forests (lumber)– Fertile soil (farming)– Oil– Coal– Iron Ore– Natural Gas– Gold – Uranium – Platinum– Chromium
• Problems with Environment and accessing the Natural Resources
Peoples • While the Societ Union was in power there were
100 different nationalities living in the area– All with their own language, culture and way of life
• Slavic People- Russians, Ukrainians and Belorussians
• Caucasus People- Armenians, Georgians and Azeri
• Central Asian People- Kazakhs, Kyrgyzis, Mongols, Turkmen and Uzbeks
• Many different cultures (Cultural Diversity)
Peoples• Multiple religions abound in the are and have for
many years• Christianity– Russian Orthodox– Armenian Orthodox– Protestant – Roman Catholic
• Jewish Peoples• Muslim Peoples• Multiple ethnicities have led to problems
throughout the area