Transcript Russia Geopolitics

Russia and the Newly Independent States:
An Introduction to Geo-Political History
Western Kazakhstan
Eastern Georgia
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Photo:
UVM Student Julia Katsnelson
Transcaucasus Mountains
Georgia
Baku, Azerbaijian
photo: Alexander Pasternak
Transcaucasus
Chechen Refugee Camp
Chechnya, Russia
Winter Palace, St Petersburg, Russia
Moscow, Russia
The Kremlin, Moscow, Russia
Altay Region
Altay Region, Russia
Lake Baykal, Russia
Novosibirsk, Western Siberia, Russia
Uzbekistan
Samarkand, Ukbekistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Almaty,
Kazahkstan
Almaty Region, Kazahkstan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Western Tajikistan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Some facts about Russian Federation:
•Arable land: 7.17%
•Population growth rate: -0.47% (2010 est.)
•Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
male:
female:
•Independence:
•Constitution:
2004
66.39 years
59.91 years
73.27 years
2010
66.16
59.5
73.1
24 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
adopted 12 December 1993
•Literacy:
99.4% (2002)
•GDP growth rate:
7.3% (2003 est.) 8.1% (2007 est) 3.8% (2010 est)
•GDP per capita (PPP):
$16, 100 (2008) 15,300 (2009)
•Economy has been growing by around 7% each year since 1998.
•Poverty: 25% (January 2003 est.) (13.1% 2009 est)
RUSSIAN GEO-POLITICAL HISTORY
Russian Imperialism
Russian Empire began in Muscovy region, around present-day Moscow
The Soviet Empire
In exchange for people’s compliance with the system, citizens would
receive housing, education and health care at no or minimal cost.
However, the system had its roots in Russian legacy of collectivisim
and authoritarianism, in which citizens were not guaranteed
representation or rights.
•Gosplan- the central economic planning commission
•Bourgeois specialists
•Lenin’s ideal of the one Soviet People
•Stalin years (1928-1953)
Josef Stalin
Soviet State
Expansion
1940s and 1950s
World War II
The Iron Curtain
Continued Industrialization
Achievements in engineering, space
race, and military
Sputnik stamp
Rapid Breakup of the Soviet Empire
Occurred between 1989 and 1992
Due to (?? These are theories….):
•regional inequalities
•consumer demands
•manipulation of power by ruling elites
Empire broke into 15 separate countries. Economies and systems
left in disarray, regions had to readjust quickly.
The Former Soviet Union and Today’s Independent States
Russian Federation, Post 1992
•The Russian Federation was weakened politically and economically
by the break-up.
•By the end of the 1990s Russian Federation was in crisis: huge
debt, 100% inflation, half of the economic output of 1989.
Russian Diaspora 1:
Because workers were needed throughout the USSR to keep to
economic and industrial goals, Russians relocated throughout the
territories of the USSR, forming a diaspora of the Russian people in
non-Russian territories.
Diaspora: the spatial dispersion of a previously homogenous group.
•In 1989, 25 million Russians found themselves to be ethnic
minorities in new countries.
•Russian Diaspora #2: An even greater number moved to other
parts of the world, and while the number is not very high, these
tend to be the most educated and talented individuals, resulting in
a ‘brain drain’.
•Still, there are 92 ethnic groups remaining in Russian Federation
and there are numerous irredentist and secessionist movements.
Russian Federation Today
•Strong economy, mainly due to oil and gas and domestic
production of goods, wobbled during the 2008-2010 downturn
•Growing middle class
•President: Premier Vladimir Vladimirovich PUTIN (since May 2012,
and another term before)
•head of government: Dmitriy Anatolyevich MEDVEDEV (since 8
May 2012
•“semi-authoritarian state” with carefully managed elections
Getting to Know the
“Newly Independent States”
Armenian bread,
Armenia
Photo:
Monica Wiegart,
TrekEarth
Some facts about
Kazakhstan:
Climate and geography: continental climate, grasslands, steppe,
mountainous region, 9th largest (area) country in the world
Economy: Oil, natural gas, grain and machinery. Oil pipeline to
China. (Economy is larger than all other Central Asian countries
combined.) 53rd highest GDP in world
Political Structure: Parlimentary republic but power concentrated in
executive branch. Nazarbayev has been president since 1991.
Demographics:
pop growth rate .4%,
57% urban,
life expectancy: 68 years (male 69, female 74)
literacy rate: 99.5%
Ethnic groups: Kazakh (Qazaq) 63.3% (2009) was 53.4% (1999),
Russian 23.7% (2009) 30% (1999), Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%,
German 2.4%, Tatar 1.7%, Uygur 1.4%, other 4.9% (1999 census)
Religion: (Sunni) Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant
2%, other 7%
Language: Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian
(official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of
interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.)
Some facts about Turkmenistan:
Climate and Geography: subtropical desert, rolling dune desert, mtns in
south
Political Structures: parliamentary government, but executive branch
holds power. Niyazov who was President for Life (1991-2006) passed
away in 2006. His Vice Premier, Berdimuhamedow, was elected
president in 2007.
Economy: agriculture and energy exports: cotton, grain; livestock
natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Demographics
pop growth rate 1.4%,
49% urban,
life expectancy: 68 years (male 65, female 71)
literacy rate: 98.8%
Ethnic groups: Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6%
(2003)
Religions: Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%
Languages: Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Some facts about Armenia:
Climate and Geography: highland continental,
hot summers, cold winters
Economy: Since the implosion of the USSR in December 1991,
Armenia has switched to small-scale agriculture away from the
large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era
Conflict with Azerbaijan:
Etchmiadizn, may be oldest
church in the world
Demographics
pop growth rate .107%,
64% urban,
Net migration: -3.35/1000 (2012)
life expectancy: 72 years (male 69, female 77)
literacy rate: 99.4%
Ethnic groups: Armenian 97.9%,
Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%,
other 0.3% (2001 census)
Languages: Armenian 97.7%,
Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%,
other 0.4% (2001 census)
Religion: Armenian Apostolic 94.7%,
other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%