Transcript World Geography and Cultures

Introduction
Section 1:
The Land
Section 2:
Climate and Vegetation
Visual Summary
In 1991 the powerful Soviet
Union broke up into 15
independent republics. Of
these, Russia is by far the
largest. A study of the
physical geography of
Russia will explain the
factors that make the
landscape of this immense
country so unique and its
natural resources so
valuable.
Section 1:
The Land
The physical
environment affects
people and their
activities. Russia’s far
northern location,
interconnected plains and
mountain ranges, and
large river systems
influence human
settlement and activities in
the region.
Section 2: Climate and
Vegetation
Physical processes
shape Earth’s surface.
Russia’s climate regions
and natural vegetation are
affected by the country’s
location in the far northern
latitudes, deep within the
interior of the Eurasian
landmass.
The Land
This section discusses the
landforms, water systems, and
natural resources of Russia,
and how these features
influence human settlement and
activities in the region.
The Land
• chernozem
• permafrost
• series
• estimate
• link
The Land
A. Ural Mountains
B. Caucasus
Mountains
C. Central Siberian
Plateau
D. Siberia
E. Northern
European Plain
F. West Siberian Plain
G. Volga River
The Land
Do you think that most of
Russia is wilderness or
inhabited by people?
A. Wilderness
A. A
B. B
A
0%
0%
B
B. People
Landforms
Russia’s interconnected mountain ranges
and plains shape human activities.
• Russia is the world’s largest country in total land and
geographic extent.
Landforms (cont.)
• Mountains and plateaus:
– Ural
– Caucasus
– Central Siberian Plateau
Landforms (cont.)
• Plains Areas:
– Northern European Plain—about 75% of the
Russian population lives on this plain.
– West Siberian Plain
One of the world’s
largest areas of flatland
is which landform?
A. Central Siberian
Plateau
A
C. West Siberian Plain
0%
C
0%
A. A
B. B
C.0%C
B
B. Northern European
Plain
Water Systems
Russia’s large river systems are vital for
irrigation, transportation routes, electric
power, and industries, such as fishing.
• Russia has the longest continuous coastline of any
country in the world.
• Russia also has the largest inland body of water and
some of the longest rivers.
Water Systems (cont.)
• Coasts, Seas, Lakes:
– Arctic and Pacific oceans
– Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea
– The Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara
– Lake Baikal
Water Systems (cont.)
• Rivers:
– The Volga
– The Siberian (the Ob’, Irtysh, Yenisey, and Lena)
– The Amur River
Which inland body of water is the
largest in the world?
A. Lake Baikal
B. Sea of Marmara
C. Black Sea
D. Caspian Sea
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
Natural Resources
Russia has an abundance of natural
resources, but many are located in remote,
inaccessible areas of the country.
• Minerals and energy:
– Petroleum
– Coal
Natural Resources (cont.)
– Natural gas
– Nickel
– Aluminum, gemstones, platinum-group metals
– Hydroelectric power
Natural Resources (cont.)
• Soil and forest land:
– 10% of its land can support agriculture
– Black Earth Belt—fertile band of soil
– One-fifth of the world’s forest lands lie in
Russia, but are being depleted.
Deforestation in Russia
Natural Resources (cont.)
• The fishing industry:
– Salmon, herring, cod, halibut
– Russian caviar from sturgeon—this supply has
declined.
Where are most of
Russia’s forest lands?
A. Ukraine
B. Siberia
C. Black Earth Belt
D. Northern European
Plain
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
Climate and Vegetation
Russia’s location in the far
northern latitudes affects its
climate regions and natural
vegetation.
Climate and Vegetation
• continentality • steppe
• tundra
• taiga
• portion
• role
• enable
Climate and Vegetation
A. Arctic Circle
Climate and Vegetation
What type of climate do you think
most of Russia experiences?
A. Subarctic
B. Humid
C. Steppe
D. Tundra
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
High-Latitude Regions
Russia’s location in the high latitudes of the
Eurasian landmass causes extreme
differences in climate.
• Most of Russia is located in the high latitudes—harsh
climate with long, cold winters and short, cool
summers.
Russia: Climate Regions
High-Latitude Regions (cont.)
• Climate regions:
– Tundra
– Subarctic —contains the taiga
How much of Russia
does the tundra cover?
A. 5%
B. 10%
C. 15%
D. 20%
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
Midlatitude Regions
Russia’s midlatitude regions have more
moderate climates and support most of the
country’s agricultural production.
• Climate regions:
– Humid continental
Russia: Natural Vegetation
Midlatitude Regions (cont.)
• Russia’s cold climate played an important role in
the defeat of Napoleon I in 1812 and of German
forces during WWII.
• Dry climate region:
– Steppe
Moscow lies in which
climate region?
A. Steppe
B. Tundra
C. Humid continental
D. Subarctic
0%
A
A.
B.
C.
0%
D.
B
A
B
C
0%
D
C
0%
D
A. Northern European
Plain
•
Majority of Russia’s
population lives here
•
Northern part is
poorly drained,
creating swamps
and marshes
•
Southern part has
rich chernozem soil
and supports most of
Russia’s agricultural
production
B. Ural Mountains
•
Form a natural
boundary between
European Russia
and Asian Russia
•
Are rich in iron ore
and mineral fuels,
such as oil and
natural gas
C. Volga River
•
Vital to Russia,
draining much of the
eastern part of
Russia’s Northern
European Plain
•
Provides important
transportation links
and is used to create
hydroelectric power
•
Flows through areas
of temperate
grasslands and
mixed forests
D. West Siberian Plain
•
One of the world’s
largest areas of
flatland—reaching
from the Arctic
Ocean to Central
Asia
•
Lowland areas
poorly drained,
creating swamps
and marshes
•
Location in the far
northern latitudes
results in a harsh
climate with wide
extremes of
temperatures
E. Siberian Rivers
•
Include the Ob’,
Irtysh, Yenisey, and
Lena
•
Rank among the
world’s largest river
systems
•
Amur River forms
border between
Russia and China
F. Lake Baikal
•
Deepest freshwater
lake in the world
•
Contains 20 percent
of Earth’s supply of
freshwater
G. Forests
•
About one-fifth of
world’s remaining
forest lands lie in
Russia, most in
eastern Siberia
•
Located in Russia’s
largest climate
region, the subarctic
chernozem (cher•nuh•ZYAWM)
rich, black topsoil found in the
Northern European Plain, especially
in Russia and Ukraine
permafrost
permanently frozen layer of soil
beneath the surface of the ground
continentality
the effect of extreme variations in
temperature and very little
precipitation within the interior
portions of a landmass
tundra
vast, treeless plains in cold northern
climates, characterized by permafrost
and small, low plants, such as
mosses and shrubs
taiga
Russian term for the vast subarctic
forest, mostly evergreens, that covers
much of Russia and Siberia
steppe
wide, grassy plains of Eurasia; also,
similar semiarid climate regions
elsewhere
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