Transcript Slide 1 - Bishop Lynch High School

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CHAPTER 17
RUSSIA, UKRAINE, AND BELARUS
NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS
CHAPTER 17 – SECTION 1
QUESTIONS

What landforms and rivers are found in Russia, Ukraine, and
Belarus?
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What factors influence the regions’ climates and vegetation?
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What natural resources does the region have?
LANDFORMS AND RIVERS
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Stretches across Eurasia from the Baltic Sea and Black Sea to the
Pacific Ocean.
Ural Mountains divide Eurasia.
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West of Urals, including Ukraine and Belarus, are in of Asia.
East of Urals includes the part of Russia that is known as Siberia, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
Include the Caucasus Mountains, and active tectonic zone with sever
earthquakes.
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LANDFORMS AND RIVERS
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Much of the area is located in the Northern European Plain
and has a relatively low elevation.
Carpathian Mountains are located in Ukraine.
LANDFORMS AND RIVERS
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West of the Urals lies the Volga River Basin..
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Russian region – Dnieper, Don, and Volga flow south.
Siberian region – Ob, Yenisey, and Lena flow north.
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Includes deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal, holds 1/5 of the world’s
freshwater.
CLIMATES AND VEGETATION
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Rivers and canals freeze during the winter.
Polluted fog hangs over the cities.
Permafrost will melt in the summer causing buildings to tilt, highways to buckle,
and railroad tracks to slip.
Harsh conditions cover 2/3 of the country and bring severely cold temperatures.
Interior 1/3 can be dry, as ocean winds cannot reach that far.
CLIMATES AND VEGETATION
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Region’s European third has the mildest climates
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Better for agriculture and human settlement.
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Murmansk is Russia’s only large, ice-free, Arctic port.
CLIMATES AND VEGETATION
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South includes taiga, a forest of mainly evergreen trees that
covers half of Russia.
Farther south in Belarus and European Russia, deciduousconiferous forest.
Farther south is the steppe, drier grassland.
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Rich soil, major grain producing area.
NATURAL RESOURCES
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Remaining resources are of poor quality or in remote places.
Taiga provides wood.
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West of Ural Mountains has been cleared.
In Siberia, will last for a long time.
Siberia has gold and diamond mines.
NATURAL RESOURCES
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Oil reserves in Caspian Sea.
Oil and gas fields between Volga River and Ural Mountains
make Volga River Basin industrial heartland.
Reserves in Ob River Basin supply most of Russia’s oil and gas.
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Largest network of pipelines carries fuel for export.
HISTORY AND CULTURE
CHAPTER 17 – SECTION 2
QUESTIONS

What are some major events in the growth of the
Russian Empire?
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How did the Soviet Union develop, and what was life like
for its citizens?
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What are some features of the region’s culture?
THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE
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The roots of the Russian Empire centered around the
grassland of the steppe.
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Moved from east to west from Mongolia, China, and central
Asia.
Main group of inhabitants were the Slavs.
In the 800s, Kiev was the important center for trade, led
by a group of Scandinavian traders known as the Rus.
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Some of these traders moved and started cities like Moscow
and built the Kremlin.
THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE
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Christianity took hold in the region.
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Eastern Orthodox became the religion of Kiev.
Invading Mongols destroyed Kiev.
CONQUEST AND EXPANSION
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Under the rule of the Monguls, several states developed
including Muscovy, with its chief city, Moscow.
Ivan IV, Ivan the Terrible, crowned himself czar of all the
Russias!
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Ivan expanded the territory of Russia with help from the
Cossacks.
Russia gained European territory under Peter the Great
and Catherine the Great.
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Many non-Russians came into the Empire, including Muslims
from Central Asia.
END OF AN EMPIRE
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Though Russia started to industrialize, it remained a country
of serfs.
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Rural poverty lead to an economic depression and the weakening of
the Russian government by the beginning of WWI.
Russia suffered huge losses in the war and economic problems
increased.
The czar abdicated and the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional
government.
THE SOVIET UNION
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The leader of the Bolsheviks,Vladimir Lenin, wanted to
remake Russia using the ideas of Karl Marx and
communism.
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Groups of soviets were elected to make laws and the country
was renamed The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
USSR included 15 republics, largely based on ethnic territories.
LIFE IN THE SOVIET UNION
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Under Lenin, the USSR became a one-party, totalitarian
state.
Stalin followed Lenin with a brutal regime that lasted
from 1924-1953.
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Names of cities were changed to reflect Soviet heroes.
Economic planners set up a policy of autarky which tried to
produce everything the country needed on its own and limit
trade with capitalist countries.
Systems were inefficient and millions starved.
Political opposition was sent to the gulags,
religion outlawed.
Success in education and health care.
A NEW BEGINNING
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Economic and political changes were allowed in the
1980s.
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Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
All 15 republics became independent.
More freedoms and more hardships
CULTURE
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Russia Ukraine, and Belarus have similar languages,
religions, and customs.
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Russia has over 60 different ethnic groups.
PEOPLE AND LANGUAGES
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At least 85% of Russians are Slavs and speak Slavic
languages as do 95% of Ukrainians and 98% of
Belarusians.
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Written in the Cyrillic alphabet.
Russia has 21 republics made up of non-Slavic peoples.
PEOPLES OF THE CAUCASUS
REPUBLICS
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Some ethnic republics are located in the Caucasus.
Mountain region, along with the former Soviet republics
of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
Shatter belt – zone with frequent boundary changes and
conflicts.
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Languages and religions are unrelated to each other.
Area sits between competing powers.
SETTLEMENT
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25% of Russia lies in Europe.
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80% of its population lives here due to better climate.
More than 2/3 of the population live in the larger cities.
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St. Petersburg, Russia; Kiev, capital of Ukraine; Minsk, capital of Belarus
All countries are losing population.
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Emigration, high death than birth rate, poor health behaviors, poor
health care.
RELIGION AND EDUCATION
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Main religion is Eastern Orthodox.
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Most cities still have a church despite years of communist rule.
Onion dome figures prominently in architecture.
Catholic churches exist in Belarus, and Ukraine in areas
bordering Catholic Poland.
Protestant churches are on the rise.
Muslims are part of the minority.
Focus on education and scientific and technical training.
FOOD, TRADITIONS, AND CUSTOMS
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Foods utilize cold weather crops.
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Wood construction in the forested areas.
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Tea is a popular drink.
Sod construction on the plains.
Dachas – country cottages.
THE REGION TODAY
CHAPTER 17 – SECTION 3
QUESTIONS
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How have the economies of areas within the region
developed?
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What challenges does the region face?
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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Moving economies from heavy industry to light industry.
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Manufacturing based on metal products to consumer goods like
clothing and housewares.
Cities are beginning to look like those of richer countries.
THE MOSCOW REGION
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Moscow, with the Kremlin, is the symbol of Russia.
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Home of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Capital.
Most important economic center.
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70 centers of higher learning.
Location and infrastructure to get there makes it one of Russia’s most
important cities.
THE ST. PETERSBURG REGION
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Represents country’s desire for western ideas and
lifestyle.
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Located on Gulf of Finland, called Venice of the North because
of many canals.
Center of trade with many other European cities.
THE VOLGA AND URALS REGIONS
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Heavy industry in these regions.
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Abundant hydroelectricity as a result of dams.
Refineries, and car and truck factories.
Smelters are still important as most mineral finds have been in the Ural.
SIBERIA
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Siberia developed along with the Trans-Siberian Railroad
 At 5,800 miles, it is the longest single rail line in the world.
 Siberia provides furs, gold, and timber but harsh climate to
work in.
 Oil production is an important industry.
 Workers are paid higher wages.
THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST
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Russia has a long coastline along the Pacific Ocean.
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Much land remains heavily forested.
Weather in the Amur River Valley is mild enough for farming.
Khabarovsk is the main inland city.
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Factories that process forest and mineral resources.
Vladivostok – naval base, chief seaport, and fishing center.
Kuril Islands – disputed with Japan.
UKRAINE AND KIEV
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Kiev is Ukraine’s capital and is located in the Dnieper
River Valley.
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10% of Ukraine’s population lives here and it is the center of
economic activity.
Located in a region rich with agricultural, energy, industrial, and
human resources.
Moderate climate, access to markets, and resources help
Ukraine to attract new investment.
BELARUS AND MINSK
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Country has few mineral resources and poor soil.
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Relies on educated labor force to build economy.
Forest supply wood products.
Peat, used as fuel, causes air pollution.
Outdated plants are left over from the Soviet Union.
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
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Establishing a democracy is easier than building a stable
economy.
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Tension exists between supporters and opponents of reform
and among ethnic groups.
Unemployment and crime have risen.
Gap between rich and poor has grown.
Plants need to be updated and laws reformed.
GEOGRAPHICAL CHALLENGES
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In attempt to develop local economies, the Soviet Union
did not concern itself with environmental issues.
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1986 accident at Chernobyl.
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Soviet Union tried to cover up nuclear accident.