Download Physical Characteristics of Russia and Central Asia

Physical Characteristics of
Russia and Central Asia
Francisci WG.4
Russia: The Facts
• Largest nation in the
world (2x size of U.S.)
• Russia is larger than
Pluto
• 25% of Russia is
located in Europe and
75% is located in Asia
(Eurasia)
• 77% of Russia is
located in Siberia
• Russia covers 11
different time zones
(9 hours from east to
west)
The Climate
• Climate in Russia and Central
Asia varies greatly due to the
mountain ranges, oceans and
the enormous size of the area.
• Earth’s coldest temperature
was recorded in Russia (-90⁰F).
• Climate regions include:
– Tundra: treeless Arctic region
with permafrost (frozen soil);
extreme northern regions.
– Taiga: Frozen forest of
coniferous trees – mostly in
Siberia.
– Steppe: Semi-arid and found in
Central Asia.
Mountain Areas
• The Ural Mountains are
sometimes referred to as the
boundary between Europe and
Asia.
• The mountains act as a natural
barrier to stop the wind from
the Atlantic Ocean from going
eastward.
• The area west of the Ural
Mountains has rich soil called
chernozem: very black and rich
soil filled with nutrients that is
good for agricultural crops.
• Because of this black soil, this
region is commonly referred to
as the black earth belt.
Sleeping Land
• Siberia: A vast Russian
province encompassing
most of Northern Russia
found east of the Ural
Mountains.
• Siberia is cold and dry
because of the Ural
Mountains blocking the
moisture on one side.
• Siberia extends from the
Ural Mountains to the
Pacific Ocean in the east.
• This region is rich in natural
gas, mineral resources and
oil.
Lakes and Rivers
• Lake Baikal in Southern
Siberia is the world’s
deepest freshwater lake.
– Contains as much water as
all of the Great Lakes
combined.
• Many of the rivers in this
region flow northward and
empty into the Arctic
Ocean.
– Example: Ob River