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Mrs. Reifsnyder World Geography Name: ________________________________ Test Date: ___________________ Rivers -­‐ Volga River -­‐ Ob River -­‐ Amur River Unit 10: Russia and Central Asia Study Guide SOLs Addressed: WG.1d, 2b, 4, 9b, 11a Essential Questions: -­ -­‐ In what ways do physical, economic, and cultural characteristics influence regional development? -­ What are some ways that human interaction with the environment affects the development of a region? -­ What are some criteria that may be used to determine a country’s relative importance? -­ What impact do elements of the physical environment, such as major bodies of water and mountains, have on countries in a region? Essential Understandings/Knowledge: Countries -­ Russia -­ Kazakhstan -­ Turkmenistan -­ Uzbekistan Mountains -­‐ Caucasus Mountains -­‐ Ural Mountains 1 Bodies of Water -­ Caspian Sea -­ Arctic Ocean -­ Bering Strait -­ Pacific Ocean -­ Aral Sea -­ Lake Baikal Other -­‐ Arctic Circle Cities -­‐ Novosibirsk, Russia -­‐ St. Petersburg, Russia -­‐ Samarkand, Uzbekistan -­‐ Moscow, Russia -­‐ Vladivostok, Russia The most important countries of Russia and Central Asia are Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The level of importance of each is determined by GDP, land size, and population. GDP Land Size Population Gross domestic product refers to Land size refers to the total Population refers to the total the total value of goods and square miles or kilometers of a number of people living in a services produced in a country in country. country. one year. -­ Russia -­ Russia -­ Kazakhstan -­ Kazakhstan -­ Kazakhstan -­ Russia -­ Turkmenistan -­ Uzbekistan -­ Turkmenistan Physical Characteristics -­ Climate regions include: o Tundra (with permafrost) – mostly in the extreme northern regions o Subarctic with taiga (huge forests of coniferous trees) – mostly in Siberia o Steppe (semi-­‐arid) – mostly in Central Asia -­ Because the land area for this region is huge, the climate regions vary greatly. -­ Russia and Central Asia sit on two continents, Europe and Asia, and cover 11 time zones. -­ The area west of the Ural Mountains has very rich soil called chernozem and this region is often called the Fertile Triangle -­ The Ural Mountains divide Europe from Asia -­ The land east of the Ural Mountains is called Siberia, which means “the sleeping land.” This region is rich in the following natural resources: natural gas, mineral resources, and oil. -­ Many of the rivers in the region flow northward and empty into the Arctic Ocean. An example is the Ob River. Economic and Political Characteristics -­ The former Soviet Union broke apart in 1991. There are now 15 independent countries in existence where there was once one country, the Soviet Union. The transition from a communist government to a democratic one has been very difficult for Russia and many of the new countries. Likewise, the transition from a command economy to a free market economy has been very difficult. -­ Farming and industry occur mostly west of the Ural Mountains, in the area known as the Fertile Triangle where the black earth belt lies. The soil here is called chernozem. The major type of farming here is wheat farming. -­ In Central Asia, the main type of agriculture is cotton farming. -­ Examples of transportation systems in the infrastructure include: o The Trans-­Siberian Railroad – the longest railroad in the world. It connects Moscow with the eastern region of Siberia. Novosibirsk and Vladivostok are both important cities that 2 -­
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grew up on the Trans-­‐Siberian railroad (example of situation – the relative location of a city). o Systems of rivers and canals o Railroads Examples of energy resources in this region include hydroelectric power (using water to generate power) oil, and natural gas. Oil and natural gas are both examples of fossil fuels. Russia is rich in natural resources. However, it is not economically profitable to develop many of these resources due to climate (Sub-­‐Arctic climate in Siberia), limited transportation linkes and the sheer vastness (size) of the country. There is foreign competition for investment in the region (Example: oil pipelines). The region suffers from widespread pollution (example: Chernobyl – nuclear explosion in 1986 in former Ukraine). The Aral Sea is shrinking due to diversion of water for agricultural purposes. Samarkand, Uzbekistan grew up on the major trade route known as the Silk Road (example of situation – relative location of a city). Cultural Characteristics -­ The region is made up of diverse ethnic groups, customs, and traditions. This includes not only many people of Slavic heritage but also many people of Turkic and Mongol heritages. Examples of Cultural Heritage -­ Ballet -­ Matryoshka Dolls (sometimes called nesting dolls) -­ Oriental carpets -­ Samovars (pots used to make tea) -­ Music -­ Icons – religious images in Eastern Orthodox Christianity -­ Faberge eggs – delicately decorated eggs Examples of Cultural Landscape -­ Russian Orthodox churches (ex: St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow) Ballet -­ Red Square -­ Mosques and minarets -­ The Kremlin -­ Tents and yurts -­ Siberian villages -­ Soviet-­‐style apartment blocks Matryoshka Dolls Oriental Carpets 3 Icons Samovar Faberge eggs yurt The Kremlin St. Basil’s Cathedral 4