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Russia
Russian Federation FlagThere is no official meaning of to the Russian flag but
some Russians believe the following: white
symbolizes generosity and frankness; blue stands for
loyalty, honesty and wisdom; red means courage,
magnanimity and love
Political Map Russia
• Population Size:
145,231,000
• Land Size: 6,592,735
square miles
• Capital City: Moscow
Russia General Facts
Russia`s Physical
Characteristics
• Russia has varied terrain, although the landscape has
specific characteristics in different regions
• The highest mountain range in Russia is the Caucasus
Mountains in the south east, reaching as high as
18,000 feet
• Most of Russian land is fairly flat (not counting the
mountains that is)
Ural Mountains• The Ural Mountains are the dividing line between Europe and Asia.
• The average elevation of the Ural Mountains is 2,000 feet.
• A number of low passes through the Urals permitted migration.
Rivers
• Water from much of the land
west of the Urals ultimately ends
up in the Volga River.
• The Volga River is the longest
river in Europe.
• The Volga river empties into the
Caspian Sea, which is the
worlds largest lake
Ecosystem-Tundra• The northern region of Russia is the Tundra.
• A tundra is a largely treeless plain dominated by very small plants.
• Animals here include- Reindeer, Rabbits, Foxes, and Polar Bears
Ecosystem Taiga• Extending across Russia to the south of the tundra is a broad forested
zone called the Taiga.
• Taiga- Land of Little Sticks
• This is a reference to the fact that trees don`t grow to great size in this
area.
Ecosystem-Steppes• South of the Forests are broad open stretches that the Russians call
Steppes
• This is Russia`s Most productive agricultural region.
Siberia• Very little population in the region comared to land mass
• Much of it is covered with a layer of Permafrost (permanently frozen
soil)
The History of Russia
Russia from the Beginning
• Modern Russia began around 800 c.e.
• Located around the modern day capital of Ukraine,
Kiev, where Vikings from the north settled after sailing
the regions rivers, trading as they went.
• In the year 1237 c.e. Mongol warriors from east
central Asia conquered the region.
• After two centuries, Russians were able to free
themselves from the Mongols.
• Czars (Caesar) became the next rulers of Russia
• Peter the Great who governed from the late 1600`s and early 1700`s expanded control to the pacific in the east and the Baltic in the west.
• He built the city of St. Petersburg and declared it the new National Capital.
Czars of Russia
and Expansion
Catherine
the Great
• She extended Russian control
farther west and gained control
of parts of Poland, Belarus, and
Ukraine.
• Considered by many as one of
the most powerful Czars in
Russian history.
Napoleon Makes a Mistake
• In 1812 Russian power was challenged by Napoleon.
• Late in the year Napoleon led an invasion force of 600,000
troops that captured Moscow.
• As the French troops were closing, in the residents of
Moscow fled and burned the city to the ground as they left.
• By burning the city, all resources that the French Troops
could have used to survive the harsh Russian winter were
destroyed.
• The destruction of Moscow and all its resources forced Napoleon to
retreat back to France, costing the lives of 70% of the hundred
thousand men that left Moscow with him.
The Rise of Communism
• After suffering several
defeats during World War
I and severe food
shortages, rioting started
calling for the Czar to step
down in favor of a new
Government system.
• In February of 1917 Czar
Nicolas II abdicated the
throne and gave up his
crown.
In comes the Soviet Union
• After the Russian Revolution, a
new Government was
established, following the ideas
of Karl Marx.
• Under the rule of Vladimir Lenin
the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics was established.
The Communist
System• Command Economy- an
economy in which a central
authority decides what goods
will be produced.
• Millions of Russians believed
that communism would improve
their lives.
• They found instead that the
Communists had become their
new masters and nothing had
really changed.
• The standard of living remained
poor and people had no
freedom to make personal
choices.
Second Verse, Same as the
First• Not studying history, Hitler decided to invade the Soviet Union in the
winter
• Hitler and the Nazi army suffered a similar defeat as Napoleon
because of the harsh winter conditions and lack of supplies.
The End of Communist Rule
• Under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet
Union began many radical reforms and changes.
• Perestroika- was an economic restructuring aimed at
returning to private ownership
• In 1991 Gorbachev resigned officially ending the
Soviet Union.
Modern Day Russia
• President Putin is currently the leader of Russia
• While much progress has been made since the Cold
War, there are still slightly strained relationships
between the US and Russia