Name: ___________________________________

Russia and the Republics Study Guide

Label the following countries on the map below. You may find it useful to draw a line to some of the smaller countries or to label them with numbers that correspond to the list below.

Russia

Kazakhstan

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Tajikistan

Kyrgyzstan

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Be able to locate the following physical features on the map below:

Ural Mountains

Caucasus Mountains

Volga River

Ob River

Amur River

Lake Baikal

Caspian Sea

Aral Sea

Bering Strait

Pacific Ocean

Arctic Ocean

Russia and Central Asia is a vast area of land. Together, these nations make up 1/6 of the entire planet’s

land area! Furthermore, these countries span the two continents of ____________ and ____________.

Even more impressive is that the nations of Russia and Central Asia span _______________ time zones.

The climate of Russia and Central Asia (the Republics to the South) exist in a diverse area of climates. However, the vast majority of land in Russia and Central Asia is consumed in tundra, permafrost, taiga, and steppe.

Define tundra.

Define permafrost.

Define taiga.

Define steppe.

Another important physical characteristic of Russia and the Republics is chernozem, which is a rich, fertile soil that is well suited for growing a variety of crops. Because of this concentration of chernozem in the southwestern part of this region, the majority of the population is concentrated in the southwest.

Why would people cluster in an area that contains soil like chernozem and not in an area like Siberia?

There are also two very important mountain ranges found in this region. They are the Ural and Caucasus Mountain. Both serve as natural borders.

The Ural Mountains serves as the official dividing point between the European and Asian continents. To the west of the Ural Mountains is the great majority of the region’s population. To the east of the Ural Mountains lay Siberia, also known as the sleeping land, a cold, barren land.

The Caucasus Mountains are located between the Black and Caspian Seas and represent the natural border between Russia and the Transcaucasian republics of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

o Transcaucasia, when broken down into its separate word parts, literally means across (trans) the Caucasus (Caucasian) Mountains.

Russia and Central Asia also are a storehouse of large amounts of major oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources. However, much of these natural resources have yet to be fully developed due their geographical locations, some found in the depths of Siberia and in the disputed territories surrounding the Caspian Sea.

How does the concentration of natural resources in Siberia make it challenging to develop and harvest them?

Russia and Central Asia are the former Soviet Union. Under the Soviet Union, this region was incredibly different economically than it is today. Under the communist Soviet Union, the region was a command economy. Since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the region has slowly been transitioning to a

______________________________________________, or an economy that is driven by businesses and individuals rather than the government.

As already mentioned, many of the people living in the region are concentrated around the fertile regions that contain chernozem in the Southwest. This area is called the Fertile Triangle (draw a triangle between Moscow, Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Kiev, Ukraine) and is home to the majority of the region’s farms and industry.

Due to the vast size of Russia, developing infrastructure (roads, railways, water pipelines, etc.) has been challenging. The Russian government, beginning under the czars prior to communist takeover in 1917, built the Trans-Siberian Railroad which connects western Russia to the Far East. Recall that Russia and Central Asia include 1/6 of the entire earth’s land area and span 11 time zones.

Additionally, the Volga River, found in western Russia and also the longest river in Europe, is a major source of transportation in Russia, connecting the far inland capital city of Moscow to the Black Sea. This river is especially important for trading.

Much of Russia and Central Asia’s energy comes from hydroelectric power, oil, and natural gas. Heavy reliance on these forms of energy has resulted in environmental damage, a challenge the Russian government has tried to address. Furthermore, water resources like the Aral Sea have drastically shrunk in the past half-century due to diversion programs for irrigation and energy production.

Why is it a bad thing that the Aral Sea has drastically shrunk due to human behavior?

Another major agricultural product found in Central Asia is cotton.

Additionally, after years of Communist rule in the Soviet Union, the region faces many difficulties in regards to economics and politics.

Russia and Central Asia are also home to diverse ethnic groups, customs and traditions. Much of this mixture of ethnic groups stems from the historic Silk Road where traders traveled with their merchandise to Europe and the Far East in Asia.

Why is the Silk Road important?

Additionally, the nations ending in –stan literally mean the land of [insert first part of name].

Translate these following countries to the literal meaning of the people who live there:

Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Tajikistan

Kyrgyzstan

There are also some very important items that really anchor the culture of Russia and the Republics. Identify the following cultural items:

Why is Ballet important in Russia?

Furthermore, you should be able to recognize some of the following structures that make up the cultural landscape in the region:

St. Basil’s Cathedral is in Moscow, Russia. What religion is practiced in this building?

Below is the Kremlin, which is also found in the city of Moscow. This building is like the Capitol Building found in Washington, D.C. and serves as the head of the Russian government.

Red Square is found between the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. This is the city center.

Be able to locate the following three large cities in Russia on the map below:

Moscow St. Petersburg Novosibirsk