Russia and the RepublicsCh 15

Northern Landforms

• Intro– 1/6 of world landmass

• North European Plain– Lowland– In west to Ural Mtns– Chernozem – fertile soil of plain

» Lots of agriculture here– 75% of population– Moscow (Russian cap), St Petersburg, Kiev (Ukraine)

West Siberian Plain– E of Urals to Yenisey R– Arctic O to foothills of Altay Mtns– Slopes downhill to N

» Rivers drain to Arctic O

Central Siberian Plateau and Russian Far East

• Uplands and mtns dominant• High plateaus

• 1-2000 ft• Far East

• E of Lena R • Volcanic ranges• Kamchatka peninsula

120 volcanoes

20 active• Sakhalin, Kuril Islands

Seized from Japan after WWII

Japan still claims

Southern landforms

• Caucasus and Other Mtns– Caucasus

» btw Black and Caspian Seas» form border btw Russia and Transcaucasia

Trans= Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia

– Further east» Tian Shan and others» Southeastern border of Central Asia

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

» Block moisture from south

Create arid climate in central Asia

Turan Plain

– Lowlands– East of Caspian– 2 rivers

» Syr Darya» Amu Darya

– Very dry area – 2 deserts» Kara Kum » Kyzyl Kum

Rivers and Lakes

• Drainage Basins and Rivers– Drainage basin=area drained by river + tributaries– Arctic Basin

» Ob» Yenisey» Lena

3=1,750,000 cubic ft/sec– Caspian

» Volga

Longest river in Europe

60% Russia’s river traffic

Volga drainage basin

Lakes

– Caspian» Saltwater» 750 mi N-S» Largest inland sea-world

– Aral» Saltwater» Lost 80% water since 1960» Extensive irrigation» Vanish soon

Aral Sea

Lake Baikal– Deepest in world

» 1 mile– 400 mi N-S– 20% world’s fresh water– 1200 species unique to lake

Regional Resources• Intro

– Lots of resources– Transportation

difficult• Abundant Resources

– Coal– Iron, metals– Oil & gas– Forests

» 1/5 world total– Hydroelectric-

rivers

• Resource Management– Harvest and transport difficult

» Harsh climate» Long distances

– Siberia» Source of many

resources» In far east – long

distances» Frigid temps

– Environmental damage» Mining» Oil/gas production» Thermal pollution» Hot discharge from

dams/hydroel plants» Little govt control of

pollution

Forests

An explosion at Russia's largest power generator—the Sayano-Shushenkaya hydroelectric plant in Siberia—has killed at least 12 people, and another 64 are thought to be lost in the wreckage. It's an environmental disaster of monumental proportions: in addition to the tragic deaths, the damaged plant has released an oil slick over 10 miles of the surface of nearby Yenisei River

August, 2009