Russia• Largest country …

Russia • On 2 continents• What divides Europe & Asia?

Europe / Asia Division • Black Sea• Caucasus Mtns.• Caspian Sea• Ural Mtns.

Caucasus Mtns. & Ural Mtns.• Highest Mountains…

– Mt. Elbrus

CAUCASUS MTNS

Caucasus Mtns. • Winter Olympics

– Sochi

Caucasus Mtns. • Rugged terrain• Diversity

– Chechnya

European Russia• Mostly flat

– Rivers

Volga River

Russia’s History• Russian Empire ‘til 1917

– Czars

Russian Empire• Expanded from Moscow• Conquered …

Russia’s History• Revolution in 1917

– Led by Vladimir Lenin

• Lenin - died in 1920s

Religion in Russia

Joseph Stalin• Soviet leader 1920s-1950s

• Gulag labor camps

• Industrialization• WWII

Soviet Industry• “Command Economy”

• Lack of competition/capitalism

Soviet Industry• Low priority:

– Environment

– Industrial Safety• Chernobyl (Ukraine)

Soviet Union • Broke apart 1991• Now 15 separate countries

Countries from former Soviet Union• Russia• Est, Lat, Lith• Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova

Russia’s Population• Russia: #___ in World• Population is Declining

Russia’s Economy• Oil• Mainly in Siberia • Global Warming

Russian Cities• Moscow

St. Petersburg• Capital

St. Petersburg• Built by …

St. Petersburg• “Venice of the North”• “Leningrad”

St. Petersburg• Hermitage Museum

Moldova• 1991• Language

Moldova • Religion

Moldova’s Economy• Agriculture

Ukraine• Was important part of Soviet Union

– Productive …

Ukraine’s Environment• Climate• Black-soil

– Agriculture• Ukraine’s Flag…

GOOD-BYE EUROPE!