Lesson 6- The Geography of Russia – Flashcards
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a country that is formally independent in the world, but under heavy political, economic and military influence or control from another country
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satellite countries
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What did President Reagan call the USSR?
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The "Evil Empire"
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When did the USSR split?
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1991; into 15 independent nations with Russia being the largest by far
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What Russia calls the 14 former Soviet Republics & why is this significant?
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-The Near Abroad (12 countries today) -Russia exerts influences on these countries to preserve the countries special interests -This hope was dashed in 2004 when Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined the European Union
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an economic association founded by Russia and the Near Abroad countries
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Commonwealth of Independent States
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Why did Hobbs choose to refer to this post-Soviet region as "Russia and The Near Abroad"?
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to reflect the enormous power that Russia wields (or aspires to wield) in this area
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What is one of the strategies that Russia uses to keep these Near Abroad countries reliant on it?
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-Have control of the oil/gas line the connects through many countries -Periodically will shut it off in an effort to raise the fossil fuel prices -Provides and incentive for these countries to keep a relationship with Russia
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What is significant about the size vs the population density of the Russian regions?
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-Largest region recognized in this book, but sparsely populated -Ranked 7th in population out of the 8 regions in 2008
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Why is population in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus decreasing at a rate of up to 0.5 % each year?
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due to the plummeting quality of life after the break up of the Soviet Union
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In which countries is a growing population seen?
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among the predominantly Muslim populations of the central Asian countries
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What is the climate like in this region?
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-long, harsh winters that yield short growing seasons -short summers with low to moderate precipitation -region is generally at a high latitude but does not have the moderating influences of the oceans
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roughly the eastern two-thirds of Russia; named for severe winters; coldest temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere
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Siberia
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What five climatic belts run from N. to S. in this region?
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tundra, subarctic, humid continental, steppe, and desert
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What is permafrost and what difficulties does it pose?
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-areas of the tundra and subarctic zones are permanently frozen to a depth of a few feet, which makes construction difficult -oil pipelines must be insulated so they do not melt the permafrost bc this sometimes causes buildings to sink and tilt
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Where does the most productive human activity take place?
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in the subarctic, humid continental, and steppe zones
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northern coniferous forests that correspond with the subarctic climate
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taiga
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What is significant about the deforestation of the Russian taiga?
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Conifers act as carbon "sinks" so their removal could contribute to global warming
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dominant soils in this region; acidic & low in natural fertility
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spodosols or podzols
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What is the black-earth belt?
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-the most important area of crop and livestock production in the region of Russia and the Near Abroad -named for chernozem soil, which are among the world's most productive soils -located in the steppe region
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What is the role of rivers?
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-especially crucial for the settlement of Siberia -the Volga-Don canal links the White & Baltic seas (N) to the Black & Caspian seas (S)
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separates Europe from Asia and European Russia from Siberia
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The Ural Mountains
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What is the topography like in this region?
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mostly flat except there are a few mountain ranges on its southern and eastern fringes.
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Why did Russia begin moving backwards through the demographic transition?
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As quality of life deteriorated after the dissolution of the USSR, birth rates plummeted and death rates soared due the increase in alcoholism, crime, smoking, drugs, and inferior healthcare
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What is the "Russian Cross"?
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-the disturbing trend lines on increasing death rates and falling birth rates intersected in the mid-1990's, which demographers dubbed as the "Russian Cross" -Russia's annual rate of population loss is the highest in the world and has seldom been seen unless it was due to a famine or war
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Why was Moscow known as the "Third Rome"?
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for its great importance in Christian affairs; predominantly orthodox christians
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What event began a 75 year period of a official repression of religion? When did it end?
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The Bolshevik Revolution; Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, there has been a resurgence in religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam
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What kind of an empire is Russia?
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land empire--rather than establishing colonies overseas, Russia established continents on its own continent
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What is the significance of a land empire?
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colonized people had little in common with Russians; the periphery became reliant on the Russian core; this contributed to the growth of the USSR's economy but limited local development
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an effort to implant Russian culture in non-Russian regions & to make non-Russians more Russian
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Russification
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What obstacles did invaders of Russia face?
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brutal climate, overwhelming distances, poor roads all contributed to the success of the Soviet Union in warding off invaders
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strategy to protect the motherland; destroy resources (such as railroads) instead of letting them fall into the invaders hands
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scorched earth
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What two revolutions set the stage for the formation of the Soviet Union
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Russian Revolution of 1917 (started WWI) & the Bolshevik Revolution
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What was the significance of Germany being unable to conquer the USSR?
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clear indication that the strength of the Soviet Union had been underrated and that the country's power would henceforth be a major feature in world affairs
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any locale that people hold in reverence
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sacred space/place -Russia has the most extensive network of sacred places associated with loss of life (esp. Stalin/Volgograd where the largest WWII battle took place)
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an economy in which production, investment, prices, and incomes are determined centrally by a government.
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command economy (USSR had this)
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What was the main reason the the USSR was brought down?
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Failing communist economic system
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What was the arms race?
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accumulation of massive arsenals with weapons of mass destruction b/w the US and the Soviet Union
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-The soviet policy aimed to consolidate individual landholdings and labor into collective farms (kolkhoz) and state farms (sovkhoz). -Rural people fiercely refused and turned to their own version of "scorched earth"
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collectivized agriculture
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the gvmt called on people to sacrifice and and make the country strong by working on the construction of dams, railways, and land reclamation
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hero projects
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What was the second Russian Revolution?
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The ending of Gorbachev's presidency and voting to disband the Soviet Union; stemmed from the unrest with the Marxian economic system
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how Russia was classified after the dissolution of the Soviet Union-- due to its plummeting population
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"misdeveloped country"
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program introduced by Yeltsin early on in his presidency that was designed to replace the Communist system with a free market economy; removed price controls and encouraged privatization
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economic shock therapy (results were poor)
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rampant black market that developed in Russia's new economic geography; vital to the functioning of the new economy
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underground economy (counter economy or second economy)
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How did Russia seek profit in the industrial sector?
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Sold its right to emit carbon dioxide to other countries; sure sign of a deeply troubled industrial sector
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an economic and political system based on crime; Russia became this due to mafia influences
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kleptocracy
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the biggest beneficiaries of the new economic system
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oligarchs (Russia's leading business people)
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What was the main stimulus that put Russia's economy back on track?
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-a surge in oil prices after 1999--Russia has immense reserves -became world's second largest producer in oil -tied as largest steel exporter
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What is the biggest danger to Russia's current economy?
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they depend too much on natural gas and other natural resources; if prices plummet it would drag entire economy into a recession
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What are some geopolitical issues within Russia?
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Made up of many ethnic-based autonomies that all want devolution from Moscow; worried that what happened to the USSR will happen w/i Russia itself
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What are some geopolitical issues with Russia and the Near Abroad?
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since the USSR dissolved, many important links b/w Russia and its 14 successor states have persisted -vital flow of Russian oil and gas -irredentism
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reversed the trend toward privatization that had been under way; happened under Putin's rule; increased control of energy sector
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renationalization
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a movement by an ethic group in one country to revive or reinforce kindred ethnicity in another--often in an effort to promote secession there
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irredentism
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What is GUAM?
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regional grouping of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova; goal is to promote economic integration, democratic reform, and increasing orientation toward Europe and away from Russia
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Where is the third most important oil region in the world?
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Caspian Sea Basin -Question is which country owns this resource?
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the worlds most economically powerful and politically influential countries (of which Russia is a member)
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Group of Eight -other countries leery to trust Russia
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What are some geopolitical issues with Russian region and the rest of the world?
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-leery of their nuclear ability
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In several cases Russia provides political support to groups in neighboring countries that support Russia but oppose their countries' own sovereign governments. What is the best example of this?
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Georgia is the best example of this situation.
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True or False: None of the countries that were once part of the Soviet Union belong to the European Union.
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false
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How does Russia's size compare to the size of the fifty U.S. states?
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Russia is twice as large.
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Today, what is the official political name of the country of Russia?
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Russian Federation
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True or False: Huge areas of Russia's tundra and subarctic climate zones are permanently frozen to a depth of a few feet.
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true
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True or False: The location of Russia's subarctic climate zone corresponds closely with the coniferous forest biome, which is also called taiga.
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true
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Which soil type, known as chernozem, is found in Russia's most agriculturally productive region?
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mollisols
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True or False: The Ural Mountains are a major barrier to trade and transportation.
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false
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Which language type is spoken by most people in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus?
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Slavic
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Which region is populated by descendents of the "Golden Horde," Mongol invaders who arrived in the thirteenth century?
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Tatarstan
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During what event in 1917 did Vladimir Lenin and his communist supporters gain control of the Russian government?
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Bolshevik Revolution
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Which of the following was not a characteristic of the economy of the former Soviet Union?
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little emphasis on heavy industry
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Which best describes the kleptocracy that developed during Russia's period of misdevelopment?
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economic and political system based on crime
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What process did Russia use to unify the diverse peoples in its land empire?
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Russification
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What caused the "Russian cross" that demographers identified in the 1990s?
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increasing death rate and declining birth rate
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True or False: Chechnya gained independence from Russia in 1999.
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false
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Which is not an action illustrating Russia's effort to maintain influence over former countries of the USSR?
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supporting the government in Georgia during the Rose Revolution
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Which country shares cultural connections with the "stan" countries of Central Asia and exerts a regional influence that worries Russia?
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Turkey
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What was the purpose of Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of perestroika?
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to allow more democracy and freedom
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True or False: The Black Sea is a major source of oil for Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.
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False--Its the Caspian
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True or False: Russia has expressed concern about Islamist opposition groups in Central Asia and in Russia itself.
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True
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Which city did Russia establish more than three hundred years ago as its "Window on the West"?
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St. Petersburg
