Russia – Geography – Flashcards

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Chernozem
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Rich black soil that supports the production of wheat and other crops.
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Hydroelectric Power
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Energy generated by falling water.
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Permafrost
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Permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground.
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Tundra
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Vast, treeless plain in Northern Russia.
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Taiga
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Forest belt in Russia's subarctic climate region.
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Steppe
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Temperate grassland area with dry summers and cold, dry winters.
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Harsh Climate
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Extreme weather makes human activity difficult.
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Warm-Water Port
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Year-round access by ships.
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Tundra Includes
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1. Very limited vegetation. 2. Very shallow soil over permafrost.
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Subarctic Includes
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1. Includes the Taiga. 2. Snow cover for 120 to 150 days each year.
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Humid Continental Includes
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1. Most of Russia's North European Plain. 2. Mild summer temperatures and excellent soil for grain crops.
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Steppe Includes
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1. Temperate region with long, cold, dry winters and dry summers. 2. Vast grasslands and crops such as mint and beans.
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How does Russia's climate affect its agriculture?
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In certain areas, Russia's climate is mild enough for farming, but most of Russia is too cold for successful farming.
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How does Russia's physical geography contribute to its potential for world trade?
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Russia has natural resources and the Black Sea is the perfect warm-water port.
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Russia is the world's coldest country.
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False. Coldest>Largest.
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Russia spans 11 time zones; when it is noon in Moscow, it is 11 P.M. on Russia's Pacific Coast.
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True.
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European Russia and Asian Russia are separated by the Caucasus Mountains.
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False. Caucasus>Ural.
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Russia has warm-water ports on the Baikal Sea, which empties into the Aegean.
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False. Baikal>Black.
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The lake with the largest surface area is the Black Sea in southwestern Russia.
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False. Black>Caspian.
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European Russia's Dnieper River provides vital transportation links and hydroelectric power.
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False. Dnieper>Volga.
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The great rivers of Siberia generally flow north into the Arctic Ocean.
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True.
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Russia holds huge reserves of mineral resources, such as diamonds and coal.
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False. Diamonds>Oil.
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Most of Russia cannot be farmed because of its dry climate.
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False. Dry>Cold.
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Russia's flourishing tourist industry is important to the country's economy.
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False. Tourist>Fishing.
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What are the characteristics of the climate and seasons in most of Russia?
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Russia has long, cold, dry winters and short, cool, dry summers.
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Why does Siberia receive very little precipitation?
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Siberia is far from oceans and is in the higher latitudes.
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What kind of temperature is typical of the tundra climate?
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The average temperature is below freezing.
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Why does so little vegetation grow in the tundra?
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The tundra has a short growing season and thin soil above the permafrost.
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What temperature and snowfall is typical of the subarctic climate?
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Its very cold and has snow cover for 120 to 250 days each year.
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How large is the Taiga forest and what resource does it provide?
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The Taiga covers 2/5 of Siberia and provides soft wood timber.
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Why do most Russians live in the country's mid-latitude climates?
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Its too cold in other places.
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What types of vegetation are found in Russia's humid continental climate?
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Mixed forests, sunflowers, sugar, beets, and wheat.
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How did the Russian winter of 1941 help defeat the German Army?
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The freezing cold stopped the German's machinery.
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What are the recent challenges to the steppe ecosystem?
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Foreign plants are decreasing natural land fertility.
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Nationality.
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General term for a major ethnic group.
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Sovereignty.
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Self-rule.
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Czar.
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Supreme ruler of Russia.
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Socialism.
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Belief calling for greater economic equality.
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Bolshevik.
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Member of a revolutionary group led by Lenin.
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Communism.
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Philosophy calling for a new society led by workers.
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Satellite.
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Country controlled by the Soviet Union.
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Cold War.
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Struggle between communism and capitalism for world influence.
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Perestroika.
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Policy of economic restructuring.
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Glasnost.
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Policy of greater political openness.
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Atheism.
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Belief that there is no god.
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Islam.
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Second largest religion in Russia.
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Buddhism.
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The religion of Tuva, Buryatia, and Kalmykia.
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Pogrom
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Organised religious persecution.
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Socialist realism.
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Artists glorified Soviet communism.
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Ethnic diversity.
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Variety of ethnic groups.
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Serfs.
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Impoverished workers.
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Reform.
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Change intended as an improvement.
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What did the Communists accomplish after they won the civil war in Russia?
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They regained the Ukraine, Belarus, and Caucasus regions.
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In what new direction did Joseph Stalin take the country?
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Joseph Stalin made Russia an industrial giant.
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What features influence Russia's population distribution?
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The cold weather and lack of ports are two major influences on Russia's population, as most people live in European Russia.
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How has education changed since the collapse of the Soviet Union?
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The Soviet Union Era had mandatory, free education that focused mostly on math, science, and engineering. Now, schools have a balanced approach to teaching as they teach: math, science, engineering, history, language, and literature.
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Slavs Include.
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Serbs, Poles, and Ukrainians.
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Turkic Peoples Include.
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Tatars, Chuvash, Bashkivs, and Sakha.
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Caucasians Include.
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Chechens, Dagestanis, and Ingushetians.
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The Soviet government disapproved of religion and instead promoted _______.
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Atheism.
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Russia is made up of more than 70 _______________.
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Distinct gruous.
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Only ___ of the population lives in two-thirds of Russia's land area.
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15%.
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Most Russians who claim a religious affiliation belong to the ________________ church.
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Russian Orthodox.
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Russian Slavs dominate Russia's ________ and culture.
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Politics.
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The second largest ethnic group in Russia is the _____________.
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Turkic people.
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Russia's population is _________ because of poor health care and a low birthrate.
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Shrinking.
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The Caucasian peoples consist of the Chechens, Dagestanis, and ____________.
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Ingushetians.
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Some of the world's greatest literature comes from Russian authors such as ______________________ who wrote Gulag Archipelago.
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Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
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Soviet "socialist _______" strangled artistic expression in Russia.
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Realism.
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May 1, or ______, was a workers' holiday in Soviet Russia, but today it is just a spring celebration.
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Mayday.
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Since 1991, ____ have returned to their homeland.
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Jews.
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Southeastern Russia is the home of the _____________.
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Turkic peoples.
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Since 1990, urban population growth in most industrialized cities has _________.
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Decreased.
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Prominent educators, writers , artists, and scientists made up the Soviet _____.
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Union.
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In the A.D. 600s, Slavs settled near (cities/waterways) on the North European Plain.
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Waterways.
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Kievan Rus was a loose union of (city-states/ethnic groups) organized by the Varangians.
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City-states.
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Ivan the Great, king of the Muscovites, built a huge fortress called the (Kremlin/Muscovy).
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Kremlin.
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Ivan the Terrible expanded Russian territory and became the country's supreme ruler, called a(n) (emperor/czar)
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Czar.
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By the late 1600s, Peter the Great had (conquered/modernized) Russia, built portsm and encouraged trade.
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Modernized.
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Because of government oppression and extreme poverty, many Russians were drawn to a belief in economic equality known as (feudalism/socialism).
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Socialism.
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The Bolsheviks, who believed in (socialism/communism), took control of the government in November 1917.
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Communism.
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After winning the civil war, the Bolsheviks established a new (country/army).
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Country.
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Countries in the region controlled by the Soviet Union were called (satellites/provinces)
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Satellites.
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The Cold War was the struggle between communism and (socialism/capitalism) for world influence.
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Capitalism.
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Mikhail Gorbachev began to restructure Russia's economy through a policy called (glasnost/perestroika).
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Perestroika.
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The Soviet Union collapsed when all the Soviet Republics declared (war/independence).
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Independence.
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The move from a command economy to a (market/industrial) economy brought severe economic hardship to Russians.
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Market.
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Russia's stability has been threatened by (separatist/socialist) movements.
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Separatist.
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Highest point in Russia.
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Mount Elbrus.
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What percent of Russians live in the North European Plain?
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75 percent.
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Volga River
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Fourth longest river in Russia and longest river in Europe.
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How much of Russia's land is suitable for farming?
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10 percent.
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Black Earth Belt
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Ukraine to southwestern Russia.
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How much of the world's forest is in Siberia?
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One fifth.
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Coldest temperature.
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-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Tundra.
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Covers 10 percent of Russia.
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Taiga.
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World's largest coniferous forest.
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How many Russians are ethnic Russians?
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80 percent.
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How many different ethnic groups are in Russia?
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Over 100.
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Russia.
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World's sixth most populous country. 22 people per square mile.
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Ivan IV.
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First crowned czar of Russia.
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St. Petersburg.
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Window to the west.
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Karl Marx
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Belief in a workers' revolution.
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Nicholas II.
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Forced to give up his throne.
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Lenin.
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First Communist leader.
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Stalin's policies
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Caused many Russians to starve or die.
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Mikhail Gorbachev.
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Responsible for glasnost.
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Education.
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Nearly one hundred percent of Russians are literate.
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