300 likes | 313 Vues
RUSSIA and others. SECTION 1: LANDFORMS AND RESOURCES. NORTHERN LANDFORMS. Northern European Plain Chernozem : black earth; some of the world’s richest soils Large cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg. NORTHERN LANDFORMS CONTINUED. West Siberian Plain
E N D
NORTHERN LANDFORMS • Northern European Plain • Chernozem: black earth; some of the world’s richest soils • Large cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg
NORTHERN LANDFORMS CONTINUED • West Siberian Plain • Begins at Ural Mountains and stretches to the Yenisey River • Rivers here flow to the Arctic Ocean
SOUTHERN LANDFORMS • The Caucasus Mountains: between Black and Caspian Seas • Form border between Russia and Transcaucasia: region consisting of republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia
DRAINAGE BASINS AND RIVERS • Main Russian drainage basins: Arctic Ocean, Caspian Sea, Pacific Ocean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Aral Sea • Arctic basin is the largest (Ob, Yenisey, and Lena Rivers)—drains 3 million sq. miles
VOLGA RIVER • Longest river on the European continent • Begins near Moscow and flows south • 2300 miles long • Ends at Caspian Sea • Carries 60% of Russia’s river traffic
LAKES • Area contains the world’s largest lakes • Caspian Sea: saltwater lake • 750 miles wide (largest inland sea) • Aral Sea: saltwater lake • Could vanish within 30 years
LAKE BAIKAL • Deepest lake in the world (more than 1 mile) • Nearly 400 miles wide • Holds 20% of world’s fresh water • 1200 unique species of plants and animals
ABUNDANT RESOURCES • Huge coal reserves, deposits of iron ore • The region is a leader in oil production and natural gas • Russia’s forests hold 1/5 (20%) of the world’s timber resources • One of world’s largest producers of hydroelectric power
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT • Harsh climates and rugged terrain make movement of resources difficult • Many resources are in Siberia: part of Russia that lies on the Asian continent
CONTINENTALITY • Def: the effect of distance on climate • Most of Russia is hundreds of miles away from the sea • This effects precipitation and temperature
TUNDRA • Most northern section of Russia • Mosses, lichens, small herbs, and low shrubs
FOREST • Taiga: south of Russian tundra; largest forest in the world • Mostly coniferous trees • Deciduous trees become more prominent in the lower latitudes
STEPPE • Temperate grassland • Extends from southern Ukraine through northern Kazakhstan • Chernozem
DESERT • The 2 major deserts in Central Asia cover an area of c. 230,000 sq. miles
THE SHRINKING ARAL SEA • Water for Aral Sea comes mostly from the Syr Darya and Amu Darya Rivers • 1950s: governments diverted water for irrigation
EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURE • Pesticides and fertilizers were entering the Aral Sea through Runoff: rainfall not absorbed by the ground that runs into streams and rivers • Killed all species of fish • Disease spread as sediment exposed from the drying of the Sea was carried by wind over population areas
COPING IN SIBERIA • C. 32 million people live in Siberia • Temps can reach -90°F in winter and 94°F in summer • Warmer temps melt ice and snow and leave pools of water for mosquitoes and black flies • Hard to build on permafrost ground
WAR AND “GENERAL WINTER” • The cold climate sometimes helps Russia • Napoleon was turned back in the early 1800s • Began retreat with 100,000 men • Returned with fewer than 10,000 • The winter saved Russia from French occupation
TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILROAD • Links Moscow to Vladivostok • More than 5,700 miles, crossing 7 time zones • Construction lasted from 1891-1903 • Built mainly to speed up travel time of resources
TIME ZONES • Created in 1884 • World divided into 24 time zones • Each time zone represents 15° longitude (360°⁄24 hours=15°) • Prime Meridian is starting point (0°) • Base time is called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) • International Date Line set at 180°