Physical Geography of Russia

1. Physical Geography of Russia Chapter 14 Unit 5

3. A Vast and Varied Land • Russia stretches across parts of Europe and Asia. • Russia is a huge land of plains divided and bordered by mountains and plateaus. • Urals- old, worn-down mountains that mark the boundary between European and Asian parts of Russia. • Caucasus Mountains- southwest of Russia, reach their highest point at Mount Elbrus, 18,510 ft. • Mountain ranges also form a rugged natural boundary between Russia and China.

6. http://coloradomountainclub.blogspot.com/2010/06/russia-climb-mount-elbrus.htmlhttp://coloradomountainclub.blogspot.com/2010/06/russia-climb-mount-elbrus.html

7. Vast and Varied Land • North European Plain covers most of European Russia. • 75 % of Russian population lives in the southern part of this plain. • West Siberian Plain- covers almost 1 million square miles. Russia has the longest continuous coastline of any country, at 23,400 miles. Most Russian ports are frozen for at least part of the year. Lake Baikal- deepest freshwater lake in the world- located in southern Siberia. (20% of Earth’s freshwater) • Black Sea- Russia’s warm water outlet to the Mediterranean Sea • Caspian Sea- actually a saltwater lake with no outlet.

8. Lake Baikal * It is 6,365 feet deep. Caspian Sea • It has characteristics common to both seas and lakes. • It is one of the world's smallestseas • It is also one of the world’s largest lakes. • It is 152,085 square feet.

10. http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/blacksea/chemistry/jellyfish.html

11. http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEM5GYTLWFE_index_1.html

12. Rivers • Most of Russia’s longest rivers are in sparsely populated Siberia. Siberians enjoy a surplus of freshwater, but European Russians often face water shortages or problems with water quality. A. Volga River- 4th longest river in Russia. Drains much of N. European Plain and links Moscow to the Caspian, Black, and Baltic Seas. B. Siberian Rivers- flow north to the Arctic Ocean. Blocked by ice, meltwaters often flood the land and create vast swamps.

13. Siberian Rivers

16. Natural Resources • Huge mineral resources: mineral fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal. • Rivers make Russia a leading hydroelectric power. • Because of generally cold climate, only about 10% of Russia’s land is suitable for farming. • “Black Earth Belt”- rich, fertile area stretches from Ukraine to southwestern Russia- supplies grains, sugar beets, and other produce. • 1/5 of the world’s forested land is in Siberia. Russian forests supply much of the world’s timber. • Fish is a staple food, and also an important export.

17. http://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/top-five-russian-gold-stocks/2709http://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/top-five-russian-gold-stocks/2709

19. Russia’s Climate and Vegetation Most of Russia has a harsh climate with long, cold winters and short, relatively cool summers. • Tundra- vast, treeless plain that covers about 10 % of Russia. Always cold, little growth. • Subarctic- south of the tundra. Snow for up to 250 days of the year. • Taiga- forest belt in the subarctic that is the world’s largest coniferous forest. Contains ½ of the world’s softwood timber. C. Russians are creative when living in an extremely cold climate. Builders plan for cold when they construct buildings, and cars are made from a special type of steel that will not crack in the cold. Large amounts of oil, gas, wood, and coal are used to keep warm

20. Climate and Vegetation History- Russia’s cold climate was helpful in defeating Napoleon in 1812 and the Germans in WWII. (354-355) Humid Continental- most of the North European Plain and some of southern Siberia have a humid continental climate, with long, snowy, relatively mild winters. Ex: Moscow- 9 to 21 degrees in January and 56 to 75 degrees in July. Steppe- dry summers and long, cold, dry winters. Rich soil enables a variety of grasses and plants to flourish.