C.J. Cox Instructor

C.J. CoxInstructor

Former USSRCentral & North Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities Regions & States Historical Geography Physical Geography Cultural Geography

Ten Geographic Qualities

1. Region Covers 1/6 of world’s total landmass

2. Most of region is at high latitudes which are cold, dry & harsh

Ten Geographic Qualities 3. Russia has more neighbors than any

other country

4. Very small population for the land size & most are concentrated I the west

5. Few good & suitably located ports - almost landlocked

Ten Geographic Qualities 6. Multinational Empire dominated by

Russia

7.Large scale experiment in national economic planning– communisim

8. Russia - divided by Ural mountains with European Russia to the West

Ten Geographic Qualities 9. Hundreds of ethnic groups isolated

by distance and geographic barriers

10. Largest reserves of natural resources in the world

Relative Location of Former USSR

Relative Location of Former USSR

Relative Location of Former USSR

Former USSRCentral & North Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities Regions & States Historical Geography Physical Geography Cultural Geography

States of the Former USSR

Russia European States -Estonia, Latvia,

Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus Caucasus States - Armenia, Azerbaijan,

Georgia Central Asian States, Tajikistan,

Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, Turkmenistan & Kyrgyzstan

Former USSRCentral & North Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities Regions & States Historical Geography Physical Geography Cultural Geography

Historical Geography

Pre Tsarist - before Ivan IV - 16th centuryTsarist Period 16th century to 1917

Cossackcs carried Russian presence to Pacific & Alaska

Peter the Great 1682-1725Catherine 1762-1796

Bolshevik Revolution 1917Break -up of the Soviet Union 1991Future of Russia?

Former USSRCentral & North Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities Regions & States Historical Geography Physical Geography Cultural Geography

Physical Geography of Former USSR

Plate Tectonics Plateaus Deserts Mountains Rivers Lakes Climates

Physical Geography of Former USSR

Rivers – Volga– Ob– Lena – Don

Lakes– Baikal– Lodoga

Physical Geography of Former USSR

Seas– Aral– Barents– Bering– Okhotsk– Black– Caspian

Physical Geography of Former USSR

Landform Regions– Russian Plain– Ural Mountain– West Siberian Plain– Central Siberian Plateau– East Siberian Uplands– Kazak Uplands– Caucasus Mountains– Kamchatka Pennisula

Mountain RangesUralsCaucasus Mountains

Physical Geography of Former USSR

Climates– North Asia is dominated by Snow

Climates know as Humid Continental & Subartic

– Central Asia is dominated by dry Desert & Steppe Climates

– Mountainous regions provide a variety of Mid-latitude climates to Ice Climates

Former USSRCentral & North Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities Regions & States Historical Geography Physical Geography Cultural Geography

Cultural Geography of Former USSR

– Population– Languages– Religion– Agriculture– Economics– Historical

Geography

Population per square kilometer

Cartogram of World Population

Dot Density Map Showing World Population

Russia:

Kazakhstan:

Kyrgyzstan:

Tajikistan:

Turkmenistan:

Uzbekistan:

Azerbaijan:

Armenia:

Georgia:

Estonia:

Latvia:

Lithuania:

Belarus:Ukraine:

Moldova:

Cultural Geography of Former USSR

Population– Population exceeds

300 million– concentration in

western 1/3 of region

– numerous ethnic groups in defined regions

Russia: 18

Kazakhstan: 25

Kyrgyzstan: 26

Tajikistan: 41

Turkmenistan: 46

Uzbekistan: 22

Azerbaijan: 23

Armenia: 14

Georgia: 17

Estonia: 15

Latvia: 19

Lithuania: 13

Belarus: 13Ukraine: 14

Moldova: 21

Former USSR Population Characteristics

– Birth rates 9/1000– Death rates 13/1000– Natural Increase -.04.%– Infant Mortality 15/1000– Doubling Time -----yrs– Pop <15 20%– Pop > 65 13%

Cultural Geography of Former USSR Languages

– Indo European dominates the region

– Southern areas have large areas speaking Altaic Languages

– Uralic Language Family originated in the Urals

Cultural Geography of Former USSR Religions

– Orthodox Christian dominates the Slavic Regions

– Islam dominates the Central Asia Republics

– Communism sought to eradicate traditional religions

Cultural Geography of Former USSR Religion

– Religious landscapes

Cultural Geography of Former USSR

Commercial Agriculture– Commercial

Ranching– Commercial

Diarying

Nomadic Herding of the Central Asian Republics

Absence of Agriculture in the northern latitudes

Economy– large quantities of resources

many remotely located many located under permafrost

– large manufacturing sector of economy producing industrial goods

– large non-skilled labor force

Cultural Geography of Former USSR

Cultural Geography of Former USSR

Cities are centers for manufacturing (secondary),

Developing Service industries as Capitalism matures as an economic system

Limited Information Technologies Military Technologies remain

Former USSRCentral & North Asia

Ten Geographic Qualities Regions & States Historical Geography Physical Geography Cultural Geography

C.J. CoxInstructor