Russia: Landscape Flashcards
Birch trees, identified by their white peeling bark, have a wide range in Russia. Notably they are almost never found far south or far north in the western part of the country.
Birches very close together, as well as forests consisting of only birches, are indicative of areas east of the Urals, most commonly between Chelyabinsk Oblast and Novosibirsk Oblast.
Siberian larches are one of the dominant tree species in much of eastern Russia, recognized by their unique needle-like leaves. Generally speaking, they become more prevalent the further east you go in the country, as well as at high elevations.
Giant butterbur (commonly referred to as Sakhalin cabbage) is very common in Sakhalin Oblast, particularly in the southern half. Related plants can very rarely be found in Adygea.
This type of white flower (heracleum sosnowskyi) is most commonly found around Moscow, Komi Republic, and Perm Krai
Large amounts of the pink or red flower fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) typically indicates a northern region of Russia. Similarly, most places north of Moscow commonly have fireweed.
Sunflowers are common along the border with Ukraine as well as more eastern oblasts like Ulyanovsk, Samara, and northern Orenburg.
The black poplar is commonly found south, near the border with Ukraine, as well as toward the western border with Kazakhstan.
Lined oak trees, often with a single white stripe around the trunk, are extremely common in Kaliningrad.
Blue-pod lupines appear very commonly in northern Vladimir Oblast, eastern Ivanovo Oblast, and southwestern Kostroma Oblast. It can also be found less commonly elsewhere in Kirov Oblast and towards the Baltics.
Lush and diverse forests in a hilly landscape characterises the noticeably warmer region around Vladivostok. Most of the coverage is overcast and has a white car with a long antenna. Further south, near the tri-border, you will find a more open rolling hill landscape.
Sparsely planted larches along the road with open rolling fields is common in Tatarstan and adjacent federal subjects.
The Russian olive is typically found along the Kazakhstan border.
The eastern half of the Kolyma Highway going to Magadan features a lot of tall hills and mountains, usually shrouded in a haze. Most of the roads are unpaved and feature dark gravelly soil. The haze is not present in the western half.
Sandy roadsides are common in Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets and adjacent subjects, as well as areas around Nizhny Novgorod on the Volga river. Other notable areas are Karelia, Murmansk, and western Sakha. Beware, however, that sandy roadsides can less commonly be found near rivers in other regions.
Red soil is common in the highlighted areas, notably around Izhevsk and Perm, much of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Leningrad Oblast, and Pskov Oblast, and near Volgograd and Astrakhan. Note that this map is by no means exhaustive; red soil can be found almost anywhere in the country near water or iron mines.
The eastern half of the Kolyma Highway going to Magadan features a lot of tall hills and mountains, usually shrouded in a haze. Most of the roads are unpaved and feature dark gravelly soil. The haze is not present in the western half.
Extremely gravelly and sometimes dark soil appears as you approach the mountains east of Yakutsk, starting around Keskil.
The Kamchatka peninsula has unique grey gravelly soil, as well as the largest number of volcanoes of any region in Russia. They are frequently seen across the peninsula, and in some places can appear quite close such as in Klyuchi.
Very hazy coverage is found east and south of Mirny, especially along the Vilyuy river. The colour of the haze varies, but it is often orange or white.
A presence of Siberian larches and large mountains on a mostly paved, but sometimes wide-gravel road indicates the main road south of Yakutsk, with Generation 4 white car appearing north of Berkakit.
