Russia Test Review Flashcards
Study for Mr. Clemons test over Russia
Why has the Aral Sea dried up?
The Soviet Government diverted the water of the two rivers that fed the Aral Sea to produce more agriculture.
How much of the Aral Sea has dried up?
90%
How much had the Aral Sea dropped by 1899?
15 feet
Define: chernozem
black topsoil, one of the worlds most fertile soils
Define: Ural Mountains
the mountain ranges that separate the Northern European and West Siberian plains and used as the dividing line between Europe and Asia
Define: Eurasia
the combined continent of Europe and Asia
Define: Transcaucasia
a region that consists of the republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia; located between the Caucasus Mountains and the borders of Turkey and Iran
Define: Central Asia
a region that includes the republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
Define: Siberia
a region of central and southern Russia, stretching from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, known for its mineral resources and for being a place of political exile
Define: continentality
a region’s distance from the moderating influence of the sea
Define: taiga
nearly continuous belt of evergreen coniferous forest across the Northern Hemisphere, in North America and Eurasia
Define: runoff
rainfall not absorbed by soil, which can carry pesticides and fertilizers from fields into rivers, endangering the food chain
Define: Trans-Siberian Railroad
a railroad that would eventually link Moscow to the Pacific port of Vladivostok; built between 1891 and 1903
Define: Baltic Republics
the countries of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, located on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea
Define: czar
the emperor of Russia prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent creation of the soviet Union in 1922
Define: Russian Revolution
the revolt of 1917, in which the Russian Communist Party, led by V.I. Lenin, took control of the government from the czars
Define: USSR
the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or Soviet Union, formed in 1922 by the Communists and officially dissolved in 1991
Define: Cold War
the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II, called “cold” because it never escalated into open warfare
Define: command economy
type of economic system in which production of goods and services is determined by a central government, which usually owns the means of production. Also called a planned economy
Define: collective farm
an enormous farm in the Soviet Union on which a large team of laborers were gathered to work together during Joseph Stalin’s reign
Define: Red Army
the name of the Soviet Union’s military
Define: Silk Road
the 4000 mile route between China and the Mediterranean Sea, named for the costly silk acquired in China
Define: yurt
a tent of Central Asia’s nomads
Define: Caucasus
a region that straddles the Caucasus Mountains and stretches between the Black and Caspian seas
Define: Chechnya
one of the republics that remains a part of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union despite independence movements and violent upheaval
Define: Nagorno-Karabakh
the mountainous area of Azerbaijan, fought over by Armenia and Azerbaijan
Define: privatization
the selling of government-owned business to private citizens
Define: distance decay
a term referring to the concept that increasing distances between places tend to reduce interactions among them
What three countries asked for independence from the USSR and in what year did this happen?
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia
Sept 1991
Name at least 5 countries in the USSR.
Russia, Armenia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania
Georgia, Uzbek, Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan
What was the name of the two players in
ESPN’s “Once Brothers”?
Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic
Where in Yugoslavia was Vlade Divac from?
Serbia
Where in Yugoslavia was Drazen Petrovic from?
Croatia
When did the War betwen Croatia and Serbia begin?
Christmas Day 1991
What are the names of the 3 former Soviet Republics located on the Baltic Sea?
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
What does “Yugoslavia” mean?
Land of the South Slavs
What is the name of the region crossed by the Trans-Siberian Railroad?
“Wild East”
Which region is located south of the Caucasus Mountains?
d
What is chernozem and where is it found?
d
How can runoff affect the environment?
d
What are the five republics located in Central Asia?
d
Why are the Ural Mountains important for geographers?
d
What is the name of the non-European part of Russia?
d
Which vegetation region allows Russia to boast one-fifth of the world’s timber resources?
d
Why do Russia and the Republics receive limited precipitation?
d
Which landmass is named after the continents of Asia and Europe?
d
