W5: Russia and the Near Abroad Flashcards
Which region is the largest one in the world?
Russia and the Near Abroad
How many countries are there in the world’s largest region?
Russia and 14 other countries that used to form the Soviet Union
Which 2 largest other countries?
Kazakhstan and Ukraine
4 cohesive elements are:
_ Dominated by Russia
_ Shared the Russian language
_ Mostly free markets now
_ Democracy has largely failed in the region
Which place is the Russian exclave and at where?
Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave on Baltic Sea
What was the previous name of Kaliningrad?
Kaliningrad used to be Konigsburg, the Prussian capital
Which place is also known as the “Gates of Hell”?
The Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan
More information about the Darvaza Gas Crater:
Ignited to flare off what was thought to be a small deposit, natural gas is still burning 50 years later
Which region contains the coldest inhabited places on earth and to what degree?
Russia, in Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon, -68 Celsius degree
What is happening and creating craters in Siberia?
explosions
The Tunguska event in 1908 is thought to have been caused by what?
By a comet hitting Earth
What happened in 1917?
The February Revolution: protest against the sacrifice of Russian forces during WW2
When did the Bolshevik Revolution happen? and who led it?
October 1917 Vladimir
What was the Russian Civil about?
It was about the struggle to control between Bolsheviks and the White Movement
Who won the Russian War?
The Bolshevik
What was the economy and philosophy under the Soviet Union?
5-year plan and Marxist philosophy
When did the Soviet Union collapse?
In 1991
List 5 Subregions of Russia:
Slavic Core, Russia’s Far East, Russia’s North, Caucasus, and Central Asia
Slavic Core includes which countries?
European Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Northern Kazakhstan
Which subregion has the most population and how much?
Slavic Core, with 3 quarters of the population
Which subregion has mostly thinly populated wilderness?
Russia’s mountainous Pacific edge
what arteries do most people live along two transportation?
The Trans-Siberian Railroad and the Lower Amur River
Which sea route does Russia’s North subregion have?
Northeast Passage
What types of forests do Russia’s North have?
Taiga (coniferous forest) and tundra
What ports do the Northern sea route have?
Ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk
What does the Caucasus subregion include?
Includes Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and parts of Russia
Which sea does the Caucasus subregion connect?
the Black and Caspian seas
Diversion of water from the Amy Darya and Syr Darya rivers is used for what purpose?
Cotton production
Which sea does the central asia subregion have?
The Aral sea
What is the population growth rate in Central Asian countries?
1.8%
What is the climate in Russia?
Humid continental climate in northerly areas; extreme continental climate in some areas
Geomorphology of Russia?
2 main lowland areas: East European Plan and West Siberian Plan
2 uplands: Kazakh Uplands and Central Siberian Plateau
What are the 2 main lowland areas?
East European Plan and West Siberian Plan
What are 2 uplands?
Kazakh Uplands and Central Siberian Plateau
What is the soil type in Russia?
Subarctic, infertile
What is Chernozems (a type of mollisol)?
Black earth in Russian. very productive soil type
What is Russia’s rank in oil production?
3rd
How much world’s proven natural gas reserves does Russia have?
24%
How many world-proven oil reserves does Russia have?
4.8%
What is Russia’s rank in coal reserves?
2nd
What is the legacy of Soviet environmental damage?
Aral sea, Mayak, and Chernobyl
What are the modifications of Russians to the landscape?
Drying of Aral Sea
Major cities in Russia
Moscow is only global city
ethnic groups in Russia
Caucasus
Languages in Russia
Main language families: Indo-European, Altaic, Uralic, Proto0Asiatic
Minor religion in Russia
Islam
Economic development mostly where
within the Slavic Core
What is 2/3 of the value of Russia/s exports?
energy
How much oil is coming from Russia to Western Europe?
30%
w much natural gas comes from Russia?
40%
Which country receives 2/3 of its energy from Russia?
Ukraine
What is What does BRICS stand for?
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
What is CIS?
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) btw Russia and 11 other former Soviet states
What is frozen conflict?
Any prolonged ethno-political conflict that falls short of all out war
