A Geography of theFormer Soviet Republics

(Northern Eurasia)

Northern Eurasia is a land of geographic extremes

World’s• Largest region• Largest Plain• Largest Swamp • Largest Lake• Deepest Lake• Largest Forest• Largest volcanic

region• Coldest Inhabited

location

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Estonia

Georgia

Kazakstan

Krygyzstan

Latvia

Lithuania

Moldova

Russia

Tajikstan

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

USA

11500

33400

80200

17410

26900

1049200

76600

24900

25210

14170

6592800

55300

188500

233100

172700

3539230

0 1000000 2000000 3000000 4000000 5000000 6000000 7000000

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Estonia

Georgia

Kazakstan

Krygyzstan

Latvia

Lithuania

Moldova

Russia

Tajikstan

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

USA

Landsize ComparisonRussia is world’s largest nation in land size

Arm

enia

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Estonia

Georgia

Kazakstan

Krygyzstan

Latvia

Lithuania

Moldova

Russia

Tajikstan

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

USA

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Arm

enia

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Estonia

Georgia

Kazakstan

Krygyzstan

Latvia

Lithuania

Moldova

Russia

Tajikstan

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

Uzbekistan

USA

PopulationRussia world population rank – 9th

Eurasia’s population pattern is explained geographicallyTemperature

Warm

ColdWarm

Cold

Precipitation

Wet

Dry

Relief

Level

Mts

Mts

Transportation - Trans Siberian RR

Physical Regions of Northern Eurasia

Kola PeninsulaGlacier ScouredRocky SurfaceMany MineralsWhite Sea, Barents Seado not freeze - Russiagateway to the Atlantic

Baltic States

• Low Elevation• Glacial Made• Sandy Soil• Numerous Lakes• Numerous Rivers• Bogs, Swamps• Baltic Access important• Baltic freezes in winter

Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova arethe beginning of the vast Russian or East European Plain.

Glacial formedFertile SoilMany Swamps

InvasionRoute intoRussia

Belarus Is The NaturalInvasion Route To/FromEurope/Russia

Pripet MarshesEurope’s Largest Wetlands

Moldova - once part ofRomania - hilly nationbetween two rivers

Buffer nation withfew resources

The Ukraine occupiesthe best of theRussian Plains

The Breadbasket of Northern Eurasia

Humid ClimateFertile Black Earth Soils

Crimea Region is largestarea of subtropical land inthe region.

Ukraine and its Crimea haveimportant links to Black Seaand to Mediterranean

Donets Basin isUkraine’s majorresource and industrial zone

Dnieper River ismajor waterbodymost cities, popalong its banks

Russia west of theUrals is the Russianor East EuropeanPlain - Glaciermade.North of MoscowRivers FlowNorthSouth of MoscowRivers Flow To Caspian or BlackSea.

Russian Plainholds Russia’sbest climate,best soils,most people,most industry.Russian Plainis the culturalheartland ofthe Russians.

Ladoga is thelargest lakeVolga is themajor river ofRussia andEurope’sLongest.

The Caucasus Region

Land between the Black and Caspian - Before it rose, the Black, Caspian and Aral Sea were one large water body

Caucasus providea secure borderfor Russia

Region proneto EarthquakesArmenia mostrecent.

Mt. Elburz,Russia’shighest spotis found here

Region;s humidand subtropicalclimates arethe best in allof NorthernEurasia.

Georgia - Ancient Nation with linksto ancient Greece. Mountain nationwith a subtropical and mediterraneanclimate. Fruit, tea, vegetablecenter of Northern Eurasia

Armenia - landlocked, earthquake zone, holds lake sevan, largestof the Caucasus - ancient nation - claims to be oldest Christiannation in the world.

Azerbaijan - semi arid nation of the caucasus - muslim, oil rich

Caviar harvest - Azers are famed for longevity -

Caspian Sea Oil Field

Caspian Sea Oil Field Pipelines

Caspian Sea

Other Resource

Caviar from theBlack Sturgeon

Ural Mts • Traditional Divide

Between Europe and Asia• European Russia ends• Resource Rich, important

since World War II• Russias new industrial

cities located here

West Siberian orCentral SiberianLowland

East of Urals

Largest Plain inthe worldLargest Swampin the world

Caused by riverswhich flow northward to a frozenwaterbody

Ob and its branch theIrtysh drain the region

Rivers are the highwaysespecially in winter

Oil and Natural gasare abundant

Region is sufferingfrom environmentalpollutions

Novosibirsk - Largest city of the Central Siberian Lowland

Russia (Siberia) east of the Yenisi River is the least populatedregion of Russia

• mostly plateaus and mountains• extreme cold• winter lasts nearly all year• coldest inhabited cities in the world• resource rich

Lena - the longestriver of Russia.

Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest, largest fresh water lake

Kamchatka Peninsula hasthe world’s greatestconcentration of activevolcanoes, geysers,geothermal activities.

Russia ends at the Bering Sea

Vladivostok is the majoreastern Russia town and port

Amur River forms most ofthe border between Russia andChina.

Central Asia contains the best wheat region of North Eurasia -The Kirgiz Steppe

Central Asia is a depression - containing the lowest spot of NorthEurasia - the Aral Caspian Despression, containing the largestdesert of North Eurasia - The Kara and Kyzl Kum - and the highestlocations of North Eurasia (Communism Peak).

Rivers of Central Asia (Syr and Amu Darya) are so used the AralSea is disappearing.

Kazakstan has oilThe location made itthe missile launch sitefor Russia

Tajikistan has become the cottoncenter of Northern Eurasia