Eastern Europe & Russia Study Guide
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Eastern Europe & Russia Study Guide Vocabulary acid rain – rain, snow, or mist that is acidic capital – money or goods that are used to make products censor - to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable cuisine – style of food disposable income - money left after taxes are paid emigrate – to migrate out of a place entrepreneur - person who organizes and manages his or her own business ethnic cleansing - attempt to create an area with only one ethnic group by removing or attacking other ethnic groups ice age – time of lower temperatures when much of the land is covered with snow and ice Kamchatka Peninsula - a peninsula in the Russian Far East known for its volcanic activity KGB - the Soviet-era secret police Lake Baikal - a huge lake in Russia that is more than one mile deep and holds about 20 percent of Earth’s fresh water mechanized farming – farming with machines permafrost - permanently frozen soil secede – to break away Siberia – Asiatic Russia steppes – vast areas of grasslands superpower - an extremely powerful nation Ural Mountains – low-lying mountains that separate European Russia from Asiatic Russia Questions 1) What effects have glaciers had on the physical features of Eastern Europe? Glaciers have created ridges of hills, dug out land for lakes, and deposited material that blocked the flow of rivers. 2) How is agriculture in the north different from that in the south? In the north, agriculture is mostly mechanized. In the south it mostly uses human labor instead of machines. 3) What has caused damage to the forests of Eastern Europe? Acid rain has caused damage to the forests of Eastern Europe. 4) What are some of the important resources of Eastern Europe? Some of the important resources of Eastern Europe include coal and iron ore. 5) What is one reason Estonia has had economic success in recent years? Estonian industry has used capital to invest in modern equipment, and thus increased exports. 6) How has Hungary changed since the end of communism? It has a democratic government and a market economy. Religious traditions are celebrated again. 7) Name two challenges Russia faces in developing its economy. Great distances separate the resources from processing plants, and the roads are generally poor. 8) Why did some republics secede from Yugoslavia? They resented Serbia’s power and domination of national government. 9) Which landform separates European Russia from Asian Russia? The Ural Mountains separate European Russia from Asian Russia. 10) Where in Russia are there active volcanoes? There are active volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula. 11) Who were the first Russians? The first Russians were the East Slavs. 12) Where are most of Russia’s mineral resources found? Most of Russia’s mineral resources are found in Siberia. 13) How did Putin change the role of Russia’s government? Putin strengthened the military and the government’s control of the economy. 14) How did the Russian government control the media? The government owns most radio and television stations, so it can censor stories. 15) What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization? The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a loose alliance that includes China, Russia, and several Central Asian countries. .