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Russia and the Eurasian Republics THIS REGION Spans the Continents of Europe and Asia

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390-391 U5 CH14 UO TWIP-860976 3/15/04 5:21 AM Page 390 Unit Workers on the statue Russians in front of Motherland Calls, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Volgograd Moscow 224 390-391 U5 CH14 UO TWIP-860976 3/15/04 5:22 AM Page 391 RussiaRussia andand the the EurasianEurasian f you had to describe Russia RepublicsRepublics Iin one word, that word would be BIG! Russia is the largest country in the world in area. Its almost 6.6 million square miles (17 million sq. km) are spread across two continents—Europe and Asia. As you can imagine, such a large country faces equally large challenges. In 1991 Russia emerged from the Soviet Union as an independent country. Since then it has been struggling to unite its many ethnic groups, set up a demo- cratic government, and build a stable economy. ▼ Siberian tiger in a forest NGS ONLINE in eastern Russia www.nationalgeographic.com/education 225 392-401 U5 CH14 RA TWIP-860976 3/15/04 5:28 AM Page 392 REGIONAL ATLAS Focus on: Russia and the Eurasian Republics THIS REGION spans the continents of Europe and Asia. It includes Russia—the world’s largest country—and the neigh- boring independent republics of Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Russia and the Eurasian republics cover about 8 million square miles (20.7 million sq. km). This is greater than the size of Canada, the United States, and Mexico combined. The Caspian Sea is actually a salt lake that lies at the base of the Caucasus Mountains in The Land Russia’s southwest. Farther east is Lake Baikal, The region of Russia and the Eurasian the world’s deepest lake. Many rivers wind republics stretches nearly halfway around the through Russia and the Eurasian republics. Some globe and includes many different landscapes. of the rivers flow eastward, like the Amur, which The Ural Mountains run north to south, divid- forms Russia’s border with China. Others, like the ing Russia into a European region and a much Volga, flow south through plains. The Lena, larger Asian region. West of the Urals is the Yenisey, and Ob Rivers all flow north to the fertile North European Plain—home to three- Arctic Ocean. fourths of the country’s population. East of the Urals lies Siberia, which means “sleeping land.” The Climate Immense and sparsely populated, Siberia is an area of harsh, forbidding landscapes. Russia’s far north is dominated by tundra, a In the southern part of the region, the treeless plain. Winters on the tundra are long, Caucasus Mountains rise along the borders of dark, and fiercely cold. During the brief sum- Russia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Mountains also mers, only the top few inches of soil thaw out. pass through several republics in Central Asia. Deeper down is permafrost—permanently The Pamirs in Tajikistan have some of the region’s frozen ground. highest peaks. The Tian Shan range in Kyrgyzstan South of the tundra are vast evergreen holds some of the world’s largest glaciers. forests. This vast woodland area, known as the 226 UNIT 3 392-401 U5 CH14 RA TWIP-860976 3/15/04 8:07 AM Page 393 UNIT Wildflowers and wooden churches on the North European Plain, in north- western Russia ▼ ▼ Young people strolling and singing in St. Petersburg 227 392-401 U5 CH14 RA TWIP-860976 3/15/04 5:29 AM Page 394 REGIONAL ATLAS taiga, is the largest continuous stretch of forest Industrial growth was also more important on the earth. Snow blankets the taiga for as than the needs of the people. Shortages of many as eight months of the year. Even farther consumer goods—clothing and household south, the taiga gives way to flat grass-covered products, for example—were common. plains, or steppes. Here the climate is less harsh, In the 1990s, when Russia and the other and the soil is quite rich. For centuries, routes republics of the Soviet Union became inde- across these plains brought invading armies. pendent countries, each took charge of its Today the plains make up Russia’s most important own economy. Today Russia and the Eurasian farming and industrial area. republics are struggling to make the change to a free market system, in which people run their own businesses and farms. The Economy For many years, Russia and the Eurasian The People republics formed one state called the Soviet Union. It had an economy planned and run by About 220 million people live in Russia and Communist leaders. Wheat and other crops the Eurasian republics. Russia has the region’s were grown on huge government-owned farms. largest population with about 145.5 million The top economic priority was heavy industry, people. Climate and landscape affect where or the manufacturing of goods such as machin- people live in Russia and the Eurasian republics. ery and military equipment. Rich deposits of Most people in Russia live west of the Ural minerals, coal, and oil supplied the raw materi- Mountains, where the climate is mildest and als and energy for many industries. The Soviet the land is most fertile. push to industrialize, however, led to wide- Ethnic Groups Each of the republics has a spread pollution of the air, soil, and water. major ethnic group, language, and culture. There are also many smaller groups in each republic. More than 100 different ethnic groups live throughout the region. Most Russians are descendants of Slavic peoples, or Slavs. They speak Russian and practice Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Various ethnic groups inhabit Armenia and Georgia. They practice their own forms of Christianity. Turkic ethnic groups (Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Turkmenis, and Azeris) are dominant in Central Asia. They have their own languages and practice the religion of Islam. ▼ Russian worker inspecting tractors in a factory UNIT 3 392-401 U5 CH14 RA TWIP-860976 3/15/04 5:30 AM Page 395 UNIT The Arts The arts of Russia and the Eurasian republics include architecture, painting, music, and dance. Each republic has its own rich her- itage. You have probably seen pictures of Russia’s onion-domed churches and heard the classical music of Peter Tchaikovsky and Russia other Russian composers. Ancient churches Data Bits with drumlike tops and bells are scattered across the rugged countryside of Armenia Automobiles per 1,000 people 120 and Georgia. In the Central Asian republics, beautiful tiles in swirling patterns decorate Television sets per 1,000 people 421 Islamic mosques. VOTE Democratic elections Yes Ethnic Makeup m Church of the Resurrection World Ranking in St. Petersburg, Russia Tatar 4% Other 10% Chuvash 1% GNP per capita Life Ukrainian 3% in US $ 1st expectancy 50th 76th $2,680 100th 114th 67 years Russian 82% 150th Population: Urban vs. Rural 73% 27% Sources: World Desk Reference, World Development Indicators, 2000; 2002; The World Almanac, 2004. Exploring the Region 1. Why might Russia’s north-flowing rivers be difficult to travel in winter? 2. Why would it be hard to grow crops on the tundra? 3. What was the top economic priority of Communist leaders? 4. To which ethnic group do most Russians belong? 229 392-401 U5 CH14 RA TWIP-860976 4/1/04 4:05 PM Page 396 REGIONAL ATLAS Russia and the Eurasian Republics Physical 70 60 ° ° ° 80 W 100 W N ° ° ° NORTH N GREENLAND 60 W 120 W AMERICA °N 40°W 80 140°W ICELAND 20°W 160°W ARCTIC OCEAN ATLANTIC A R OCEAN C ° North ° Wrangel I. Chukchi T 0 Pole 180 I Peninsula C C I R East C 20°E 160°E L Siberian E New Sea 40°E North Siberian Land Islands 60°E 120°E K K E U R O P E Novaya ° ° o o Klyuchevskaya 80 E 100 E 140°E l l y y Sopka ea Barents Zemlya Laptev Sea m m S a c a 15,584 ft. lti Kola Sea R a R a (4,750 m) B Peninsula Kara Sea n g RUSSIA e L V KAMCHATKA e e n rk a h PENINSULA NORTH oyansk Range R. Sea of EUROPEAN S CENTRAL N . Okhotsk I R PLAIN S I B E R I A °N A b T 50 Moscow O WEST SIBERIAN . N R Y U e n . SIBERIAN n y Sakhalin o R O i o a s PLATEAU v D . Kam M PLAIN e o e . Island R y n g R a t a n lg L R a r Vo Ir S R ty . u A s h y U m r R y a RUSSIA v A C Mt. Elbrus l R . R U o au . R n c 18,510 ft. e a lo g s b b n u (5,642 m) O Ya a s Lake R GEORGIA ts. Baikal M KAZAKHSTAN M T'bilisi a Astana yan t e s a °N . S S 40 ARMENIA Sea of Yerevan n U THE Lake a Aral Japan i Z Balkhash p Sea T B STEPPES (East Sea) Baku s U a E R K C K G I M a AZERBAIJAN ra S E g T Tashkent Bishkek N u A K m N YR I GYZ Ashgabat S STAN T T A Dushanbe AJI N KIST AN °N 30 ASIA N National capital Mountain peak E 0 mi. 1,000 W 0 km 1,000 S OF Two-Point Equidistant projection PIC RO ER T NC CA °N 20 PACIFIC 26,247 ft. 0 mi. 500 8,000 m OCEAN NORTH EUROPEAN PLAIN 0 km 500 19,685 ft.
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