CHAPTERCHAPTER FIVEFIVE
RussiaRussia andand thethe NewlyNewly IndependentIndependent StatesStates RussiaRussia andand thethe NewlyNewly IndependentIndependent StatesStates
Figure 5.1 I.I. THETHE GEOGRAPHICGEOGRAPHIC SETTINGSETTING ►► ConstitutedConstituted byby 1212 formerformer republicsrepublics ofof thethe USSRUSSR .. Latvia,Latvia, Lithuania,Lithuania, andand EstoniaEstonia alreadyalready discusseddiscussed ►► RussiaRussia containscontains moremore thanthan 3030 ethnicethnic internalinternal republicsrepublics .. DiversityDiversity hiddenhidden byby singlesingle countrycountry
A.A. PhysicalPhysical PatternsPatterns
►►UndulatingUndulating landformslandforms fromfrom westwest toto easteast .. NorthNorth EuropeanEuropean PlainPlain .. UralUral MountainsMountains .. WestWest SiberianSiberian PlainPlain .. CentralCentral SiberianSiberian PlateauPlateau .. PacificPacific MountainsMountains ►►ToTo south,south, nono regularregular physicalphysical barriersbarriers .. Caucasus,Caucasus, steppes,steppes, mountainsmountains ofof EastEast AsiaAsia
A.A. PhysicalPhysical PatternsPatterns
►►LandformsLandforms .. NorthNorth EuropeanEuropean Plain:Plain: westernwestern subregionsubregion ► European Russia; most densely populated ►Volga River – important for transportation .. UralUral Mountains:Mountains: borderborder betweenbetween EuropeEurope andand AsiaAsia ►Relatively low, not a barrier to movement .. WestWest SiberianSiberian Plain:Plain: largestlargest plainplain inin thethe worldworld ► Oil reserves, permafrost A.A. PhysicalPhysical PatternsPatterns
►►LandformsLandforms .. CentralCentral SiberianSiberian PlateauPlateau ► Permafrost at varying depths .. PacificPacific MountainMountain ZoneZone ► Moderated by ocean, warmed by volcanic activity . Pacific Plate sinking under Eurasian Plate .. TheseThese twotwo regions,regions, together,together, sizesize ofof USAUSA .. SteppesSteppes andand mountainsmountains toto thethe south;south; areaarea ofof culturalcultural interpenetrationinterpenetration KamchatkaKamchatka
Figure 5.4 A.A. PhysicalPhysical PatternsPatterns
►►ClimateClimate andand VegetationVegetation .. HarshHarsh continentalcontinental climateclimate .. ProtectedProtected fromfrom moderatingmoderating oceanicoceanic windswinds byby mountainsmountains toto thethe southsouth .. AgricultureAgriculture focusedfocused inin west,west, wherewhere precipitationprecipitation isis maximizedmaximized .. BestBest soilssoils areare foundfound inin southwestsouthwest .. TaigaTaiga foundfound inin northernnorthern SiberianSiberian vastnessvastness ► Northern coniferous forest ClimateClimate ZonesZones
Figure 5.6 B.B. HumanHuman PatternsPatterns OverOver TimeTime ►►HistoricHistoric trendtrend hashas beenbeen centralizationcentralization .. CoreCore area:area: EuropeanEuropean Russia,Russia, ethnicethnic homelandhomeland forfor RussiansRussians .. OtherOther ethnicethnic groupsgroups conqueredconquered byby RussiansRussians .. Later,Later, RussianRussian EmpireEmpire becamebecame USSRUSSR ►►NewNew trend:trend: dede--centralizationcentralization .. BreakupBreakup ofof USSRUSSR
B.B. HumanHuman PatternsPatterns OverOver TimeTime ►►TheThe RiseRise ofof thethe RussianRussian EmpireEmpire .. Slavs:Slavs: farmersfarmers fromfrom Poland,Poland, Ukraine,Ukraine, BelarusBelarus ►Occupied most of Eastern Europe ►Controlled Volga River trade route ►Kiev and Moscow: key urban areas; influenced by Byzantine traders (Cyrillic, Orthodoxy) .. ConqueredConquered byby MongolsMongols ► Moscow’s elites became tax collectors; eventually rebelled and started expanding their own empire IndependenceIndependence Square,Square, KievKiev
Figure 5.9 B.B. HumanHuman PatternsPatterns OverOver TimeTime ►►TheThe RiseRise ofof thethe RussianRussian EmpireEmpire .. SimilarSimilar toto otherother EuropeanEuropean colonizers:colonizers: resourcesresources appropriated,appropriated, privateprivate propertyproperty upheldupheld overover communalcommunal propertyproperty .. DifferentDifferent fromfrom otherother EuropeanEuropean colonizers:colonizers: largelarge numbersnumbers ofof RussiansRussians migratedmigrated in,in, surpassingsurpassing indigenousindigenous populationspopulations ►Central Asia: provider of cotton .. RussianRussian czar:czar: livedlived inin splendorsplendor ► Serfdom remained in place until mid-1800s RussianRussian ImperialImperial ExpansionExpansion
Figure 5.11 B.B. HumanHuman PatternsPatterns OverOver TimeTime ►►TheThe CommunistCommunist RevolutionRevolution andand itsits AftermathAftermath .. DuringDuring WWI,WWI, czarczar overthrown,overthrown, BolsheviksBolsheviks taketake powerpower ►Communism: criticizes capitalism for centralization of production in a wealthy minority .. CentrallyCentrally plannedplanned economyeconomy institutedinstituted byby StalinStalin ► Government owned all land and means of production ►Government directs all economic activity ►Significant successes and failures B.B. HumanHuman PatternsPatterns OverOver TimeTime ►►WorldWorld WarWar IIII andand thethe ColdCold WarWar .. AlmostAlmost singlesingle--handedlyhandedly wonwon WWIIWWII ► 23 million casualties .. CreatedCreated bufferbuffer ofof alliedallied CommunistCommunist countriescountries .. ColdCold WarWar confrontationconfrontation overover ideologyideology ► Arms race, promotion of communism overseas .. SteadySteady driftdrift awayaway fromfrom hardhard--lineline communismcommunism ► Dragged down by war in Afghanistan TheThe ColdCold WarWar inin 19801980
Figure 5.12 B.B. HumanHuman PatternsPatterns OverOver TimeTime ►►TheThe PostPost--SovietSoviet YearsYears .. Gorbachev:Gorbachev: glasnost,glasnost, perestroikaperestroika ► Failed to solve problems, stoked nationalism .. Russia:Russia: majormajor inheritorinheritor ofof USSRUSSR’’ss mantlemantle .. 1111 otherother newnew republicsrepublics inin thisthis regionregion ► Haphazard transition to free market economies ►Rollback of democratic reforms in Russia? C.C. PopulationPopulation PatternsPatterns
►►EuropeanEuropean Russia:Russia: densestdensest populationpopulation inin thethe regionregion .. WedgeWedge fromfrom OdessaOdessa northnorth toto St.St. PetersburgPetersburg andand NovosibirskNovosibirsk (best(best farmland)farmland) ►►SiberianSiberian settlementsettlement followsfollows thethe TransTrans-- SiberianSiberian RailwayRailway .. ConcentratedConcentrated inin aa fewfew citiescities
PopulationPopulation DistributionDistribution
Figure 5.13 C.C. PopulationPopulation PatternsPatterns ►►RecentRecent PopulationPopulation ChangesChanges .. USSR:USSR: RelativelyRelatively highhigh standardstandard ofof livingliving andand wellwell --beingbeing ►Post-1991, rapidly deteriorating .. DeclineDecline inin lifelife expectancyexpectancy (esp.(esp. men)men) ► Physical and mental stress from lost jobs and social disruption ►Alcoholism ►Nutritional deficiencies .. WomenWomen choosingchoosing notnot toto havehave childrenchildren
PopulationPopulation PyramidsPyramids
Figure 5.15 II.II. CURRENTCURRENT GEOGRAPHICGEOGRAPHIC ISSUESISSUES ►► SovietSoviet experiment:experiment: toto reformreform quicklyquickly andand totallytotally aa societysociety andand itsits institutionsinstitutions ►► Now,Now, aa newnew experiment:experiment: shiftingshifting toto democracydemocracy andand aa freefree marketmarket economyeconomy .. AsAs inin BolshevikBolshevik Revolution,Revolution, greatgreat uncertaintyuncertainty asas toto outcomesoutcomes A.A. EconomicEconomic andand PoliticalPolitical IssuesIssues ►►TheThe FormerFormer CommandCommand EconomyEconomy .. SuccessfullySuccessfully eradicatederadicated abjectabject poverty,poverty, basicbasic needsneeds metmet .. Still,Still, becausebecause ofof inefficiencies,inefficiencies, scarcitiesscarcities andand glutsgluts ►No competition, therefore inefficient production methods ►Products of poor quality and overpriced ►Lack of technological innovation outside of military, space exploration A.A. EconomicEconomic andand PoliticalPolitical IssuesIssues ►►SovietSoviet RegionalRegional DevelopmentDevelopment SchemesSchemes .. CentralCentral governmentgovernment inin chargecharge ofof locatinglocating industryindustry ►Spread throughout vast territory to boost standards of living in distant areas ►Also, protected from enemy attack .. CostCost ofof transporttransport mademade industryindustry inefficientinefficient .. ManyMany industriesindustries incapableincapable ofof beingbeing sustainedsustained afterafter breakupbreakup ofof USSRUSSR IndustrialIndustrial RegionsRegions andand LandLand TransportationTransportation
Figure 5.20 A.A. EconomicEconomic andand PoliticalPolitical IssuesIssues ►►TransportTransport IssuesIssues .. WaterWater transport:transport: cheapestcheapest ► However, Soviet rivers generally run north-south ►Few oceanic ports .. LandLand transport:transport: bestbest optionoption ► Hindered by permafrost, swampy forests, complex upland landscapes, limited car ownership .. Therefore,Therefore, USSRUSSR (2.5x(2.5x sizesize ofof USA)USA) hashas 1/61/6 thethe roadsroads .. ImportanceImportance ofof TransTrans--SiberianSiberian Railway,Railway, airair transporttransport (expensive)(expensive) A.A. EconomicEconomic andand PoliticalPolitical IssuesIssues ►►ReformReform inin thethe PostPost--SovietSoviet EraEra .. Privatization:Privatization: governmentgovernment--ownedowned industriesindustries soldsold toto privateprivate companiescompanies oror individualsindividuals ►Intended to maximize efficiency ►Importance of supply and demand for prices .. PricePrice controls:controls: InitialInitial scarcityscarcity duringduring privatizationprivatization ledled toto massivemassive profitsprofits ►Squeezed those who might become entrepreneurs ►Suffering until supply able to meet demand .. Oligarchs:Oligarchs: earlyearly profiteers,profiteers, nownow powerfulpowerful
A.A. EconomicEconomic andand PoliticalPolitical IssuesIssues ►►ForeignForeign DirectDirect InvestmentInvestment .. ForeignForeign investorsinvestors bringingbringing inin moneymoney ► Afraid of over-dependence on oil and natural gas ►►TheThe GrowingGrowing InformalInformal EconomyEconomy .. ExtensionExtension ofof oldold communistcommunist--eraera blackblack marketmarket .. SoSo largelarge nownow itit skewsskews economiceconomic statisticsstatistics .. TaxTax --free,free, doesdoes notnot benefitbenefit entireentire countrycountry .. UnderminesUndermines governmentgovernment authorityauthority
A.A. EconomicEconomic andand PoliticalPolitical IssuesIssues ►►HighHigh energyenergy pricesprices endend debtdebt crisiscrisis .. RussiaRussia owedowed 90%90% ofof GDPGDP inin 19981998 .. DefaultedDefaulted inin 2000,2000, reschedulingrescheduling contingentcontingent onon economiceconomic reformsreforms .. ByBy 2008,2008, debtdebt expectedexpected toto bebe 12%12% ofof GDPGDP ►►NewNew TradingTrading PartnersPartners .. ShiftShift awayaway fromfrom intraintra--regionalregional tradetrade toto EU,EU, otherother AsianAsian countriescountries (India,(India, China)China) OilOil andand NaturalNatural GasGas ResourceResource AreasAreas andand PipelinesPipelines