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
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.
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.
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
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
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 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