俄罗斯与东欧历史【英文】

Plateaus and Mountains
• Caucasus Mountains
– Between the Black and Caspian Seas – In the republics of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan – They also separate Russia from Turkey and Iran
– “The whole of the country was a vast green wilderness. Never a plow has passed over its measureless waves of wild grass…”
• Nicholas Gogol (Russian Writer) describing the Russian Steppe
• Pamir Mountains
– Separate Russia and other Central Asian from Afghanistan and China – Tall enough to block moisture from rain clouds – Creates desert areas on one side of mountain
• Question: What are the good things and bad things about an area like this?
How would you describe this picture ?
Russia: A Vast Country
• Formally called the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) or simply the Soviet Union
Caucasus and Pamir Mountains
Seas, Lakes and Rivers
• Large inland seas and lakes provided people with water and transportation • Seas
– Caspian Sea- worlds largest inland sea – Aral Sea- slowly shrinking in size
Geographic Setting
• Russia has many different geographic regions that make the country diverse • Steppe- huge, open plain that stretches across the Ukraine and Russia
Landforms
• Huge plain that stretches from Europe to Central Asia • The Ural Mountains mark the border between Europe and Asia
– Not tall enough to be a real barrier
• Lakes
– Lake Baikal- holds more water than all the Great Lakes in the United States
• Rivers
– – – – – – Dnieper Don Volga Ob Yenisei Lena
Question To Ponder:
How would large amounts of waterways and freshwater be beneficial to the people, both past and present of Russia?
Geography and History of Russia and Eastern Europe
Things To Look For In The Unit
• Severe climates, ethnic diversity, and the absence of natural barriers affected Russia’s development • Early Russia absorbed Byzantine influences. Much later, western ideas had a major impact on Russia • In the 1800’s Russia experienced unrest as it tried to become a modern world power • Powerful empires competed for control of Eastern Europe, while the peoples of the region sought to maintain their independence.
• Throughout history invaders and conquerors have travelled across the plain • Besides warfare and death the invaders also brought new ideas and technology
• Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991 after the Republics declared independence • Russia was the largest ic and has most of the people living there
– Made up of 15 Republics that were all controlled by Moscow (Capital)
• Covered 6,000 miles over both Europe and Asia
– Twice the size of the United States