How does Russia's physical geography contribute to its potential for world trade? Russia has large amounts of many kinds of natural resources, especially minerals, that other countries need. The rich soil in the North European Plains supports the production of agricultural products.
Full Answer
How did geography shape Russia’s economy?
They created a state defined by its physical geography, with a national identity rooted in territorial expansion, culminating in the conquest of Siberia. But it was the Soviets who shaped modern Russia’s economic geography.
What is the physical geography of Russia like?
Russia's vast size and the fact that it spans Europe and Asia means that the physical geography (which focuses on the natural world instead of human habitation and activity) of Russia is hugely diverse with many exciting features.
Can Russia build a competitive market economy in Siberia?
Until Russia’s leaders come to terms with Siberia’s misdevelopment—and overdevelopment—during the 20th century, their efforts to build a competitive market economy and a normal democratic society are likely to fail. Over the course of five centuries the tsars made Russia the world’s largest country.
How should Russia develop Siberia and the Far East?
British geographer Michael Bradshaw has recommended that Russia adopt a “cleaner, leaner approach” to the development of Siberia and the Far East—shifting from labor-intensive methods to labor-saving technologies and industries that can easily shed labor or employ temporary workers.
What does Russia contribute to the world?
It is the world's leading natural gas exporter, the second-largest natural gas producer, and the second-largest oil exporter, and producer. Russia's foreign exchange reserves are the world's fifth-largest. It has a labour force of roughly 70 million people, which is the world's sixth-largest.
What benefits does Russia's geography bring to the country?
Its soil is full of riches, especially petrol and natural gas. There is also a lot of coal under Russian soil and lots of mines to extract it, making it one of the most attractive employment sectors.
How did geography affect Russia's development as a world power?
How did geography affect Russian settlement and growth? The Eurasian plain was easily accessible; southern steppes encouraged migration from Asia into Europe; a network of rivers supported transportation and trade; northern forests supplied food and fuel; a southern band of fertile land attracted farmers.
What is Russia's physical geography?
The Russian landscape varies from desert to frozen coastline, tall mountains to giant marshes. Much of Russia is made up of rolling, treeless plains called steppes. Siberia, which occupies three-quarters of Russia, is dominated by sprawling pine forests called taigas.
How does geography affect Russia?
Russia also lacks rivers. The few it has flow in the wrong direction, or nowhere near urban areas. East of The Urals, the majority flow south to north, into the Arctic Ocean, which is useless for trade, and they don't pass through any cities. An exception is the Lena river, which passes through Yakutsk.
How has the physical geography of Russia affected its population distribution?
Climate factors have also shaped the distribution of Russia's population. Most of Russia's population lives west of the Ural Mountains where the climate is more temperate and there are more connections with Eastern Europe (see Figure 3.6).
How did Russia's geography affect its early history quizlet?
Early Russian history was geographically marked with northern cold forest part rich in timber and resources, the middle part was ideal for food production and living, and the southern, steppe part ideal for numerous nomadic migrations.
What was the influence of geographic factors on the rise of Russian civilization?
Rivers, Rivers, Everywhere This only helped the early Russians grow more food, due to the ease with which they could irrigate more land. This allowed many Rus settlements to grow to become quite large.
How does Russia's natural resources affect its economy?
As with most of the world's economies, Russia's services sector has grown to be its largest, now accounting for 62.3% of GDP. However, resources play an outsized role in maintaining the Russian state. According to Russia's Federal Tax Service, Russia's Mineral Extraction Tax accounts for 29.2% of government revenues.
What are major physical features of Russia?
Major Landforms: Russia is the largest country in the world by size. Major landforms include the Caucasus Mountains, Altai Mountains, Ural Mountains, Mount Elbrus, Kamchatka Peninsula, Siberian Plain, Siberian Plateau, and the Stanovoy Mountains.
Why are Russia's mineral industries so important to its economy?
The value of mineral exports to the Russian economy has been increasing in recent years; and, in 2005, the minerals sector accounted for more than 70% of the value of exports. Mineral fuels were by far the leading category of exports in terms of value.
What are Russia's main physical regions?
Most of Russia consists of two plains (the East European Plain and the West Siberian Plain), three lowlands (the North Siberian, the Central Yakutian and the East Siberian), two plateaus (the Central Siberian Plateau and the Lena Plateau), and two systems of mountainous areas (the East Siberian Mountains in far ...
How did the Tsars shape Russia?
But it was the Soviets who shaped modern Russia’s economic geography. Where the tsars had placed forts, villages , and towns in Siberia, Soviet rulers deployed millions of labor camp inmates to build giant power stations, factories, mines, and railways, as well as cities. The tsars bequeathed to the Bolsheviks a huge swathe of the world’s coldest territory, but the Bolsheviks chose to defy the forces of both nature and the market in developing it.
Where is Russia's wealth located?
It so happens that much of Russia’s wealth—and the bulk of its natural resources—are located in Siberia. But Siberia cannot claim these as its own, as much as the oligarchs and local government officials there may want to. Russian leaders do not face a choice of developing Siberia or rejecting it and casting it off.
How many slaves were in the Gulag?
The GULAG and its virtually inexhaustible pool of slave labor became fundamental tools in the industrialization of Siberia. GULAG inmates—some 18 million–20 million of them over slightly more than two decades—facilitated the exploitation of timber and mineral resources in unpeopled remote areas.
Why were cities important to Siberia?
Cities were developed in Siberia in tandem with industries to provide a fixed reserve of labor for factories, mines, and oil and gas fields. In many respects, however, the cities were not really cities.
Why are cities still dependent on the Soviet Union?
Because of their location, these cities still depend heavily, as they did in the Soviet era, on central government subsidies for fuel, food, and transportation. Costs of living are as much as four times higher than elsewhere in the Russian Federation, while costs of industrial production are sometimes higher still.
What is the significance of Siberia?
From the tsars, who first planted the seeds of cities in Siberia, to the Soviet central planners, who moved masses of people and industry into its vast and remote regions, the exploration and development of Siberia have shaped Russia’s sense of national identity. Siberia’s “untamed frontier” has long promised wealth and opportunity for the rest ...
What happened to Russia in the 20th century?
Until Russia’s leaders come to terms with Siberia’s misdevelopment—and overdevelopment—during the 20th century, their efforts to build a competitive market economy and a normal democratic society are likely to fail.
What is Russia's geography?
Russia's Geography. Russia's vast size and the fact that it spans Europe and Asia means that the physical geography (which focuses on the natural world instead of human habitation and activity) of Russia is hugely diverse with many exciting features. Russia's northern position and the amount of land near and above the Arctic Circle causes Russia ...
How many rivers does Russia have?
The vast expanse of Russia also means it has more rivers than most countries, possessing over 100,000 rivers. The most important of these is the Volga River, which is Russia's longest river.
What are the biomes of Russia?
Russia's biomes are the tundra, taiga, and steppe. The largest and most significant mountain ranges in Russia are the Caucasus and the Ural Mountains. Russia is naturally bordered by the waters of the Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Black Sea, and Caspian Sea.
How many kilometers does the Caspian Sea flow through?
It flows for approximately 3,531 kilometers through central Russia before emptying into the Caspian Sea. Russia is the largest country in the world and contains approximately one-eighth of Earth's landmass in its over 17-million-square-kilometer territory.
What is the most northern biome in Russia?
Tundra. The most northern of Russia's biomes is the tundra. This is a cold region above the Arctic Circle characterized by grassy and marshy plains. There are few trees in this region due to the lack of sunlight during the winter months and the cold temperatures. The tundra accounts for 10 percent of Russia's land.
What biome is located in Russia?
Taiga. South of the tundra, we find Russia's taiga biome band. This is a region characterized by forests of both deciduous and coniferous trees. The taiga occupies approximately 60 percent of Russia.
Which country is the largest in the world?
Russia is the world's largest country, occupying territory in both Europe and Asia. It is so large that it contains one-eighth of the world's landmass in its 17,098,242 square kilometers. That's 10 million more square kilometers than the continent of Australia!
What is Russia's physical environment?
Physical Environment. Russia's topography includes the world's deepest lake and Europe's highest mountain and longest river. The topography and climate, however, resemble those of the northernmost portion of the North American continent.
Which region of Russia is the largest?
The West Siberian Plain, which is the world's largest, extends east from the Urals to the Yenisey River. Because the terrain and vegetation are relatively uniform in each of the natural zones, Russia presents an illusion of uniformity.
What is the deepest freshwater lake in Russia?
The most prominent of Russia's bodies of fresh water is Lake Baikal, the world's deepest and most capacious freshwater lake. Lake Baikal alone holds 85 percent of the freshwater resources of the lakes in Russia and 20 percent of the world's total.
How long is the Russian border?
Extending for 57,792 kilometers, the Russian border is the world's longest--and, in the post-Soviet era, a source of substantial concern for national security. Along the 20,139-kilometer land frontier, Russia has boundaries with fourteen countries.
Which river flows west from the southern Urals to join the Volga in the Republic of Tatarstan?
The Kama River, which flows west from the southern Urals to join the Volga in the Republic of Tatarstan, is a second key European water system whose banks are densely populated. Russia has thousands of rivers and inland bodies of water, providing it with one of the world's largest surface-water resources.
Is Russia closer to the North Pole than the equator?
Located in the northern and middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, most of Russia is much closer to the North Pole than to the equator. Individual country comparisons are of little value in gauging Russia's enormous size (slightly less than twice that of the United States) and diversity.
Role of Geographical Borders
The Russian Disadvantage
- The Russian state, however, has historically lacked such natural boundaries, especially with nations that tended to be its main political rivals. Traditionally Russia has concerned itself as a European power, and has, therefore, had its politics tied to those of the nations to its west. However, the only geographic feature worth noting between historical Russia and Europe has be…
Challenges Faced by Russia
- Such historical events have affected the Russian strategic viewpoint regarding its western frontier, and have led to the adoption of a traditional policy of maintaining a buffer zone to its west. Such a buffer is viewed as a valuable real estate that could be sacrificed to an invading force so that the nation might be able to prepare for a counter-offensive. Hence the Russian stat…
Present Scenario and The Future
- However, a potential counter has arisen with regards to trade insecurity in recent times, as an unexpected consequence of global warming. Receding ice levels in the Arctic Sea have resulted in increased viability of commercial shipping via the Arctic. As a result, the Russian government has started to prepare for the launch of the Northern Sea Rout...