R.A.C.E.S. Writing Strategy

Response to Document-Based Questions

Russia is HUGE!

​Russia and the Eurasian Republics

• Eurasia: the landmass that contains the continents of Europe and Asia.

  • Russia is the largest country in the world by landmass

    • 11 different time zones

    • Siberia is known for it's harsh climate

  • Eurasian Republics lie south of Russia

    • Include the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Belarus

    • Persian (Farsi) and Urdu language, 'stan' means 'land of'.

    • Eurasian Republics (Central Asia) have historically been known as the "Crossroads of Europe and Asia"

      • Crossroads: intersection of two or more roads

​Time Zones in Russia

• Russia’s physical size creates a challenge because Russia covers multiple time zones, coordination across the area can be difficult. 

• Time Zones divide the world into 24 time zones

• GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is the start of the time zones

  • The further away you get from GMT is plus or minus the time, based on which direction you travel.

    • 1 pm in London = 4 pm in Moscow

    • 5 pm in Moscow = 5 pm in Izhevsk

​Physical Geography of the Region

• Western Russia

  • 1/4 of Russia's total land

  • 3/4 of Russia's population

  • Major cities of Russia, including Moscow

  • Warmer Climate

  • More Vegetation

• Eastern Russia

  • 40 million people live here

  • Includes Lake Baikal

  • Includes Norilsk (200,000 people)

  • Includes most of Siberia

    • Siberia: a vast portion of eastern Russia and northern Kazakhstan

      • Known for its HARSH landscape and low population (36 million people)

      • Some of the coldest places in the Northern Hemisphere (-89.9 degrees)

​Peninsulas of the Region

• Kola Peninsula

  • The far Western side of Russia

  • North Atlantic Current brings warmer water and air to the peninsula making the temperature warmer

  • Popular for Salmon fishing

  • Rich in Mineral resources

• Kamchatka Peninsula

  • The far eastern side of Russia

  • Thermal Springs, Volcanoes and Glaciers

  • Located on the Ring of Fire

Mountains and Plateaus of the Region

• Ural Mountains

  • a natural boundary between the two continents of Europe and Asia

  • filled with natural resources (iron ore, natural gas, and oil)

• Caucasus Mountains

  • highest peak in Russia - Mt. Elbrus

  • known for herding (keeping and looking after livestock for food and animal by-products)

• Altai Mountains

  • a natural border between Russia, Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan

  • many people are nomadic herders

  • home to unique animals that have been around since the ice age

• Sayan, Yablonovy, and Stanovoy Mountain ranges form natural borders between Russia and Southeast Asia

• Central Siberian Plateau

  • Yenisey River has created large canyons

​Plains of the Region

• Northern European Plain/Russian Plain

  • North Part: Flat with poor drainage - Swamps and lakes

  • South Part: rich black soil (good for crops)

    • 75% of Russia's population live here

• West Siberian Plain

  • East of the Ural Mountains

  • one of the world's largest flat lands

  • Swampy and marshes

• The Steppes

  • southeastern Eurasia (mostly in Kazakhstan)

  • grasslands; few trees

  • Farmland with irrigation systems

  • great for herding

​Seas and Lakes of the Region

• The Black Sea

  • major source of transportation of Russian ships to reach the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea

• The Caspian Sea

  • the largest inland body of water

  • salt water with no access to the ocean

  • many oil reserves

• Lake Balkhash

  • largest lake in Central Asia

  • shrinking due to the overuse of water for irrigation

• Lake Baikal

  • located in southern Siberia

  • deepest freshwater lake in the world

  • many endemic species (only found in this lake)

​The Aral Sea

• What makes the Aral Sea important?

  • It USED to be the largest lake in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

  • It USED to be the 4th largest lake in the world

  • The Aral Sea has decreased in size due to overuse of irrigation (water supplied to farms)

• Consequences/ "Why Should I Care?"

  • Salt water left behind has evaporated into the wind causing major health issues

  • Sandstorms from the dry seabed

  • Fertilizers and Pesticides have destroyed the habitats of plants, animals, and people

  • The fishing industry is destroyed

• Can we fix it?

  • Dams to direct fresh water to the Aral Sea

  • Laws and regulations to protect what is left

Rivers of the Region

• Volga River

  • nicknamed "Mother Volga"

  • Helps drain the land in the Northern European Plan for crops and infrastructure

  • connects major cities, such as Mosco to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea

  • Hydroelectric Dams/Power Plants are a major source of electricity in this region (Moscow and Volgograd)

• Ob River

  • A major source for the fishing industry

  • Vasyugan Swamp: largest swamp in the Northern Hemisphere

• Yenisey River

  • largest river to drain into the Arctic Ocean

  • main way to travel through Siberia

• Irtysh River

  • tributary of the Ob River; the longest tributary in the world

• Lena River

  • covered in ice for 7 months of the year

​Russia and the Arctic

• More than one-fifth of the land mass of Russia is in the Arctic Circle.

  • Russia is the only country to have a city located precisely on the Arctic Circle

    • Salekhard; population - 50,000

  • Drift Stations

    • Countries build temporary structures to research ice floes (floating ice that is more than 60 feet across and is not attached to the shore

    • study climate, melting sea ice, animal ecosystems, weather patterns, ocean currents and ice floes

• Valuable Shipping Corridor

  • transport goods from the Barents Sea to the Bering Straig

  • only accessible 8 weeks of the year when ice is low and thin enough

  • Ice-breaking ships must cut through this ice to make the journey