Overview of NATO, USSR, and Latin American Civilizations

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed on April 4, 1949, in Washington D.C., aimed at providing collective security against the Soviet Union.

Purpose of NATO

To 'keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down,' securing U.S. involvement in Europe, preventing Soviet expansion, and constraining German militarism.

Original NATO members

12 member countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Italy, and Portugal.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance formed by the Soviet Union in May 1955 in response to NATO, consisting of the USSR and its Eastern European satellite states.

NATO expansion after the Cold War

To solidify democratic reforms in former Soviet-bloc countries and strengthen collective security in Europe against new threats like terrorism.

NATO members in 1999

Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999.

NATO members in 2004

Seven countries joined NATO in 2004: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

NATO members in 2009

Albania and Croatia both became NATO members in 2009.

NATO's 30th, 31st, and 32nd members

North Macedonia became NATO's 30th member in 2020, Finland was the 31st member in April 2023, and Sweden was the 32nd member in March 2024.

Russia's reaction to NATO expansion

Russia views NATO's eastward expansion as a threat to its security, often describing NATO as a hostile alliance and demanding it not expand into former Soviet states.

Formation and dissolution of the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union was officially formed in 1922 and dissolved in 1991.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and the first leader of the Soviet Union, leading from its inception until his death in 1924.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Last leader of the Soviet Union (1985-1991), known for implementing perestroika (economic restructuring) and glasnost (political openness).

Boris Yeltsin

First President of the Russian Federation (1991 to 1999), leading Russia's transition from communism toward a market economy.

Vladimir Putin

Russian political leader who first became President of Russia in 2000, serving multiple terms as president and remaining a dominant figure in Russian politics.

Expansion of the Russian Empire

The Russian Empire expanded eastward across Siberia to the Pacific under Ivan the Terrible, northwest toward the Baltic Sea under Peter the Great, and south toward the Black Sea under Catherine the Great.

St. Petersburg

Founded by Peter the Great in 1703 as a 'window to the West', its name changed to Petrograd in 1914, then to Leningrad in 1924, and reverted to St. Petersburg in 1991.

Soviet Socialist Republics

The USSR was composed of 15 Soviet Socialist Republics, generally named for their majority ethnic group and had some administrative autonomy.

Baltic States

The Baltic States are the three former Soviet republics on the Baltic Sea: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Transcaucasus Republics

The Transcaucasus (South Caucasus) republics of the former USSR are Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Central Asian Republics

The Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union (often called 'the -stans') are Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Size of the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union was enormous—about twice the size of the United States, covering roughly one-sixth of the Earth's land surface (about 22.4 million square kilometers).

Time Zones of the USSR

The USSR spanned 11 time zones across Eurasia, from Eastern Europe all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Core Area of the Soviet Union

The core area of the USSR was in the western part of the union, primarily the Eastern European Plain in Russia, where the majority of the population and economic activity was concentrated.

Major Rivers in Russia

Most of the major rivers in Russia (particularly in Siberia) flow northward, towards the Arctic Ocean.

Russia's Mountains and Climate

Russia's mountains often block the movement of milder air masses, accentuating extreme climates by preventing warm, moist air from reaching interior areas.

Weather vs Climate

Weather refers to the short-term atmospheric conditions at a given time and place, whereas climate refers to the long-term average of weather patterns in a region.

Factors Influencing Russia's Climate

Russia's climate is influenced by its high latitude, vast land area, and the absence of moderating oceans over much of its territory.

Continentality

Continentality is the effect of being far from the ocean, leading to greater temperature extremes and drier conditions in interior areas compared to coastal areas.

Permafrost

Permafrost is permanently frozen ground (soil that remains below 0°C for at least two consecutive years) and is widespread in the northern parts of the former USSR, especially in Siberia.

Implications of Russia's Climate for Agriculture

Russia's harsh climate greatly limits agriculture, with long, cold winters and short growing seasons restricting reliable crop growth to certain areas.

Cold-tolerant crops

Crops like rye, oats, and potatoes that can survive in cold climates.

Soviet planners' environmental modifications

Large-scale projects such as building irrigation networks, draining marshes, planting windbreaks, and proposing damming the Bering Strait.

Natural resources of Russia

Resources such as oil, natural gas, coal, minerals (like iron ore, nickel, gold), and timber.

Challenges in resource extraction

Difficulties due to remote locations, harsh climate, lack of infrastructure, and historical inefficiencies.

Taiga

The boreal forest, a vast belt of coniferous forest across much of Siberia and northern Russia.

Tundra

A treeless plain in the far north characterized by mosses, lichens, and grasses, often with permafrost.

Population of the USSR

Roughly 290 million people in its final years.

Major ethnic groups in the USSR

Russians, Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Belarusians, Kazakhs, Azeris, Armenians, Georgians, among others.

Russification

A policy of spreading Russian language and culture to non-Russian areas within the empire/USSR.

Perestroika

Economic reforms introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev aimed at decentralizing and modernizing the Soviet economy.

Glasnost

A policy of greater transparency and freedom of information in Soviet society, allowing open debate and less censorship.

Russia's population trends

Decline and demographic issues due to low birth rates and high death rates.

Putin's view on population issues

In 2006, he called the shrinking population Russia's most acute problem.

Bolsheviks

A faction of the Russian socialist movement led by Vladimir Lenin, believing in a small party of revolutionaries seizing power.

Mensheviks

The rival faction to the Bolsheviks favoring a gradual approach to socialism and cooperation with other groups.

Command economy

An economic system where the government makes all decisions regarding the production and distribution of goods.

Command economy

An economic system in which the government centrally plans and controls production and distribution.

Sovkhoz

A state-owned farm in the Soviet Union where farm workers were employees of the state and received wages.

Kolkhoz

A form of collective farm in the Soviet Union where land and resources were collectively owned by a group of peasant farmers who farmed cooperatively.

Russian Federation

A federal state structure composed of various federal subjects that have their own local governments and certain degrees of autonomy.

Canada's provinces and territories

Canada is made up of 10 provinces and 3 territories.

Maritime Provinces

The Maritime Provinces in Atlantic Canada are New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Quebec

The Canadian province where French is the majority language and is the official language of the province.

Canadian territories

The three territories of Canada are Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Perceptions of places

People's perceptions of places are shaped by factors such as personal experience, media portrayals, stereotypes, cultural background, and familiarity.

Tourism slogan of Kansas

Kansas's tourism slogan (as of 2020) is 'To The Stars,' inspired by the state's Latin motto 'Ad Astra Per Aspera.'

Tourism slogan of South Dakota

South Dakota's tourism slogan is 'Great Faces, Great Places,' referencing the Mount Rushmore sculptures and the scenic beauty of the state.

Tourism slogan of Virginia

Virginia's tourism slogan is 'Virginia is for Lovers,' one of the longest-running state tourism campaigns.

Tourism slogan of New York

New York's famous tourism catchphrase is 'I Love New York,' often shown with a heart symbol as 'I ❤ NY.'

Tourism tagline for Seattle

Seattle's tourism tagline is 'Soak it up.'

Tourism slogan of Dallas

The city of Dallas, Texas, uses the slogan 'Live Large. Think Big.' for its tourism and marketing.

Tourism tagline for St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri, is promoted with the tagline 'There is more than meets the Arch.'

Space City

The city nicknamed 'Space City' uses the slogan 'A Space of Infinite Possibilities.'

Houston, Texas

nicknamed "Space City" due to NASA's Johnson Space Center, uses the slogan "Space City: A Space of Infinite Possibilities."

Charlotte, North Carolina

promotes itself with the slogan "The New Accent of the South."

Atlanta, Georgia

uses the slogan "Every Day is an Opening Day."

Wyandotte County, Kansas

uses the promotional tagline "The Dot's Got It."

Las Vegas, Nevada

is famous for the tourism slogan "What Happens Here, Stays Here," emphasizing the city's image as a place of escapism and secrets.

Secession

Some regions within states feel that their needs or values are not represented by the state government dominated by other areas, leading them to seek secession to form a new state that they believe would better serve their interests.

North Colorado

In 2013, several rural counties in northern Colorado proposed a referendum to secede and create a new state because they felt underrepresented by the state government in Denver on issues like energy and gun policy.

Greater Idaho

In the early 2020s, a movement gained traction in which a number of conservative-leaning rural counties in eastern Oregon voted in favor of measures to consider joining the state of Idaho.

California Split Proposal

In the 2010s, there was a proposal to split California into six new states, citing California's large size and diverse regions.

Border War

The "Border War" refers to the competition between Kansas and Missouri where each state's government offers tax breaks and incentives to lure businesses across the state line.

Rick Perry's Business Strategy

While governor of Texas, Rick Perry actively tried to "poach" businesses from other states to persuade companies to relocate to Texas by touting Texas's lower taxes and business-friendly regulations.

Redistricting

Redistricting is the process of redrawing the boundaries of electoral districts to reflect changes in population, usually occurring after each decennial census.

Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering is the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group.

Latin America

A region that suggests a homogeneous Latin (Spanish or Portuguese) heritage, but is culturally and linguistically diverse.

US-Mexico border length

Roughly 2,000 miles (3,200 km) long.

Challenges of building a wall along the US-Mexico border

Varied terrain, enormous cost and engineering hurdles, legal issues, and environmental concerns.

Subregions of Latin America

Divided into Middle America (Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean) and South America.

Central America

Consists of the seven countries between Mexico and Colombia.

Caribbean

Comprises island nations and territories, divided into the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles.

Greater Antilles

The four large islands of Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.

Lesser Antilles

Consists of smaller islands to the southeast, further split into the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands.

Leeward Islands

The northern Lesser Antilles, more sheltered from the prevailing northeast trade winds.

Windward Islands

The southern Lesser Antilles, more exposed to the trade winds.

Independent countries in South America

There are 12 independent countries.

French Guiana

An overseas department of France that still maintains territory in South America.

Predominant language in Brazil

Portuguese.

Location of the Bahamas

An archipelago of islands just southeast of Florida and north of Cuba.

Location of Bermuda

A small island territory in the North Atlantic, about 600 miles off the coast of North Carolina.

Land bridge in Latin America

The part known as an isthmian link.

Central America

A land bridge (isthmian link) connecting North America and South America.

Panama Canal

Located in Panama, it connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean.

Physiographic pattern of Latin America

Includes towering mountains along the western edge and expansive lowlands in the interior/east.

Sierra Madre

Mountain ranges that run through Mexico.

Andes Mountains

Mountains that run the length of South America's west coast, with many peaks over 20,000 feet.

Amazon Basin

Dominates northern Brazil, it is the world's largest rainforest and river by volume.

Orinoco Basin

A river basin located in Venezuela.