Russia

Russia's geography and climate:

Russia is the largest country in the world, containing 1/8 of the entire world’s land area. It is also the northernmost large and populous country in the world, with much of the country lying above the Arctic Circle.
Russia is located on the northeastern portion of the Eurasian landmass.
It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Pacific Ocean, and to the south by the Black and Caspian Seas.
The Ural Mountains traditionally form the boundary between Europe and Asia.
The region of Russia east of the Ural Mountains is known as Siberia.
Russia contains the Caucasus Mountains and the volcanic highlands of Russia’s far east Kamchatka Peninsula.
The Volga River is the longest river on the European continent and drains most of western Russia.
Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest and largest freshwater lake.
The northernmost portion of Russia is dominated by tundra, and south of the tundra is the taiga region, where coniferous, snow-capped forests dominate.
Russia's climate is affected by its latitudinal position, continental position, and altitudinal position.

Much of Russia is too cold for widespread human settlement.
In Russia’s northern regions, agricultural development is restricted by short growing seasons and frequent droughts.
Industry is hampered by Russia’s cold climate in the Siberian region.
Areas that were previously permafrost have begun to thaw, leading to erosion and mud, which both present challenges for development.

In the 13th century, Moscow was an important principality.
From the mid-1400s onward, the Muscovite territory expanded.
In 1547 CE, Grand Duke Ivan IV crowned himself the first Tsar.
Russia’s status as an “empire” dates back to the 1700s under the rule of Peter the Great.
The conclusion of World War I coincided with the end of the Russian Empire.
The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the interim government and created the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

During the period of Russia’s expansion and development, Russia’s territory included not only ethnic Russians but other surrounding groups as well.
Prior to the Bolshevik Revolution, the Russian Empire’s response to the non-Russian communities they controlled was known as Russification.
Under the Soviet Union, the policy of cultural assimilation had less to do with becoming Russian and more to do with being part of the Soviet Union, what could be thought of as Sovietization.
Although Russia today is comprised mostly of people who speak Russian and identify with the Russian ethnicity, it contains 185 different ethnic groups speaking over 100 different languages.

The Soviet Government advocated a communist system.
The Soviet government instituted a series of five-year plans which established long-term goals and emphasized quotas for the production of goods.
The Soviet government had two principle objectives: first, to accelerate industrialization, and secondly, to collectivize agriculture.
The collectivization of agriculture was ultimately a failure and Soviet industrial development, too, was plagued with inefficiencies.
The substantial costs of supporting an inefficient system of industrial development were magnified by the costs needed to fund the Cold War.
The Soviet Union formally dissolved in 1991.

The collapse of the Soviet Union had far-reaching effects on the Russian landscape and even today, Russia is affected by the legacy of the Soviet Union.
After the immediate collapse of the Soviet Union, the government transitioned to a market economy.
Abandoned industrial towns and work settlements built by the Soviet Union dot the landscape, evidence of the Soviet government’s ill-fated attempt to decentralize its population and development.
Under Vladimir Putin, Russia’s economy has grown consistently.
Tension between Russia and the West remains high.

The northernmost part of Russia is dominated by tundra, which has very cold temperatures and limited tree growth. Temperatures here can drop below -50°C (-58°F) and much of the soil is permafrost.
South of the tundra is the taiga region, where coniferous, snow-capped forests dominate. This area of Russia contains the world’s largest wood resources.
South of the taiga region are areas of temperate broadleaf forests and steppe, which is an area of treeless, grassland plains.
Russia's climate is significantly affected by its continental position. Areas exhibiting a continental climate are typically located near the center of a continent, away from water bodies, and experience more extremes in temperature due to drier air.
- Temperature Extremes Areas distant from water experience greater temperature variations because water helps regulate air temperature and absorbs temperature changes more effectively than land1.
- Winter Cold In winter, regions far from water sources can become very cold1.
- Summer Heat In the summer, areas distant from water can become quite hot with little precipitation1.
- East-West Alignment The strong east-west alignment of Russia’s major biomes reflects the influence of its latitudinal and continental positions1.

Russia contains the world's largest wood resources in the taiga region.
The Volga River is an important source of irrigation and hydroelectric power.
Lake Baikal contains around one-fifth of the entire world’s unfrozen surface water.
Russia has relatively few ice-free ports, limiting maritime transport.
Siberia accounts for over three-quarters of Russia’s land area and contains one-quarter of its population.
New oil and gas reserves that were previously trapped under frozen soil could become available due to warming temperatures.