Physical Patterns in Russia

-Moving east ( west, there is the eastern extension of the Northern European Plain, then the Ural mountains, then the West Siberian Plain, followed by the Central Siberian Plateau and finally in the far east, a mountainous zone bordering the Pacific.

-To the south of the territories from west to east: The Caucasus Mountains, Steppes in central Asia, and high mountains in Eastern Central Asia.

-European Russia: Consists of the eastern extension of the north European plain which rolls to the Ural Mountains. The Ural Mountains are traditionally considered part of the not very clear border between Europe and Asia.

-Long bitter winters creates a layer of permanently frozen soil ( permafrost)

-In the far north lies the tundra where only mosses and lichens can grow

Climate and Vegetation

-Winters are long and cold, with only brief hours of daylight

-Summers are short and cool to hot, with long days

-Most rainfall comes from storms that blow in from the Atlantic Ocean far to the West

-East of the Urals, the lands of Siberia receive moderate precipitation but experience long, cold winters

Recent Population Changes

-Before its breakup, the Soviet Union was considered a developed nation with fairly high standards of living and well-being. However, in the early 1990s, the well-being of the citizens of Russia and the New Independent States deteriorated significantly.

-Between 1990 and 2003, male expectancy declined from 63.9 to 59 years. The female life expectancy dropped from 74.4 to 72 years

-Loss of jobs and social disruption

-By 1996, divorce rates had reached more than 6 out of every 10 marriages in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.

-In 2006, male suicide rates in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine were the highest on earth

-People began to suffer nutritional deficiencies caused by sharply falling incomes and food scarcities

-Environmental pollution and decline in birth rates