Krishna Sarang Srivathsa

Russia (Россия) Geography in art:

Horseman on the Russian Steppe - Painting
by Adolf Schreyer (source Google arts and
culture)
General Geography of Russia
- Russia lies in the northeastern part of Europe and northern
Asia

- Majority of its population live in southern and western (or

European) parts of Russia, in the cities

- In prehistory, Homo erectus migrated here 2 million years

ago. Denisovan man and the last Neanderthals lived here too.
First neolithic people were probably nomadic pastoralists in the
Steppes and small scale reindeer herders in the north.

-By 600 CE, Slavs were the main inhabitants of the north
European plains. Also Vikings from eastern Scandinavia, Turkic
and Iranian tribes, and invading Mongols

(Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Map: pen-and-paper drawing adapted from the DK Great World Atlas)
 Rivers of Russia: hubs of trade,
commerce, and culture
- Volga, the trade route established the Vikings
transporting fur and chess
- River Ob with its large river basin enables
irrigation, shing, remains frozen for half the
year
- Lena forms the natural border between
western and eastern Siberia
- Russia’s rivers are the subject of art (as below)
and literature such as Chekhov’s writings on the
Amur river that separates Russia from China.

(Map of Rivers adapted from DK Great World Atlas, Volga trade route from Wikipedia

Ilya Rupin’s painting on the left depicts the exhaustion of the bargemen on the banks of
the river Volga (source: Google Art and Culture)
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Climactic regions of Russia
Russian winters had a role to play in the French invasion of
Russia. In 1812, Russian forces slowly retreated, but
Napolean’s army su ered due to cold and starvation. (Source:
The National Geographic)

- Steppes are the agricultural heartland

- Cool continental with its mixed and deciduous forests have

been cleared for agriculture and forestry.

- Subarctic or Taiga has timber reserve and is also sparsely

populated. Geographical features and cold poses problems for
inhabitation

- Indigenous tribes herd reindeer in the Tundra

- Arctic desert in the northern archipelago is covered in ice and

is barren

(Source: World Regional Geography by C. Finlayson, Climactic

regions map adapted from the DK Great World Atlas)
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Ural, Caucasus, and Altai
- Ural Mountain Range is the natural boundary
between European and Asian parts of Russia. Rich in
mineral resources and has led to industrial
development. Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel works set
up here during World War II remained important for the
Soviet industry during the Cold War.

- Caucasus historically formed the natural border

between Europe and Asia.

- The Altai mountains provide the source for the rivers

Ob and Irtysh

(Source: World Regional Geography by C.

Finlayson,Elevation map adapted from DK Great World
Atlas)
 Russia’s abundant natural resources include:

- Fossil fuels and natural gas from Western Siberia

- Mining companies all over Siberia attract young
workforce to Arctic towns such as Norilsk with
rewards and better pay
Russian fur was probably one of the rst natural resources that - Potential to increase production of renewable
impacted the growth of the region. This continued from early hydropower
history to the late 18th century when Russia took over parts of
Rr fur
Alaska to procure fur. - Timber is another abundant natural resource but
wasRussian fur coats. Etching from 1576. Source Russia
(Shuba, the country faces transportation problems due to
Beyond) lack of connectivity
- Lake Baikal, much admired through history by
many peoples including ethnic Mongols who had
settled around the lake much before the Mongol
invasion.

Fishing was practised by its indigenous people from prehistoric times and
continues today as small shing villages around the White Sea. (Photo of fishing
village along the White Sea coast. Source Russia Beyond)

Commercial shery industry started in the 13th century and continues to thrive.
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