A GEOGRAPHY OF RUSSIA AND ITS NEIGHBORS

Comprehensive and authoritative, this text offers an accessible introduction to post-Soviet Eurasia. Students get a solid grounding in the physical, cultural, political, and economic geography of this rapidly changing region. Core thematic chapters focus primarily on Russia but also incorporate relevant information on the other 14 former Soviet republics. Regional chapters provide concise discussions of each republic and of Russia's main regions. Student-friendly features include engaging vignettes, review questions, exercises, recommendations for further reading, and Internet resources, plus over 200 original maps, photographs, and other figures. This book will be invaluable to geography instructors and students and it will also serve as a primary text in undergraduate courses.

Introduction: Russia and Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia. Part 1. Physical Geography. Relief and Hydrography. Climate. Biomes. Environmental Degradation and Conservation. Part 2. History and Politics. Formation of the Russian State. The Soviet Legacy. Post-Soviet Reforms. The Geopolitical Position of Russia in the World. Part 3. Cultural and Social Geography. Demographics and Population Distribution. Cities and Villages. Social Issues. Health, Wealth, Poverty, and Crime. Cultures and Languages. Religion, Diet, and Dress. Education, Arts, Sciences, and Sports. Tourism. Part 4. Economics. Oil, Gas, and Other Energy Sources. Heavy Industry and the Military Complex. Light Industry and Consumer Goods. Fruits of the Earth: Agriculture, Hunting, Fishing, and Forestry. Infrastructure and Services. Part 5. Regional Geography of Russia and Other FSU States. Central Russia: The Heart of the Country. Russia’s Northwest: Fishing, Timber, and Culture. The Volga: Cars, Food, and Energy. The Caucasus: Cultural Diversity and Political Instability. The Urals: Metallurgy, Machinery, and Fossil Fuels. Siberia: Great Land. The Far East: The Russian Pacific. The Baltics: Europeysky, Not Sovetsky. Eastern Europeans: Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. Central Asia: The Heart of Eurasia. Epilogue: Engaging with Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia.