I separate European Russia from Asian Russia
Ural Mountains
I am a peasant who is bound to the land.
serf
Why are winter sports so popular in Russia?
Because of the climate.
I am the type of government that controls every aspect of public and private life.
Totalitarian
I am a large body of water bordering Russia to the south.
Caspian Sea
I am the title for the ruler of Russia from the mid-1500s to the early 1900s.
czar
What impact did the Soviet era have on the arts?
During the Soviet era, literature was censored and creating propaganda was encouraged.
I am the economic system in which the production of goods and services is controlled by a central government.
command economy
I am the longest river in Europe.
Volga River
I am the official writing system of Russia.
Cyrillic alphabet
How did the Trans-Siberian Railroad help unite western and eastern Russia?
It opened up Siberia, increasing population and the use of natural resources in this region.
I am the process in which government-owned businesses are sold to private individuals.
I am the vast forest that lies south of the tundra in Russia.
Taiga
What were the major accomplishments of Catherine the Great?
She extended Russia's borders to gain access to the Black Sea and continued to westernize Russia.
How do Peter the Great's efforts to westernize Russia affect the country's culture today?
Western influences can be seen in Russia's current government, economy and daily life.
How did President Putin increase the powers of the Russian president?
Why have many of Russia's natural resources remained untouched?
Much of Russia's resources are located in remote areas with harsh climates.
How were the collapses of czarist Russia and of the Soviet Union similar and different?
Both collapsed because people desired more freedom. Revolution overthrew czarist Russia, while Soviet Russia ended without warfare.
What lead to the overthrow of the czar in 1917?
Hundreds of years of oppression of the serfs, not enough reforms, huge difference between the rich and the poor.
What connection can you draw between Russia's physical geography and its economic boom?
Russia's vast reserve of oil and other natural resources was a large part of the reason for the country's economic success.