Free Online Course on World Geography, Weather, Climate & Regions
DISCUSS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN AREA
AND ITS CULTURAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL REGIONS.
In lesson 1 you learned that geography has two main focuses: physical geography
and human geography. Human geography is the study of the patterns and processes that
shape human interaction with the environment, including political, cultural, and
economic aspects. Much of this course has focused on physical geography, and
physical geography actually has a large impact on human geography. The earth has
physical characteristics that help create cultural, economic, and political
boundaries. A good example of this is the former Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was
formed after a revolution in the Russian Empire during the early 1900s.
Figure 8.4.1, These maps illustrate the Russian
Empire and Soviet Union boundaries at their peaks.
The Soviet Union's boundaries were similar to those of the Russian
Empire, which existed previously. However, they were not exactly the
same. As you can see in Figure 8.4.1, some areas of Europe that were
part of the Soviet Union were not part of the old Russian Empire,
and some areas of the Russian Empire were never part of the Soviet
Union.
Figure 8.4.2, Six of the republics that
splintered off of the former Soviet Union are labeled, Russia being
the largest. (Wikimedia Commons.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:LocationRussia.png)
In 1991, political changes again occurred and the Soviet Union
splintered into fifteen independent republics. The largest of these
republics is Russia, also known as the Russian Federation. In Figure
8.4.2, the map on the right shows a few of the countries that were
once within the boundaries of the former Soviet Union. Economic
problems were one critical force behind the breakup of the Soviet
Union. When the leader of the country, Mikhail Gorbachev, attempted
to revitalize the communist economy, a series of events occurred
that caused the country to fracture.
