Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Russia and Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia I. Physical Geography 2. Relief and Hydrography 3. Climate 4. Biomes 5. Environmental Degradation and Conservation II. History and Politics 6. Formation of the Russian State 7. The Soviet Legacy 8. Post-Soviet Reforms 9. The Geopolitical Position of Russia in the World III. Cultural and Social Geography 10. Demographics and Population Distribution
11. Cities and Villages
12. Social Issues. Health, Wealth, Poverty, and Crime 13. Cultures and Languages 14. Religion, Diet, and Dress 15. Education, Arts, Sciences, and Sports 16. Tourism IV. Economics 17. Oil, Gas, and Other Energy Sources 18. Heavy Industry and the Military Complex 19. Light Industry and Consumer Goods 20. Fruits of the Earth: Agriculture, Hunting, Fishing, and Forestry 21. Infrastructure and Services V. Regional Geography of Russia and Other FSU States 22. Central Russia: The Heart of the Country 23. Russia’s Northwest: Fishing, Timber, and Culture 24. The Volga: Cars, Food, and Energy 25. The Caucasus: Cultural Diversity and Political Instability 26. The Urals: Metallurgy, Machinery, and Fossil Fuels 27. Siberia: Great Land 28. The Far East: The Russian Pacific 29. The Baltics: Europeysky, Not Sovetsky 30. Eastern Europeans: Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova 31. Central Asia: The Heart of Eurasia 32. Epilogue: Engaging with Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia

About the Author

Mikhail S. Blinnikov, Department of Geography, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, USA

Reviews

"A timely, insightful, well-written and engaging volume on contemporary Russia's economies, recent history, environmental settings, and enduring legacies. Personal reflections and observations add to the book's strengths. I will definitely use this text the next time I teach a class on the former Soviet Union. It is far ahead of any previous book on the region. It also will have broad appeal outside geography and should be required reading for business people and professionals in all fields who are working in the region." - Stanley D. Brunn, Department of Geography, University of Kentucky, USA "This text offers a comprehensive, accessible introduction to the physical, cultural, social, economic and political geography of the region. The book goes well beyond the bounds of a general geography text, giving students the historical and political context that will help them engage more thoughtfully with the material. The author doesn't shy away from interjecting his own insights about the personalities that have shaped contemporary Russia. For the student, this brings to life some of the major actors whose names would otherwise get lost on the page. Each chapter is followed by review question and exercises that will prepare both instructors and students for class discussion, making the book useful for both lecture courses and seminars." - Melinda Herrold-Menzies, Intercollegiate Environmental Analysis Program, The Claremont Colleges, USA