Where is the eastern macro-region?
A macro-region is a very big part of a country. The eastern one lies in Asia, east of the Ural mountains. It is more than half of Russia's land, but only a small share of its people live there. Winters are long, so towns are far apart.
We study it in three parts: Siberia, the Far East and the Arctic zone.
Siberia
West Siberian plain
A very flat, wet land. Great rivers flow north to the Arctic sea. Under the ground are big stores of oil and natural gas. Pipes carry them far away.
Central Siberian plateau
A high flat land cut by river valleys. The taiga (cold pine forest) is the biggest forest in the world. Winters are very cold, and the ground is frozen deep down: permafrost. Roads and houses must be built on stilts so the heat of a house does not melt the ice under it.
Mountains in the south and east
Mountain ranges bring coal, iron and metal ores. Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, lies here.
The Far East
A long land by the Pacific Ocean. It has mountain ranges, hot springs and volcanoes on the Kamchatka peninsula. The place sits on a shaky part of the Earth's crust, so earthquakes happen. Summers bring heavy monsoon rain. The sea gives fish and crabs. Ports like Vladivostok trade with China, Japan and Korea, and the railway reaches them from the west.
The Arctic zone
The Arctic zone is the northern coast and the islands. It has ice and snow for most of the year, thin soil and few plants (tundra). Few people live here, but there are rich stores of oil, gas and metals under the land and the sea floor. The Northern Sea Route runs along the coast. With strong icebreaker ships it opens for some months and gives a short way between Europe and Asia. Nature here heals very slowly, so spills and waste do lasting harm.
Try it
In the 3D: go to the last step, tap each zone, and tell a friend one fact before you read it. Then move the ship slider in step 5 and see how far it goes along the yellow route.
At home: put a tray of ice in the freezer, then lay a flat tile on a thin layer of ice in a cup in the sun. See the tile sink as the ice melts. This is why heated houses on permafrost need stilts.
Key formulas and definitions
- Macro-region = a very large part of a country
- Siberia = West Siberian plain + Central Siberian plateau + southern and eastern mountains
- Permafrost = ground frozen for two years or more
- Far East = Pacific coast + mountains + volcanoes
- Arctic zone = northern coast, islands, Arctic Ocean seas
Worked examples
1. Why are houses in Siberian towns built on stilts?
The ground is permafrost. A heated house would melt the ice under it and sink. Stilts leave a gap so cold air passes under the house and keeps the ground frozen.
2. Why is the West Siberian plain important for the world economy?
It has very large stores of oil and natural gas. Pipelines carry them to many countries, so it earns money and fuels factories far away.
3. Why are earthquakes and volcanoes common in the Far East?
It lies at the edge where two parts of the Earth's crust push on each other, near the Pacific Ocean. The moving crust shakes the ground and lets hot rock reach the top.
4. Why does the Northern Sea Route not work all year?
The sea freezes in winter. Only in summer, with icebreakers, can ships pass.
Common mistakes
- Thinking Siberia is the whole eastern part. The Far East is a separate region on the Pacific coast.
- Thinking permafrost is only snow on top. It is soil and rock frozen deep down.
- Saying the Arctic has many cities and farms. It has few people and almost no crops.
- Mixing up the plain and the plateau. The West Siberian plain is low and flat; the Central Siberian plateau is higher.