A Geography of Russia and Its Neighbors, Second Edition

A clear and candid source of information on a critical part of the globe today. I tell my students that in addition to the straightforward information provided by the text, they get the advantage of absorbing a Russian perspective on this region. Students like the price of the book and enjoy the numerous, bite-sized chapters.--Randy Bertolas, PhD, Department of History, Politics, and Geography, Wayne State College "Both students and teachers will learn from this 'must-read' second edition of one of the best available geography texts on the former Soviet realm. The text provides a winning combination of geographical knowledge; historical dimensions; economic, political, and cultural topics; and regional themes. My students have praised this book as interesting, easy to read, brilliantly organized, concise, unbiased, and illustrated with great charts and images."--Dmitrii Sidorov, PhD, Department of Geography, California State University Long Beach "Blinnikovs second edition is an indispensable resource for understanding Russias past, present, and future--theres no other text like it. The entire book is a compelling read, yet individual sections stand alone as important references. Blinnikov offers fascinating detail about aspects of Russia that might be invisible to non-Russians, while also providing a comprehensive, scholarly overview that students and instructors will find most useful."--Jessica K. Graybill, PhD, Department of Geography and Director, Russian and Eurasian Studies Program, Colgate University-

Auteur

Mikhail S. Blinnikov, PhD, is Professor of Geography and Graduate Coordinator at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and Associate Researcher at Kazan Federal University Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Archaeological and Ethnological Studies in Kazan, Russia. A native of Moscow, Russia, he has traveled extensively in the former Soviet Union, including doing field work on the White, Baltic, and Black Seas; in Central Russia; on the Volga; and in Crimea, the Caucasus, and the Altay. Besides his work in Russia, he has visited Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan on extended field trips. Dr. Blinnikov's research focuses on the late-Pleistocene biogeography of grasslands; phytolith analysis; remote sensing and geographic information systems; protected natural areas and green spaces in and near cities; young naturalist movements; and Orthodox religious landscapes. He has worked with the Biodiversity Conservation Center, the Center for Russian Nature Conservation, Nearby Nature, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund Russia, among others. Dr. Blinnikov has also worked as an interpreter and translator for RussianAmerican exchanges and has written two books in Russian. He is a past president of the International Phytolith Society and president of the Eurasian Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers.

Texte du rabat

Authoritative yet accessible, the definitive undergraduate text on Russian geography and culture has now been thoroughly revised with the latest data and hot topics, such as the political crisis in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol.

Contenu

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 Resources
   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. Belarus and Moldova: Eastern Europeans
   31. Ukraine and Crimea: Together or Not?
   32. Kazakhstan and Central Asia: The Heart of Eurasia
   33. Epilogue: Engaging with Post-Soviet Northern Eurasia