Except for a narrow fringe along its western frontiers, European Russia possesses a climate, which can be described as typically continental.
This character is especially pronounced in the South and in the East of the area owing not only to the geographical position of these parts, far removed from the influence of the air currents from the Atlantic, but also to the special 'atmospheric regime of the Russian Plain. These influences result in plentiful rainfall and snowfall.
Despite its enormity in size U.S.S.R. is primarily a land locked country and the prevailing climates show that the country is continental climatically. Moisture got from the North Atlantic loses its strength as soon as it crosses Europe and reaches U.S.S.R. Therefore, dryness increases towards the eastern side of U.S.S.R. The Arctic region cannot provide any moisture, So is the case with south, east and southeastern regions which are surrounded by high mountains and are unable to provide the warmth and warming influences of the Indian and the Pacific oceans. Sometimes the large size of the country provides the diversities in climate as is the case of India, but in U.S.S.R. the climate is mainly cold and dry.
It is far away from the moderating influence of oceans as it lies in higher middle latitude. Its winters are long and summers short. Whole of the country is climatically affected because cold air masses originating in the Arctic region and flowing directly up to Central Asian U.S.S.R. go unhindered and unchecked due to absence of any mountainous barrier from the east to the west of the country. The average January temperatures are very low. Leningrad's temperature is 18°F during January and in the Western Siberia it is minus 30°F in most of the places. Only the valleys of Central Asia which are situated on low latitudes and otherwise protected from cold air masses have comparatively mild temperatures ranging between 30° to 45°F during January. During summer maximum precipitation takes place. Summer temperatures are high excepting the Pacific and the Arctic Coasts. The Central Asian U.S.S.R has the maximum temperature of 90°F in July.
Soils Climatically, the chernozem soil or black-earth region, especially in the east is typically continental. The richest black-earth is found along the central axis of the zone, running from the South-west to the North-east roughly along the boundary between the wooded half of the belt and the Steppes. North and south of this central strip, the soil changes gradually until ultimately it goes over to the clay and sand loams of Middle Russia in the north and 'chestnut coloured' soils of the Black sea shores in the south.
Agriculture
In general, cultivation becomes important only south of 60N (latitude). Extending westward from Moscow to the Baltic is the centre of flax. From Moscow eastward to the Urals is the main rye and oats region. To the south of Moscow is the centre of potatoes. Still farther south in the Ukraine the more fertile soils and the denser population favor the cultivation of sugar beet. The fertile soils and the dry harvesting season of the belt extending from Rumania towards North-east to the Urals make it the principal spring wheat region of Russia. Barley also grows in this region, especially north of the Black sea. In the region to the east of the Sea of Azov is the chief winter wheat belt of Russia. With all the extension of arable land in other parts of Russia, the Black Earth (chernozem)region still remains the largest producer of wheat, barley, sugar beet and tobacco. The northern part of the wheat belt of the black earth is forested.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Agriculture in the U.S.S.R. is being conducted by organizing the land into collective farms and state farms. All land is owned by the state - under the scheme of social ownership of the means of production. The collective farm is a voluntary state cooperative organization of farmers run by a managing committee. The state farm is a state just like- any public sector industry. Workers are paid wages as in a factory. Collective farms are called KOLKHOZES and there were 26,171 collective farms employing 12.8 million farmers. Total cultivated land owned by collective farms was 92.7 million hectares in 1984. Collective farms also raise cattle, sheep and animals in the farms. State farms (SOVKHOZES) are much larger than the collective farms and there were 22500 state farms in 1985. The average size of a state farm is 20,000 hectares while that of collective farm is 5,000 hectares.
Such large sized farms enable extensive use of agricultural machinery for all operation including harvesting. Only 20 percent of working population is employed in agriculture. In view of the short growing season in the northern parts of the U.S.S.R and aridity in the central Asiatic part, agricultural output is liable to annual variations. The Soviet Union needs to import wheat during drought years.
Wheat is very important product and occupies nearly 50 percent acreage of the total cultivable land. Wheat is mostly grown in the territory lying between the Volga and the Altai Mountains. Here the wheat is spring grown. Winter grown wheat is found in the Ukraine and North Caucasus. Oats and barley are produced. Barley is used for both human consumption and livestock. The commercial and industrial crops, which are produced, are cotton flax, sugar beet and sunflowers. Causasus and Central Asia produced the cotton on irrigated lands. Flax is grown in the forest area of Soviet Russia. Potatoes and vegetables occupy small part of the total sown land of U.S.S.R.
Animal Life: Animal husbandry plays an important part in the life of the Republic as well. State farmers and collective farmers practice mixed farming. Animals are reared as a part of farmland. USSR leads the world in milk and meat production and third in wool output. U.S.S.R. has following numbers of animals during the 1985.
95.2-million head of cattle
56-million pigs
135.8-million sheep and goats
9.1-million horses.
10.34 Mineral Resources
Russia is rich in mineral wealth. The soviet scientists claim that the U.S.S.R. carries 58 percent of world's coal deposits, 58.7 percent of oil, 41 percent of iron-ore and 76.7 percent of phosphate. The U.S.S.R. is largest producer of coal in the world. In quality Russian coal stands very high being anthracite, bituminous and lignite.
The most important coal-producing region in European Russia is the Donetz Basin. In the Donetz Basin there is both anthracite and bituminous coal of very good quality. The fact that reserves of coal, manganese and limestone are all available within a short distance of each other which creates an unusual economic situation in the Donetz Basin.
The other coalfields of national importance are those of Kuznetsk and Karaganda. Other important coal producing regions of the U.S.S.R. are the Moscow Basin, the Pachora Basin, in the Arctic region, coal fields of the Urals and Caucasus mountains and Tungus and Lena basin in Siberia.
Petroleum is another important source of power in the production of which the country is the largest in the world. (613 million tonnes in 1985 or 21 percent of a total).
Petroleum and Natural gas are being used as substitutes for the coal. Volga and Ural rank first in producing oil. Other oil of importance are from Baku district and Grozay and Maikop in the North Caucasus. Major Centre in the production of natural gas is in the vicinity of Volga-Ural oil fields. Ukraine, North Caucasus and Central Asia are other centres. Waterpower is another alternative for fuels. U.S.S.R. has enormous possibilities and potentials for waterpower and the same have been harnessed in the past and are being harnessed now. Large dams and power installations have been built on the Volga River. Kujuysher and Blgograd are two such examples. Certain other dams have been built on Ob', Irtysh and Ingara Rivers in Siberia.
The U.S.S.R. is extremely rich in iron-ore as well. It ranks first among the iron-ore producing countries of the world. The following are the main regions producing iron-ore; Kursk, Ursk in South Urals, Telbez in Kuburg, Murmansk, Magnitogorsk in the Urals, Krivoy Rog in Ukraine. Besides, it is one of the major producers of manganese. Other metals found in Russia are Platinum, gold and copper.
Iron ore is found in Krivoy Rog. Ukraine, Agnitogorsk, Kustanai area of North Western Kazakhstan, Kola Peninsula and Altai mountains are the main producers of iron ore. Manganese is found at Nikopol in Ukraine and the Chaitura in Trans Caucasia. These two deposits account for two-thirds of the world's supply of manganese. Nickel is also mined in the Urals at Nikel near Murmansak and also at Norilsk in northern Siberia. Kazakhstan has the largest reserves of copper, zinc and lead. Eastern Siberia produces the gold and has reserves of industrial diamonds, which are supposed to be the largest in the world.
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