Comparing Russian City and US City

Russia-U.S.

The two cities I am going to compare are Irkutsk and Tampa. Irkutsk is located in Siberia, along the shores of the Angara River, near the shores of Lake Baikal. Tampa lies on Tampa Bay, near the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Its inland location and northerly latitude characterize the weather of Irkutsk, which is very cold for most of the year, with five freezing months from November to March where the temperatures drop significantly. Summers are mild. Tampa's southerly location gives it a warm climate, with freezing temperatures seldom if ever occurring. The climate is warm, sunny, and humid. Summers are hot and humid with frequent thunderstorms. The average July temperature in Irkutsk is 64.5, and the average January temperature is -0.9F. The average July temperature in Tampa is around 90, and in January it is 70 (U.S. Climate Data, 2012); World Climates, 2012).

Irkutsk has a population of around 600,000, but has only limited suburban sprawl, so the metropolitan area has a similar population. This contrasts with Tampa, where the city's population is 335,000 but the metro area has a population of 2.7 million. The people of Irkutsk are mainly Russian in their ethnicity, and the primary minority is the Buryats, who are a Mongol group that live in the area and make up about 3% of the population. Tampa is more demographically diverse, with a population that is primarily European-descended but is also 26% black, 23% Hispanic (some of whom are white), 3.4% Asian.

Irkutsk was founded as a fort in 1661, and its position along key rivers allowed it to grow rapidly as a trading center. Trade with China for tea, silk and iron made the city one of the richest in Russia in those days (Babrs, 2006). Today, the economy is driven by the aluminum industry and the Irkut company, which manufactures the Su-30 family of jet fighters (Russiatrek.org, 2012). Tampa was founded in 1824, although the Tocobaga natives had inhabited the area for much longer, and Spanish explorers had passed through. The first settlement was also a fort, Fort Brooke. In the earlier years, Tampa was known as a major cigar manufacturing center. The economy is driven by military, tourism and service industries. MacDill Air Force base is a significant employer. Thus, both cities have air defense as important components of their local industries.

Citizens of both cities receive a relatively high standard of childhood education from state-run systems. Tampa is home to the University of South Florida, while Irkutsk is home to several universities and has one of the best-educated populations in Siberia. Science, in particular that particular to Lake Baikal, is a specialty of the area.

With respect to culture, Irkutsk is one of the main cultural hubs of Siberia. The city has a number of museums. Culture is predominantly Russian, but with some Asian outlook due to the city's situation north of China. Lake Baikal plays an important role in the culture of Irkutsk. The lake is over a mile deep and holds over 20% of the world's fresh water. It holds a lot of power, and is a center of shamanistic culture to which some Buryats adhere. The lake is an important reference point for the people of Irkutsk. It also provides them with their most revered food, omul.

Tampa's culture is a mix of mainstream American culture, with Cuban influences, a strong African-American community. There are a number of cultural artifacts in Tampa, including performing arts and in nearby St. Petersburg the Dali Museum. Tampa also contributes to more mainstream American culture as a center of the American heavy metal scene. Tampa's culinary culture highlights Cuban influences, and the city is proud of its Cuban sandwiches in particular, many locals claiming that they are better in Tampa than in either Miami or Havana.

The reason for choosing this pairing of cities is simple. I have been to Tampa and have an interest in Siberia. My experience in Tampa allowed me to understand a little bit of the local culture. The causeways and extensive water of the region seem to characterize life in the Tampa area to a significant degree. The city's position as a relatively minor city and regional center has not stopped it from developing all of the cultural elements of a major city, so Tampa feels like a small city that is very civilized, because it has an interesting and complex culture despite being provincial in nature.