Environmental Tour: Russian Domain and the Balkans

Overview of the Russian Domain and Balkans

The Russian Domain is enormous, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea, and the Balkans extend that territory to the Mediterranean Sea. It is thus a region that is truly Eurasian, and as a result it consists of very different climates in different parts — but overall Russia has a harsh climate. Russia itself spans 11 time zones, making it the largest state, geographically speaking, in the world.

The Balkans are mainly covered in mountains, from the Balkan Mountains on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria to the Dinaric Alps in Bosnia to the Korab-Sar Mountains of Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia. On the Mediterranean coast, the Balkans have a humid and subtropical climate; further north, the climate is colder. The humid climate persists inland in Bosnia. This climate contrasts sharply with the frigid climate of much of Russia, particularly in the Siberian peninsula in the East.

Plate Tectonics and Topography

Russia sits on the Eurasian Plate, which is the third largest tectonic plate behind the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. Numerous plate tectonic models have been proposed for Russia and the Balkans, but there is no consensus among scholars: "In the 1980s, Russian mobilists started concentrating their efforts on as yet unsolved problems of plate tectonics. One of these was the question of 'plate tectonics manifestations' in the Precambrian, especially in the Early Precambrian. As is well known, opinions on this issue are still divided" (Khain & Ryabukhin, 2002, p. 190). Therefore, general consensus holds that Russia and the Balkans sit upon the Eurasian Plate, but whether this constitutes one plate or several plates in motion remains debated.

The topography of the region consists of the Eastern and Western Siberian Plains, the North Siberian Lowland, and the Kolyma Lowland. There is also the Central Siberian Plateau and the Lena Plateau. The Ural Mountains divide Asia from Europe and run through the middle of Russia. Mountains in the south and through the Balkans further delineate the boundaries of this region. The topography thus encompasses a wide range of features — from flatlands to mountains, with plateaus, deep lakes, long rivers, valleys, meadows, lowlands, and forests. Russia has a little bit of everything except wide deserts like the Sahara.

River Systems and Climate

The Volga River is the main river in Western Russia and serves as an important waterway for the country. However, there are many river systems throughout the domain, with rivers in the Siberian plains connecting to seas and converging with the Volga. In the Balkans, the Danube River links the Balkan states. These rivers are important for the regions as they connect to major seas: the Volga flows to the Caspian Sea, and the Danube flows to the Black Sea. Both carry important geostrategic significance. The Siberian rivers flow into the Arctic.

The climate of the Balkans is milder near the sea than the climate of Russia. Russia can get very cold in winter regardless of location, yet also very hot in summer in cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow. The weather fluctuates a great deal due to the jet stream. In the northern parts, however, the climate tends to be cold and frozen. The Balkan area differs considerably, especially in the coastal regions, which enjoy a Mediterranean climate, while further north temperatures are colder. Moldova, for instance, has a mild and sunny climate (Russian Domain, n.d.). Russia is situated further north still and is extremely cold in the Siberian peninsula.