Articles in Economic Geography
The Siberian Curse: Whence Siberia?—part 2
As discussed in the preceding GeoCurrents post, Siberia is often considered too big and too cold; and as mentioned in an earlier GeoCurrents post, it is also too polluted. Such problems made Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy, the authors of The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold, quip that “Siberia has been a rich …
The Siberian Curse: Whence Siberia?
Due to its possession of Siberia, Russia has the distinction of being both the world’s largest country by area and, by some measures, the coldest country. While Russia has for centuries been proud of its vast expanse and its frigid winters, some analysts both in Russia and abroad now see these two attributes as liabilities rather than assets. Whether Russia …
Sakha (Yakutia) Since the Fall of the Soviet Union
The past several GeoCurrents posts have examined the history of the Russian Republic of Sakha, formerly and informally referred to as Yakutia. We have focused on Sakha due both to the region’s intrinsic interest and to the fact that it is one of the most widely ignored sections of the Earth’s surface. Today’s post concludes this series within a series …
Spanish-Argentinean Fishing Disputes
Tensions between Spain and Argentina have recently mounted. Last fall, Spain began to complain that its fishing fleets operating around the Falkland/Malvinas islands were being harassed by the Argentine Navy, despite having licenses from the Falkland Islands government—a government that Argentina does not recognize. More recently, Argentina nationalized the oil company YPF, a subsidiary of the Spanish company Repsol, angering both Spanish investors and European Union officials and provoking reprisals.
Introduction to Yakutia (Sakha)—and Russia’s Grandiose Plans for the Region
Yakutia, officially the Sakha Republic of the Russian Federation, is a land of extremes. To begin with, it is by far the world’s largest “stateoid,” or political unit below the level of the sovereign state, covering 3,103,200 square kilometers (1,198,000 square miles), as opposed to second-place Western Australia’s 2,527,621 square kilometers (975,919 square miles). More than twice the size of …
Political Prisoners of Siberia, part 2: The Gulag Legacy
Siberia was widely used as place of exile and imprisonment by the Tsarist government of Russia from the late 1600s until the end of the regime. Once the Bolsheviks seized power in 1917, they quickly replaced the tsarist katorga (penal servitude) system with the one of their own, which has become known as the Gulag Archipelago
Pollution Levels in Norilsk Will Be Brought Down to European Levels in Four Years, or Will They?
As GeoCurrents has reported recently, Norilsk is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Norilsk Nickel is now set to implement a massive project designed to bring the sulfur dioxide emissions to acceptable levels.
Pollution Problems in Norilsk
The city of Norilsk in the north-central part of the region, has been deemed the most polluted place in Russia for 19 years running. By some measures, Norilsk may be the most environmentally degraded city in the world.
Environmental Concerns over Logging and Timber Processing in the Russian Far East
The Russian government has been implementing a series of economic measures – including a gradual increase in export duties on round-wood and direct subsidies for timber processing capabilities in Russia – the goal of which is to shift timber exports from unprocessed to processed wood. But what is the environmental impact of such measures?
Concerns over Timber Processing in the Russian Far East
Siberia has a wealth of forest resources, which if handled properly, could be a major renewable strategic resource. But are Siberia’s forests handled properly?
Terranova: The Black Petaltail - A Novel
Diversity Amid Globalization: World Regions, Environment, Development (5th Edition)
Globalization and Diversity: Geography of a Changing World (3rd Edition)
