The first of the three maps above shows that the current western border of Russia coincides with the base of the European Peninsula.
Siberia looms large on a map, but most of it is minimally populated and of little value strategically. The primary focus and vulnerability of Russia is in the west… with a secondary interest in the Caucasus. These three maps show a basic internal pattern for Russia. Again, the focus is the west and south-only two rail lines link European Russia to Russia’s Pacific maritime region, and most of Siberia is outside the range of transport. Observe how it is oriented toward the west and the former Soviet republics. Rail transportation remains critical to Russia. The importance of the western and southern regions can also be seen in the country’s transportation structure. As with population, Russia’s west and south are its most vital and productive agricultural areas. Northern Russia’s climate cannot sustain extensive agriculture, which makes the Russian frontier with Ukraine and the Russian frontier in the Caucasus and Central Asia vital. The heartland of Russian agriculture is to the southwest. Russia’s population clusters along its western border with Europe and its southern border with the Caucasus (the area between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea to the south). We can see the Russian reality most clearly from the next three maps. The Western Border is Critical to Russia’s Infrastructure It also reveals why Russia is, for all intents and purposes, a landlocked country.Ī country’s access to the sea can greatly influence its economic and political strength. This demonstrates the vulnerability Russia faces due to its lack of access to oceans and waterways. The third is the long Arctic Ocean route, starting from Murmansk and then extending through the gaps between Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom.ĭuring the Cold War, air bases in Norway, Scotland, and Iceland, coupled with carrier battle groups, worked to deny Russia access to the sea.
Petersburg, where ships can sail through Danish waters, but this passageway can also be easily blocked. One is through the Black Sea and the Bosporus, a narrow waterway controlled by Turkey that can easily be closed to Russia.Īnother is from St. What access it does have is blocked by other countries, which can be seen through the map below.Įuropean Russia has three potential points from which to access global maritime trade. Russia’s access to the world’s oceans, aside from the Arctic, is also limited. Europe Controls Russia’s Access to the Oceans
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