Which region is the vast, cold, dry region of eastern Russia?

• A. Siberia
• B. Central Asia
• C. The Caucasus
• D. Ural Mountains

Answer: (A)

Regional climates in Russia vary greatly, and this item points to the eastern, expansive area known for its extreme cold and a dry, continental pattern. That region is Siberia. It stretches across a huge part of northern and eastern Russia, where winters are long and brutally cold and summers are brief. Because it lies far from oceans and seas, its climate tends to be dry in many inland areas, with large temperature swings and vast stretches of land that experience snow and permafrost.

Think of how Central Asia lies farther to the south and west, with deserts and steppe in drier conditions; the Caucasus is in the southwest and is heavily influenced by mountains and more precipitation; the Ural Mountains are a major range that marks the boundary between European and Asian Russia, not the vast eastern interior described. Siberia best fits the description of a vast, cold, dry region in eastern Russia.