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What is the length of the East European Plain. General characteristics of the Russian plain

The East European Plain occupies about 4 million km 2 in area, which is approximately 26% of the territory of Russia. In the north, east and south, its borders run along natural boundaries, in the west - along the state border. In the north, the plain is washed by the Barents and White Seas, in the south - by the Caspian, Black and Azov, in the west - by the Baltic Sea. The Ural Mountains border the plain from the east.

Large tectonic structures lie at the base of the plain - the Russian platform and the Scythian plate. In most of the territory, their foundation is deeply submerged under powerful strata of sedimentary rocks. different ages lying horizontally. Therefore, flat relief prevails on the platforms. In a number of places the foundation of the platform is raised. There are large hills in these areas.

The Dnieper Upland is located within the Ukrainian Shield. The relatively elevated plains of Karelia and the Kola Peninsula, as well as the low mountains of the Khibiny, correspond to the Baltic Shield. The uplifted foundation of the Voronezh anticlise serves as the core of the Central Russian Upland. The same rise in the basement is located at the base of the highlands of the High Trans-Volga region. A special case is the Volga Upland, where the foundation lies at great depths. Here, during the entire Mesozoic and Paleogene, the earth's crust sagged and thick strata of sedimentary rocks accumulated. Then, during the Neogene and Quaternary time, this area was uplifted. earth's crust, which led to the formation of the Volga Upland.

A number of large hills were formed as a result of repeated Quaternary glaciations, the accumulation of glacial material - moraine loams and sands. Such are the Valdai, Smolensk-Moscow, Klinsko-Dmitrovskaya, Northern Ridges hills.

Between the large hills are lowlands, in which the valleys of large rivers - the Dnieper, Don, Volga - were laid.

On the outskirts of the East European Plain, where the foundation of the platform is lowered very deeply, there are large lowlands - the Caspian, Black Sea, Pechora, etc. Sea advances have repeatedly occurred in these territories, including recently in the Quaternary, therefore they are blocked by heavy marine sediments and have a flat topography. The average height of the Russian Plain is about 170 m, some elevations reach 300-400 m or more.

On the territory of the East European Plain there are rich deposits of various minerals. Iron ores of the Kursk magnetic anomaly are connected with the foundation of the platform. The Kola Peninsula is especially rich in minerals, where there are significant reserves of iron, copper, nickel, aluminum ores, huge reserves of apatite. The sedimentary cover of the platform is associated with such minerals as oil shale, mined in the strata of the Ordovician and Silurian ages in the Baltic. Carbon deposits are associated with brown coal deposits of the Moscow region, Permian - bituminous coals of the Pechora basin, oil and gas of the Urals and the Volga region, salt and gypsum of the Cis-Urals. Phosphorites, chalk and manganese are mined in the sedimentary layers of the Mesozoic.

The East European Plain is located in temperate latitudes. It is open to the north and west and as a result is exposed to the air masses that form over the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Atlantic air masses bring a significant amount of precipitation to the East European Plain, so forests grow in most of its territory. The amount of precipitation decreases from 600-900 mm per year in the west to 300-200 mm in the south and southeast. As a result, in the south of the East European Plain there are dry steppes, and in the extreme southeast, in the Caspian lowland, there are semi-deserts and deserts. Atlantic air masses throughout the year have a moderating effect on the climate. Therefore, in the western regions of the plain it is much warmer than in the east. Average January temperatures drop from -4°C in the Kaliningrad region to -18°C in the Cis-Urals. As a result, winter isotherms in most of the plain (except for the extreme south) stretch almost meridionally, from north-northwest to south-southeast.

Arctic air in winter spreads over the entire territory of the East European Plain up to the extreme south. It brings with it dryness and coldness. In summer, the invasion of the Arctic air is accompanied by cold snaps and droughts. Alternate invasion of Atlantic and Arctic air masses causes instability weather phenomena and dissimilarity of seasons of different years.

Summer temperatures naturally increase from north to south: average temperatures in the north are +8...+10°С, in the south +24...+26°С, and the isotherms stretch almost in the latitudinal direction. In general, the climate in most of the East European Plain is temperate continental.

Unlike other large parts of Russia, the largest rivers of the East European Plain flow south. These are the Dnieper, Dniester, Southern Bug, Don, Volga, Kama, Vyatka, Ural. This allows their water to be used to irrigate the arid lands of the south. Large irrigation systems have been created in the North Caucasus, which use the water of the Volga, Don and local rivers. Extensive irrigation systems have been created on the lower Don, they also exist in the Volga region.

To the north, such high-water, but relatively short rivers as the Pechora, Northern Dvina, Onega carry their water, to the west - the Western Dvina, Neva and Neman.

The upper reaches and channels of many rivers are often located close to each other, which, in conditions of flat terrain, contributes to their connection by channels. These are the channels. Moscow, Volga-Baltic, Volga-Don, White Sea-Baltic. Thanks to canals, ships from Moscow can sail along rivers, lakes and reservoirs to the Caspian, Azov, Black, Baltic and White Seas. Therefore, Moscow is called the port of five seas.

In winter, all the rivers of the East European Plain freeze.. In the spring, when the snow melts, floods occur in most parts. Numerous reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations have been built on the rivers to retain and use spring water. The Volga and Dnieper turned into a cascade of reservoirs used both for electricity generation and for navigation, land irrigation, water supply to cities and industrial centers.

A characteristic feature of the East European Plain is a vivid manifestation latitudinal zonality . It is expressed more fully and more clearly than on other plains of the globe. It is no coincidence that the law of zoning, formulated by the famous Russian scientist Dokuchaev, was primarily based on his study of this very territory.

The flatness of the territory, the abundance of minerals, a relatively mild climate, sufficient rainfall, a variety of natural landscapes favorable for various industries Agriculture, - all this contributed to the intensive economic development of the East European Plain. In economic terms, this is the most important part of Russia. It is home to more than 50% of the country's population and hosts two thirds total cities and workers' settlements. Most of the largest rivers - the Volga, Dnieper, Don, Dniester, Western Dvina, Kama - are regulated and transformed into a cascade of reservoirs. Large areas of forests have been cut down and forest landscapes have turned into a combination of forests and fields.

Many forests are now secondary forests, where coniferous and broad-leaved species have been replaced by small-leaved species - birch, aspen. On the territory of the East European Plain there is half of the entire arable land of the country, about 40% of hayfields, 12% of pastures. Of all the large parts of the East European Plain, the most developed and changed by human activity.

THE EAST EUROPEAN PLAIN, Russian Plain, one of largest plains the globe, within which are the European part of Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova, as well as most of Ukraine, the western part of Poland and East End Kazakhstan. The length from west to east is about 2400 km, from north to south - 2500 km. The area is over 4 million km 2. In the north it is washed by the White and Barents Seas; in the west it borders on the Central European Plain (approximately along the valley of the Vistula River); in the southwest - with the mountains of Central Europe (Sudet and others) and the Carpathians; in the south it goes to the Black, Azov and Caspian seas, to the Crimean mountains and the Caucasus; in the southeast and east, it is bounded by the western foothills of the Urals and Mugodzhary. Some researchers include V.-E. R. the southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula and Karelia, others refer this territory to Fennoscandia, the nature of which differs sharply from the nature of the plain.

Relief and geological structure

V.-E. R. geostructurally corresponds in general to the Russian plate of the ancient East European platform, in the south - northern part of the young Scythian platform, in the northeast - southern part of the young Barents-Pechora platform .

Complex relief V.-E. R. characterized by small fluctuations in altitude (average height is about 170 m). highest heights are noted on the Podolsk (up to 471 m, Mount Kamula) and Bugulma-Belebeevskaya (up to 479 m) uplands, the smallest (about 27 m below sea level - the lowest point in Russia) is located on the Caspian lowland, on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

On V.-E. R. two geomorphological regions are distinguished: the northern moraine with glacial landforms and the southern extra-morainic with erosion landforms. The northern moraine region is characterized by lowlands and plains (Baltic, Upper Volga, Meshcherskaya, etc.), as well as small uplands (Vepsovskaya, Zhemaitskaya, Khaanya, etc.). To the east is the Timan Ridge. The far north is occupied by vast coastal lowlands (Pechora and others). There are also a number of large uplands - the tundra, among them - the Lovozero tundra, etc.

In the northwest, in the area of the Valdai glaciation, accumulative glacial relief prevails: hilly and ridge-moraine, depression with flat lacustrine-glacial and outwash plains. There are many swamps and lakes (Chudsko-Pskovskoye, Ilmen, Upper Volga lakes, Beloe, etc.), the so-called lake area. To the south and east, in the area of distribution of the more ancient Moscow glaciation, smoothed undulating secondary moraine plains, reworked by erosion, are characteristic; there are basins of lowered lakes. Moraine-erosion uplands and ridges (Belarusian Ridge, Smolensk-Moscow Upland, and others) alternate with moraine, outwash, lacustrine-glacial, and alluvial lowlands and plains (Mologo-Sheksninskaya, Upper Volga, and others). Developed in places karst forms relief (White Sea-Kuloi plateau, etc.). Ravines and gullies are more common, as well as river valleys with asymmetric slopes. Along the southern border of the Moscow glaciation, woodlands (Polesskaya lowland, etc.) and opolye (Vladimirskoye, Yuryevskoye, etc.) are typical.

In the north, insular permafrost is widespread in the tundra, in the extreme northeast - continuous permafrost up to 500 m thick and with temperatures from -2 to -4 °C. To the south, in the forest-tundra, the thickness of permafrost decreases, its temperature rises to 0 °C. Permafrost degradation, thermal abrasion on sea coasts with destruction and retreat of coasts up to 3 m per year is noted.

For the southern extra-morainic region V.-E. R. characterized by large uplands with an erosional ravine-gully relief (Volynskaya, Podolskaya, Pridneprovskaya, Azovskaya, Central Russian, Volga, Ergeni, Bugulminsko-Belebeevskaya, General Syrt, etc.) and outwash, alluvial accumulative lowlands and plains belonging to the area of the Dnieper and Don glaciation (Pridneprovskaya, Oksko-Donskaya, etc.). Wide asymmetric terraced river valleys are characteristic. In the southwest (the Black Sea and Dnieper lowlands, the Volyn and Podolsk uplands, etc.) there are flat watersheds with shallow steppe depressions, the so-called "saucers", formed due to the widespread development of loess and loess-like loams. In the northeast (High Trans-Volga, General Syrt, etc.), where there are no loess-like deposits and bedrocks come to the surface, the watersheds are complicated by terraces, and the peaks are weathered remnants of bizarre shapes - shikhans. In the south and southeast, flat coastal accumulative lowlands are typical (Black Sea, Azov, Caspian).

Climate

Far North V.-E. The river, which is located in the subarctic zone, has a subarctic climate. Most of the plain, located in the temperate zone, is dominated by a temperate continental climate with the dominance of western air masses. As you move away from Atlantic Ocean to the east, the continentality of the climate increases, it becomes more severe and dry, and in the southeast, in the Caspian lowland, it becomes continental, with hot, dry summers and cold winters with little snow. The average January temperature ranges from -2 to -5 °C in the southwest and drops to -20 °C in the northeast. The average temperature in July increases from north to south from 6 to 23–24 °C and up to 25.5 °C in the southeast. The northern and central parts of the plain are characterized by excessive and sufficient moisture, the southern part - insufficient and meager, reaching arid. The most humid part of V.-E. R. (between 55–60°N) receives 700–800 mm of precipitation per year in the west and 600–700 mm in the east. Their number decreases to the north (up to 300–250 mm in the tundra) and to the south, but especially to the southeast (up to 200–150 mm in the semi-desert and desert). The maximum precipitation occurs in summer. In winter, snow cover (10–20 cm thick) lies from 60 days a year in the south to 220 days (60–70 cm thick) in the northeast. In the forest-steppe and steppe, frosts are frequent, droughts and dry winds are characteristic; in the semi-desert and desert - dust storms.

Inland waters

Most of the rivers V.-E. R. belongs to the basins of the Atlantic and North. Arctic Oceans. The Neva, Daugava (Western Dvina), Vistula, Neman, etc. flow into the Baltic Sea; the Dnieper, Dniester, Southern Bug carry their waters to the Black Sea; in the Sea of Azov - Don, Kuban, etc. The Pechora flows into the Barents Sea; to the White Sea - Mezen, Northern Dvina, Onega, etc. The Volga, the largest river in Europe, as well as the Urals, Emba, Bolshoi Uzen, Maly Uzen, etc. belong to the basin of internal flow, mainly the Caspian Sea. spring flood. In the southwest of the E.-E.r. rivers do not freeze every year; in the northeast, freeze-up lasts up to 8 months. The long-term runoff modulus decreases from 10–12 l/s per km2 in the north to 0.1 l/s per km2 or less in the southeast. The hydrographic network has undergone strong anthropogenic changes: a system of canals (Volga-Baltic, White Sea-Baltic, etc.) connects all the seas washing the East-E. R. The flow of many rivers, especially those flowing south, is regulated. Significant sections of the Volga, Kama, Dnieper, Dniester, and others have been transformed into cascades of large reservoirs (Rybinsk, Kuibyshev, Tsimlyansk, Kremenchug, Kakhovskoe, and others).

There are numerous lakes of various genesis: glacial-tectonic - Ladoga (area with islands 18.3 thousand km 2) and Onega (area 9.7 thousand km 2) - the largest in Europe; morainic - Chudsko-Pskovskoye, Ilmen, Beloe, etc., estuary (Chizhinsky floods, etc.), karst (Okonskoe Vent in Polissya, etc.), thermokarst in the north and suffusion in the south of V.-E. R. Salt tectonics played a role in the formation of salt lakes (Baskunchak, Elton, Aralsor, Inder), since some of them arose during the destruction of salt domes.

natural landscapes

V.-E. R. - classic pattern territories with clearly defined latitudinal and sublatitudinal zonality of natural landscapes. Almost the entire plain is located in the temperate geographical zone, and only the northern part is in the subarctic zone. In the north, where permafrost is common, small areas with expansion to the east are occupied by the tundra zone: typical moss-lichen, grass-moss-shrub (lingonberries, blueberries, crowberries, etc.) and southern shrubs (dwarf birch, willow) on tundra- gley and bog soils, as well as on dwarf illuvial-humus podzols (on sands). These are landscapes that are uncomfortable for living and have a low ability to recover. To the south, a forest-tundra zone with undersized birch and spruce sparse forests stretches in a narrow strip, in the east - with larch. This is a pasture zone with technogenic and field landscapes around rare cities. About 50% of the territory of the plain is occupied by forests. Zone of dark coniferous (mainly spruce, and in the east - with the participation of fir and larch) European taiga, swampy in places (from 6% in the southern to 9.5% in the northern taiga), on gley-podzolic (in the northern taiga), podzolic soils and the podzols are expanding towards the east. To the south there is a subzone of mixed coniferous-broad-leaved (oak, spruce, pine) forests on soddy-podzolic soils, which extends most widely in the western part. Pine forests on podzols are developed along the river valleys. To the west, off the coast Baltic Sea to the foothills of the Carpathians, a subzone of broad-leaved (oak, linden, ash, maple, hornbeam) forests stretches on gray forest soils; forests wedged out to the Volga valley and have an insular distribution in the east. The subzone is represented by forest-field-meadow natural landscapes with a forest cover of only 28%. Primary forests are often replaced by secondary birch and aspen forests, which occupy 50–70% of the forest area. The natural landscapes of the opal areas are peculiar - with plowed flat areas, remnants oak forests and a ravine-beam network along the slopes, as well as woodlands - swampy lowlands with pine forests. From the northern part of Moldova to the Southern Urals, a forest-steppe zone stretches with oak forests (mostly cut down) on gray forest soils and rich forb-cereal meadow steppes (some sections are preserved in reserves) on black soil, which make up the main fund of arable land. The share of arable land in the forest-steppe zone is up to 80%. Southern part of V.-E. R. (except the southeast) is occupied by forb-feather grass steppes on ordinary chernozems, which are replaced to the south by dry fescue-feather grass steppes on dark chestnut soils. Most of the Caspian lowland is dominated by grass-wormwood semi-deserts on light chestnut and brown desert-steppe soils and wormwood-saltwort deserts on brown soils in combination with solonetzes and solonchaks.

Ecological situation

V.-E. R. has been mastered for a long time and significantly changed by man. Many natural landscapes are dominated by natural-anthropogenic complexes, especially in the steppe, forest-steppe, mixed and broad-leaved forests (up to 75%). Territory V.-E. R. highly urbanized. The most densely populated areas (up to 100 people/km 2) are the zones of mixed and broad-leaved forests of the Central region of V.-E. r., where territories with a relatively satisfactory or favorable ecological situation occupy only 15% of the area. Particularly tense environmental situation in major cities and industrial centers (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Cherepovets, Lipetsk, Voronezh, etc.). In Moscow, emissions in atmospheric air amounted (2014) to 996.8 thousand tons, or 19.3% of the emissions of the entire Central Federal District (5169.7 thousand tons), in the Moscow Region - 966.8 thousand tons (18.7%); V Lipetsk region emissions from stationary sources reached 330 thousand tons (21.2% of the district's emissions). In Moscow, 93.2% are emissions from road transport, of which carbon monoxide accounts for 80.7%. The largest amount of emissions from stationary sources was noted in the Komi Republic (707.0 thousand tons). Decreasing (2014) is the proportion of residents (up to 3%) living in cities with high and very high level pollution. In 2013, Moscow, Dzerzhinsk, Ivanovo were excluded from the priority list of the most polluted cities of the Russian Federation. The centers of pollution are typical for large industrial centers, especially for Dzerzhinsk, Vorkuta, Nizhny Novgorod and others. Oil products polluted (2014) soils in the city of Arzamas (2565 and 6730 mg/kg) of the Nizhny Novgorod region, in the city of Chapaevsk (1488 and 18034 mg/kg) Samara region, in the regions of Nizhny Novgorod (1282 and 14,000 mg/kg), Samara (1007 and 1815 mg/kg) and other cities. Spills of oil and oil products as a result of accidents at the facilities of the oil and gas industry and main pipeline transport lead to a change in soil properties - an increase in pH to 7.7–8.2, salinization and the formation of technogenic solonchaks, and the appearance of microelement anomalies. In agricultural areas, soils are contaminated with pesticides, including banned DDT.

Numerous rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are heavily polluted (2014), especially in the center and south of East-East. r., including the rivers Moscow, Pakhra, Klyazma, Myshega (Aleksin), Volga, etc., mainly within the cities and downstream. Fence fresh water(2014) in the Central federal district amounted to 10,583.62 million m 3; the volume of domestic water consumption is the largest in the Moscow region (76.56 m 3 / person) and in Moscow (69.27 m 3 / person), discharge of polluted Wastewater also maximum in these subjects - 1121.91 million m 3 and 862.86 million m 3 respectively. The share of polluted wastewater in the total volume of discharges is 40–80%. The discharge of polluted waters in St. Petersburg reached 1054.14 million m 3 or 91.5% of the total volume of discharges. There is a shortage of fresh water, especially in the southern regions of V.-E. R. The problem of waste disposal is acute. In 2014, 150.3 million tons of waste were collected in the Belgorod Region - the largest in the Central Federal District, as well as disposed waste - 107.511 million tons. Leningrad region over 630 quarries with an area of more than 1 hectare. Large quarries remain in the Lipetsk and Kursk regions. The main areas of logging and timber processing industries are located in the taiga, which are powerful pollutants. natural environment. There are clear cuttings and over-cutting, littering of forests. The share of small-leaved species is growing, including in the place of former arable lands and hay meadows, as well as spruce forests, which are less resistant to pests and windblows. The number of fires has increased, in 2010 more than 500 thousand hectares of land burned. Secondary swamping of territories is noted. The number and biodiversity of the animal world is declining, including as a result of poaching. In 2014, 228 ungulates were poached in the Central Federal District alone.

For agricultural lands, especially in the southern regions, soil degradation processes are typical. The annual washout of soils in the steppe and forest-steppe is up to 6 t/ha, in some places 30 t/ha; the average annual loss of humus in soils is 0.5–1 t/ha. Up to 50–60% of the lands are prone to erosion, the density of the ravine network reaches 1–2.0 km/km2. The processes of siltation and eutrophication of water bodies are growing, and the shallowing of small rivers continues. Secondary salinization and flooding of soils is noted.

Specially protected natural areas

Numerous nature reserves, national parks and reserves have been created to study and protect typical and rare natural landscapes. In the European part of Russia there are (2016) 32 reserves and 23 national parks, including 10 biosphere reserves (Voronezh, Prioksko-Terrasny, Central Forest, etc.). Among the oldest reserves: Astrakhan Nature Reserve(1919), Askania-Nova (1921, Ukraine), Belovezhskaya Pushcha(1939, Belarus). Among the largest reserves is the Nenets Reserve (313.4 thousand km 2), and among the national parks - the Vodlozersky National Park (4683.4 km 2). Native taiga plots "Virgin Komi Forests" and Belovezhskaya Pushcha are on the list world heritage. There are many nature reserves: federal (Tarusa, Kamennaya steppe, Mshinsky swamp) and regional ones, as well as natural monuments (Irgiz floodplain, Rachey taiga, etc.). Natural parks have been created (Gagarinsky, Eltonsky, etc.). The share of protected areas in different subjects varies from 15.2% in the Tver region to 2.3% in the Rostov region.

The article contains information that gives a complete picture of the East European Plain, its topography and minerals. Indicates the states that are located in this territory. Allows you to accurately determine geographical position plains and points to the factors that influenced climatic features.

The East European Plain

The East European Plain is one of the largest territorial units on the planet. Its area exceeds 4 million km. sq.

On a flat plane, in whole or in part, there are such states as:

Russian Federation;
Finland;
Estonia;
Latvia;
Lithuania;
Republic of Belarus;
Poland;
Germany;
Ukraine;
Moldova;
Kazakhstan.

Rice. 1. East European Plain on the map.

The type of geological structure of the platform was formed under the influence of shields and folded belts.

It occupies the second position in the ranking of magnitudes after the Amazonian plain. The plain is localized in the eastern part of Europe. Due to the fact that its main part is localized within the borders of Russia, the East European Plain is also called Russian. The Russian plain is washed by the waters of the seas:

Minerals of the East European Plain

There is a significant accumulation of Russian minerals here.

Natural resources that lie in the bowels of the East European Plain:

iron ore;
coal;
Uranus;
non-ferrous metal ores;
oil;

Monuments of nature - a protected area in which there are unique objects of animate or inanimate nature.

The main monuments of the East European Plain: Lake Seliger, Kivach Waterfall, Kizhi Museum-Reserve.

Rice. 3. Kizhi Museum-Reserve on the map.

A large part of the territory is reserved for agricultural land. Russian regions on the territory of the plain are actively using its potential and exploiting water and land resources to the maximum. However, this is not always good. The territory is highly urbanized and significantly altered by man.

The level of pollution of the mass of rivers and lakes has reached a critical level. This is especially noticeable in the center and south of the plain.

Security measures are caused by uncontrolled human activities, which are today the main source of environmental problems.

The plain almost absolutely corresponds to the boundaries of the East European Platform.

This explains the flat shape of the relief. Small hill-like formations within the East European Plain arose as a result of faults and other processes of a tectonic nature. This suggests that the plain has a tectonic structure.

Glaciation contributed to the formation of the flat relief.

The water arteries of the plain are fed with snow, which occurs during the spring flood. Abundant northern rivers flow into the White, Barents, Baltic Seas, and occupy 37.5% of the entire area of the plain. Stock inland waters due to the seasonal nature of the distribution, which occurs relatively evenly. IN summer season rivers are not subject to rapid shallowing.

What have we learned?

We found out what is the total area of \u200b\u200bthe territory of the East European Plain. We learned in which areas the greatest water pollution as a result of human activities was noted. We learned what natural monuments are located on the territory of the plain. Get an idea of the zonality of soils.

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The East European Plain is part of the East European Platform. This is an ancient and stable block, bordering on the east, the platform is framed by the Urals. The tectonic structure of the East European Plain is such that in the south it is adjacent to the Mediterranean folded belt and the Scythian plate, which occupies the space of Ciscaucasia and Crimea. The border with it runs from the mouth of the Danube, along the Black and Azov Seas.

Tectonics

Older and harder Permian and Carboniferous limestones come to the surface on the banks of the Samarskaya Luka. Strong sandstones should also be distinguished among the deposits. The crystalline foundation of the Volga Upland is lowered to a great depth (about 800 meters).

The closer to the Oka-Don lowland, the more the surface decreases. The Volga slopes are steep and dissected by numerous ravines and gullies. Because of this, a very rugged terrain has formed here.

and the Oka-Don lowland

The common Syrt is another important part of the relief that distinguishes the East European Plain. Photos of this region on the border of Russia and Kazakhstan show an area of chernozem, chestnut soils and solonchaks, prevailing on watersheds and in river valleys. The general Syrt begins in the Trans-Volga region and extends for 500 kilometers to eastbound. It is mainly located in the interfluve of the Big Irgiz and the Small Irgiz, adjoining the Southern Urals in the east.

Between the Volga and Central Russian uplands is the Oka-Don lowland. Its northern part is also known as Meshchera. The northern boundary of the lowland is the Oka. In the south, its natural boundary is the Kalach Upland. An important part lowlands - Oksko-Tsninsky shaft. It stretches through Morshansk, Kasimov and Kovrov. In the north, the surface of the Oka-Don lowland was formed from glacial deposits, and in the south it is based on sands.

Valdai and Northern Uvaly

The vast East European Plain lies between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The basins of the rivers flowing into them begin on Her highest point- 346 meters. Valdai is located in the Smolensk, Tver and Novgorod regions. It is characterized by hilly, ridge and moraine relief. There are many swamps and lakes (including Seliger and Upper Volga lakes).

The northernmost part of the East European Plain is the Northern Ridges. They occupy the territory of the Republic of Komi, Kostroma, Kirov and Vologda regions. The upland, consisting of hills, gradually decreases in a northerly direction until it rests on the White and Barents Seas. Its maximum height is 293 meters. Northern Uvaly is the watershed of the Northern Dvina and Volga basins.

Black Sea lowland

In the southwest, the East European Plain ends with the Black Sea Lowland, located on the territory of Ukraine and Moldova. On the one hand, it is limited by the Danube Delta, and on the other, by the Kalminus River of Azov. The Black Sea lowland consists of Neogene and Paleogene deposits (clays, sands and limestones). They are covered with loams and loess.

The lowland is crossed by the valleys of several rivers: the Dniester, the Southern Bug and the Dnieper. Their banks are characterized by steepness and frequent landslides. There are many estuaries on the sea coast (Dniester, Dnieper, etc.). Another recognizable feature is the abundance of sandbars. The steppe landscape with dark chestnut and chernozem soils prevails in the Black Sea Lowland. This is the richest agricultural granary.

The East European Plain is second in size only to the Amazonian Plain, located in South America. The second largest plain of our planet is located on the continent of Eurasia. Most of it is located in the eastern part of the mainland, the smaller one is in the western part. Since the geographic location of the East European Plain is mainly in Russia, it is often called the Russian Plain.

East European Plain: its boundaries and location

From north to south, the plain has a length of more than 2.5 thousand kilometers, and from east to west, 1 thousand kilometers. Its flat relief is explained by almost complete coincidence with the East European platform. And, therefore, large natural phenomena do not threaten her, small earthquakes and flooding are possible. In the northwest, the plain ends with the Scandinavian mountains, in the southwest - with the Carpathians, in the south - with the Caucasus, in the east - with the Mugodzhary and the Urals. Its highest part is located in the Khibiny (1190m), the lowest is located on the Caspian coast (28 m below sea level). Most of the plain is located in the forest zone, the southern and central parts are forest-steppes and steppes. The extreme south and eastern part is covered with desert and semi-desert.

East European Plain: its rivers and lakes

Onega, Pechora, Mezen, Northern Dvina are large rivers of the northern part that belong to the Arctic Ocean. The Baltic Sea basin includes such large rivers as the Western Dvina, Neman, Vistula. The Dniester, the Southern Bug, the Dnieper flow to the Black Sea. The Volga and the Urals belong to the Caspian Sea basin. TO Sea of Azov the Don strives its waters. In addition to large rivers, there are several large lakes on the Russian Plain: Ladoga, Beloe, Onega, Ilmen, Chudskoye.

East European Plain: wildlife

Animals of the forest group, arctic and steppe live on the Russian Plain. Forest representatives of the fauna are more common. These are lemmings, chipmunks, ground squirrels and marmots, antelopes, martens and forest cats, minks, black polecat and wild boar, garden, hazel and forest dormouse and so on. Unfortunately, man has caused significant damage to the fauna of the plain. Even before the 19th century, the tarpan (wild forest horse) lived in mixed forests. Today in Belovezhskaya Pushcha they try to save bison. There is a steppe reserve Askania-Nova, in which animals of Asia, Africa and Australia settled. And the Voronezh Reserve successfully protects beavers. Moose and wild boars, which had previously been completely exterminated, reappeared in this area.

Minerals of the East European Plain

The Russian Plain contains many mineral resources that have great importance not only for our country, but also for the rest of the world. First of all, these are the Pechora coal basin, the Kursk deposits of magnetic ore, nepheline and apathetic ores on the Kola Peninsula, the Volga-Ural and Yaroslavl oil, brown coal in the Moscow region. No less important are the aluminum ores of Tikhvin and the brown iron ore of Lipetsk. Limestone, sand, clay and gravel are distributed almost throughout the plain. Salt is mined in the Elton and Baskunchak lakes, and potash salt is mined in the Kama Cis-Urals. In addition to all this, gas is being produced (the area of the Azov coast).

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