What is a plateau in geography? The largest plains in the world: where are they located? Ecological Dictionary What is Plateau, what does it mean and how to spell it correctly

PLATEAU PLATEAU (French plateau, from plat - flat), 1) on land - an elevated plain limited by cliffs or ledges (for example, Loess plateau in China, Ustyurt in Central Asia); often included in plateaus and highlands. 2) Underwater plateaus - elevations of the seabed with a leveled surface, limited by steep slopes.

Modern encyclopedia. 2000 .

Synonyms:

See what "PLATO" is in other dictionaries:

    Roraima This term has other meanings, see Plateau (meanings). Pl... Wikipedia

    plateau- uncl., cf. plateau m. united, military What is a plateau, that is, flat bottoms, bushings or plugs. 1733. Art. S R. 1 44. Wed. How to load his firecrackers and place them on the madrilla board, that is, his flat bottom. 1733. Art. S.R. 1 45. 1. outdated... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

    1) on land - an elevated flat or slightly undulating plain, bounded on all sides or partially by steep slopes and ledges that separate it from the surrounding low areas. A plateau is formed on horizontally lying or gently inclined... ... Geographical encyclopedia

    - (French platean, from plat even). 1) flat circles, or quadrangles, which are placed on tables under lamps, candlesticks, etc. 2) flat hill, plateau. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

    Plateau- Plateau. Khunzakh plateau in Dagestan. PLATEAU (French plateau, from plat flat), 1) on land, an elevated plain limited by cliffs or ledges (for example, the Loess Plateau in China, Ustyurt in Central Asia); often included in plateaus and... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

    PLATEAU, a completely flat, elevated PLAIN, limited by clearly defined ledges. Mountains may rise above the general level of the plateau, or it may be carved by deep river valleys or canyons, thereby forming a dissected plateau.… … Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

    Unchanged; Wed [French plateau] Elevated plain, limited by clearly defined ledges, steep slopes. High p. Descend from p. * * * plateau (French plateau, from plat flat), an elevated plain limited by clearly defined ledges... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

    Upland, plateau, tray, kyr, puna, karru, plain, veld Dictionary of Russian synonyms. plateau see plateau Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova ... Synonym dictionary

    plateau- Category. Stage of motor skill formation. Specificity. The interval on the exercise curve, represented by indicators of success in developing a skill, in which it is parallel to the x-axis, which represents the time to develop the skill. Effect… … Great psychological encyclopedia

    The interval on the exercise curve, represented by indicators of success in developing a skill, in which it is parallel to the x-axis, which represents the time to develop the skill. The plateau effect indicates the achievement of a certain degree... ... Psychological Dictionary

Ancient civilizations

Where is the Nazca Plateau?

A plateau means a plain located on a hill. This area, as a rule, has a flat or undulating, slightly dissected topography. It is separated from other flat areas by distinct ledges. The Nazca Plain is just such a plateau. This natural formation is located in the southern part of Peru, 450 km southeast of Lima, the capital of the country. It's almost coastal zone: The distance to the endless waters of the Pacific Ocean is no more than 80 km.

Nazca Plateau ( Bottom part photographs) and the surrounding area

Plateau coordinates: 14° 45′ south latitude and 75° 05′ west longitude. Its shape is elongated. From north to south the length reaches 50 km, from west to east it ranges from 5 to 7 km. The area is sparsely populated with a dry climate.

Winter lasts from June to September (in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons do not coincide with the Northern Hemisphere). The temperature does not drop below 16° Celsius. In summer, the temperature remains stable at 25° Celsius. Rains, despite the fact that the ocean is nearby, are very rare. There are also no winds, since there are mountains around. There are no rivers or streams on the Nazca Plateau. Only dry riverbeds are available.

An integral part of this region is the city of Nazca. It was founded by the Spaniards in 1591. In 1996 the city was completely destroyed strong earthquake. But, fortunately, there were few casualties, since the tremors began at noon. Only 17 people died. But 100 thousand were left homeless. Over the next 12 years, the city was completely rebuilt. Multi-storey buildings were erected, and a beautiful boulevard was laid out in the center.

But this area is notable not for the city that has risen from the ruins, but for the mysterious lines and drawings applied to the earth’s surface by skillful by human hands. However, this statement is highly questionable. There is a strong opinion that the lines and stripes were not drawn by people at all, but by representatives of alien intelligence.

Nazca Lines

In total, there are about 13 thousand lines and stripes on the plateau. People of science call them geoglyphs(a geometric figure made in the ground and having a length of at least 4 meters). In this case, geoglyphs are shallow, long, grooves of varying widths dug in the soil - a mixture of sand and pebbles. Shallow ones are from 15 to 30 cm. But the length of individual lines reaches 10 km. The width is also amazing. In some cases it reaches 150-200 meters.

Nazca Lines

In addition to lines there are various figures, well known from geometry. These are triangles and quadrilaterals. The latter are trapezoids, since they have only two parallel sides. There are about 700 such creations. There are also figures that resemble animals. These are monkeys, birds, killer whales, llamas. Other figures depict fish, spiders, lizards and sharks. There are not many of them - less than forty.

Images of some figures

The figures are striking in their enormous size, but to understand them true purpose people can't. The answer may lie in the depths of the plain. So, we should start excavating and find out everything. But the point is that archaeological excavations on the Nazca plateau are prohibited, as it has the status of a sacred zone.

The sacred is not sacred, but human curiosity has never stopped at anything. The first person suffering from such a common “vice” ended up in these inhospitable lands in 1927. It was the Peruvian archaeologist Mejia Toribio Hesspe. He saw mysterious figures from the foothills surrounding the plateau.

Caliber image

In 1930, anthropologists flew over a mysterious piece of land on an airplane. They also became convinced of the presence of strange formations. But people began to closely study such unique creations only in 1946. But this was not a targeted government program with good funding, but individual expeditions of scientists and enthusiasts.

Shallow trenches were made by distant ancestors or alien entities by removing the surface red-brown soil layer rich in iron oxide.

Ecological Dictionary → What is Plateau, what does it mean and how to spell it correctly

It's mostly fine gravel. Beneath it there is light-colored soil. The result was lines that stood out in contrast on the surface of the earth.

This is what the trenches look like against the general background

Light soil is rich high content lime On outdoors it hardens and forms virtually indestructible protective layer, perfectly prevents erosion. That is why the mysterious lines have been preserved in their pristine beauty for thousands of years. This was also facilitated by the lack of winds, precipitation and stable temperatures. If the climate had been different, these creations would have disappeared from the face of the earth many centuries ago.

However, they remained and puzzled modern humanity a number of questions for which there are practically no answers. True, official science, which has long been formed, claims that all these geoglyphs were created during the Nazca civilization. It existed in these places from 300 BC. until 800. This is a period of time of 1100 years. The civilization had a very advanced culture, especially in the period from 100 AD. She borrowed a lot from more ancient civilization Paracas.

The Nazca civilization disappeared into oblivion at the end of the 8th century. This was allegedly caused by floods. They flooded and destroyed farmland. Some people died, and the rest were forced to leave the ill-fated places. A few centuries later the Incas settled the land. But this was a completely different people and a different culture.

Well, let the ancient people create mysterious creations on the earth’s surface, but why were they needed, and most importantly, how could people make trenches that are kilometers long on rough terrain? Even using modern geodetic methods, it is impossible to draw a perfect straight line along the ground, say 8 kilometers long.

Ancient people did it easily. Moreover, the trenches did not stretch along perfectly flat terrain. They crossed ravines and hills, but at the same time their geometric shapes remained the same, and the edges were strictly parallel. In addition to lines, unknown craftsmen also made various animal figures. From the air they look very natural, but here's how they were recreated on the ground.

For example, the same hummingbird bird has a length of 50 meters. The condor bird occupies a distance of 120 meters. And the spider, very similar to insects that live in the Amazon forests, is 46 meters long. The most remarkable thing is that you can see these masterpieces only by rising high into the air. From the nearby foothills the drawings are practically indistinguishable. They represent individual strokes and stripes, but not a complete picture that can be admired.

The ancient Nazca civilization did not have aircraft. Maybe these people did balloon and flew around the surrounding area on it. From it they could easily see complex drawings, but this is what they had practical significance and why they were created is a secret behind seven seals.

It is generally difficult for modern people to understand logic distant ancestors. They had a completely different mentality and a completely different way of thinking. It can be assumed that the drawings did not contain any practical component, but were made simply for the soul. Well, the man wanted to create something special, something that no one had done before. He made perfect lines and huge outlines of exotic animals. But in our practical age, such an explanation does not work. Everyone is scratching their heads and wondering why ancient people spent so much effort on mysterious creations. Which hidden meaning enclosed in them.

Versions and assumptions

There are many supporters of the so-called alien version. The wide geoglyphs on the plateau were nothing more than runways. Interstellar stars covered in galactic dust aircrafts sat on them, and then took off, getting lost in the cosmic abyss.

The version is good for everyone, but one thing is not clear: why did the spaceships not have vertical takeoff? Well, they accelerated down the runway like regular airplanes do these days. And this is when jet engines, capable of transporting a starship from one planet to another in a short period of time. Here you can speculate for a long time, argue and prove something.

Looks a lot like a runway

It is interesting that the figures of birds, spiders, and fish were made much earlier than the usual stripes and triangles. This is not a proven version, but only the assumption of individual researchers. The reason for this statement was that images of geometric shapes and lines in many places seem to be superimposed on complex drawings.

This suggests a conclusion: the drawings were made on the ground in two stages. At first, unknown masters made more complex shapes, and only then other people began to practice drawing straight lines and trapezoids. These later works did not require that highly qualified, which was needed, say, when depicting a huge spider.

Many scientists strongly object. They claim that all the drawings were made at the same time by the Nazca civilization. It is also quite possible that individual representatives ancient people had knowledge of astronomy.

Spider resembling the constellation Orion

The same Maria Reiche (1903-1998) - German mathematician and an archaeologist who has been studying mysterious lines for almost 50 years argued that the image of a huge spider is very reminiscent of a cluster of stars in the constellation Orion. Three straight lines lead to the figure. They served to track changes in the declinations of three easily distinguishable stars. These are Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka - Orion's belt.

But the American archaeologist Johan Reinhard (born 1946) believes: the lines and figures of animals were part of religious rituals. They were directly related to the worship of the gods. People asked the celestials for water to irrigate farmland. The lines were roads. They led to places of worship of almighty deities. The figures of animals, fish and insects personified living beings for whom existence without water was unthinkable.

Swiss historian Henri Sterlin put forward a very original hypothesis to the public. He stated that the mysterious formations were nothing more than a huge loom. In long and wide lines, people made pieces of ancient textiles of appropriate sizes. Textiles were already known to the Paracas civilization, as the mummies of the deceased were packed in it.

Today there are more than 30 various hypotheses, trying to explain the mysterious creations on the Nazca plateau. Any assumption deserves attention, no matter how incredible it may seem. From historical experience it follows that it is precisely the most fantastic and unrealistic version that, in the end, may turn out to be true.

While people are guessing and guessing, a serious problem looms over the plateau. ecological problem. Deforestation and pollution of the surrounding atmosphere are changing the stable climate of the unique plain for the worse. It rains more often and landslides occur. This poses a serious threat to the soil of the plateau, and therefore to the drawings made on it. Mysterious creations can sink into oblivion without revealing their secret.

So far, nothing has been done to save the geoglyphs. This requires drastic measures that could negatively affect the interests of many people. It is unlikely that the Peruvian government is able to solve such a problem. difficult questions. Therefore, we can only hope for the best, although it is difficult to believe in it.

The article was written by ridar-shakin

The largest plains in the world: where are they located?

What types of plains are there?

The large plains of the world are the object of study by specialists. The plains truly amaze with their beauty and grandeur. This is confirmed by everyone who has seen this kind of area not only on the map.

Few people know where the most large plains world, and which of the plains are the most extensive. Plain is a type of terrain characterized by slight fluctuations in elevation. All plains are divided into lowlands, plateaus and hills. The lowlands are located at a distance of up to 200 meters above the main sea level. The hills are located at a distance of over 500 meters above the main sea level. Everything between these levels is a plateau.

Amazonian lowland and Gobi plain

Geography teachers know that the largest and most majestic plain in the world is the Amazon Lowland. Its area is more than 5 million square kilometers. The plain rises 10-100 meters above the main sea level. The Amazonian lowland is located in South America and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the deepest river in the world - the Amazon. Almost the entire area of ​​the plain is occupied by wet equatorial forests. The second longest is the Gobi Plain, which bears the name of the desert of the same name.

The Gobi Plain is located in Central Asia. It is a plateau and is squeezed on all sides mountain ranges. On the territory of the Gobi there are both rocky surfaces and surfaces on which plants grow that can only be found in this corner of the globe. The local climate is quite harsh, since the plain is located at an altitude of approximately 1000 meters above sea level. Very large plains are located in the Sahara Desert. The Sahara is the largest desert on earth. Its area is about 8 million square kilometers, which is quite comparable to a continent such as Australia. The entire territory of the Sahara is made up of plains that are crossed by dry river beds.

East African plateau

The largest plain on the African continent is the East African Plateau.

What is the plateau effect?

Its length is more than 17,000 kilometers in length. The West Siberian Lowland also has a greater extent. It is a former basin of the Arctic Ocean. There are a lot of lakes and swamps on the plain. This is primarily due to its origin, as well as the fact that it is located at a distance of 10-12 meters above the main sea level. It is noteworthy that all the most famous oil and gas fields in Russia are located here. The East European Plain is also called “Russian”. It is located near the Ural Mountains. Its territory also contains rich mineral deposits.

Kursk magnetic anomaly

The largest deposit is the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly. Each continent can find its own plains, which will be the largest for a given continent. They all deserve some attention from the outside scientific researchers. Some of them attract thousands of tourists with their beauty, who want to see with their own eyes at least a small part of the majestic plain. That is why it is very popular to lay tourist routes through some plateaus.

The largest plains in the world evoke delight and admiration. Those who love to travel can be advised to choose a tourist route passing through one of these plains.

Russian and Siberian Plain

Most of the territory of the state, which is located on two platforms formed in the Precambrian period (Russian and Siberian), is occupied by plains.

Relief of the earth's surface or topographic relief

In the Russian Federation there are three flat areas - the Central Siberian Plateau, the West Siberian Plain and the East European Plain. The height of the plains does not reach 200 m above sea level, but within their boundaries there are also some hills, in particular: the Smolensk-Moscow, Central Russian, Volga uplands and the Timan Ridge. An interesting fact is that in the south of the Russian Federation, the plain abruptly turns into the Caucasus mountain system, which was formed in the modern cycle of Alpine mountain building.

East European and West Siberian Plain

The East European and West Osiberian plains are separated by the Ural Mountains, which stretch in the north-south direction for more than 2.5 thousand km. From the southeast, the West Siberian Plain is framed by the Altai mountain system.

The Central Siberian Plateau reaches an altitude of 500-700 m above sea level. In the south, this platform is adjacent to the ancient Baikal fold. The territory between the Lena coast and Chukotka is located on Mesozoic folding, which explains the presence of mountain formations here - the Verkhoyansk, Chersky, Kolyma Highlands.

The Pacific fold belt, which runs in the extreme northeast, includes the island of Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka. These islands are the peaks sea ​​mountains, which continue to grow to this day, as evidenced by intense earthquakes in this region.

The northwestern territory of Russia, between the White Sea and the border with Finland, is located on the Baltic crystalline shield. The relief here has its own characteristics - the presence of denudation hills, sea and lake plains. Low mountains in this area border swampy lowlands.

Mountain systems of Russia

In the south of the state there is the Greater Caucasus mountain system, which forms a natural border with Azerbaijan and Georgia. Mount Elbrus is the highest point in the Caucasus, its height reaches 5600 m. Caucasus Mountains are part of the Carpathians - Crimea - Pamir mountain belt.

In the south of Siberia there are the Altai Mountains (the highest point is Mount Belukha, 4500m). The Altai mountain system includes subparallel ridges that pass into the Sayan mountain system. The mountains that surround Lake Baikal are mostly low, but they continue to grow. The highest is the Daursky arch with a height of about 2500 m.

The oldest and longest, but at the same time low, mountains are the Urals, the average height of which is 400m. The highest point of the Ural mountain system is Mount Narodnaya, whose height is 1895 m.

The variety of relief forms determines the rich reserves of minerals in the Russian Federation. However, it should be noted that recently economic activity people causes enormous damage to the national relief.

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Geographical terms and concepts. Geographical definitions. Absolute altitude– vertical distance from sea level to a given point.a.v. points located above sea level are considered positive, below - negative.
Azimuth– the angle between the direction to the north and the direction to any object on the ground; calculated in degrees from 0 to 360° in a clockwise direction.

Iceberg- a large block of ice floating in the sea, lake or stranded.
Antarctic belt– descends from the South Pole to 70° S.
Anticyclone– region high blood pressure air in the atmosphere.

Area– the area of ​​distribution of any phenomenon or group of living organisms.
Arctic belt– descends from the North Pole to 70° N latitude.
Archipelago- a group of islands.
Atmosphereair envelope Earth.
Atollcoral island in the shape of a ring.
Beam- a dry valley in steppe and forest-steppe regions in the Russian Plain.
Barkhan- an accumulation of loose sand blown by the wind and not secured by vegetation.
Pool– an area of ​​depression that has no drainage on the surface.
Shore– a strip of land adjacent to a river, lake, sea; slope descending towards a water basin.
Biosphere- one of the shells of the Earth, includes all living organisms.
Breeze– local wind on the shores of seas, lakes and large rivers. Day breeze. (or sea) blows from the sea (lake) to land. Night breeze (or coastal) - from land to sea.
"Brocken Ghost"(along the Brocken mountain in the Harz massif, Germany) – special kind mirage seen on clouds or fog at sunrise or sunset.
Wind– air movement relative to the ground, usually horizontal, directed away from high pressure to low. The direction of the wind is determined by the side of the horizon from which it blows. Wind speed is determined in m/s, km/h, knots or approximately on the Beaufort scale.
Air humidity– content of water vapor.
Watershed– the boundary between drainage basins.
Elevation- an area elevated above the surrounding area.
Wavesoscillatory movements aquatic environment seas and oceans caused by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun (tidal waves), wind (wind waves), fluctuations in atmospheric pressure (anemobaric waves), underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (tsunamis).
Highlands– a set of mountain structures with steep slopes, pointed peaks and deep valleys; absolute altitudes over 3000 m. The highest mountain systems planets: Himalayas, Mount Everest (8848 m) is located in Asia; in Central Asia, India and China - Karakorum, peak Chogori (8611 m).
Altitudinal zone– shift natural areas in the mountains from the base to the top, associated with climate and soil changes depending on the height above sea level.
Geographical coordinatesangular values, defining the position of any point on globe relative to the equator and prime meridian.
Geospheres– shells of the Earth, differing in density and composition.
Hydrosphere- the water shell of the Earth.
Mountain- 1) an isolated sharp elevation among relatively flat terrain; 2) a peak in a mountainous country.
Mountains– vast territories with absolute heights of up to several thousand meters and sharp fluctuations in heights within their borders.
Mountain system– set mountain ranges and mountain ranges extending in one direction and having a common appearance.
Ridge– elongated, relatively low relief shape; formed by hills lined up in a row and merging at their bases.
Delta- an area where river sediment is deposited at the mouth of a river as it flows into the sea or lake.
Longitude geographical– the angle between the plane of the meridian passing through a given point and the plane of the prime meridian; measured in degrees and counted from the prime meridian to the east and west.
Valley– negative linearly elongated relief shape.
Dunes- accumulation of sand on the shores of seas, lakes and rivers, formed by the wind.
Bay- a part of the ocean (sea or lake) that extends quite deeply into the land, but has free water exchange with the main part of the reservoir.
The Earth's crust is the upper shell of the Earth.
Swell– a small, calm, uniform wave, disturbance of the sea, river or lake.
Ionosphere– high layers of the atmosphere, starting at an altitude of 50-60 km.
Source– the place where the river begins.
Canyon– a deep river valley with steep slopes and a narrow bottom. K. underwater - a deep valley within the underwater edge of the continent.
Karst– dissolution rocks natural waters and phenomena associated with it. Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a particular area. Local K., distributed over a relatively small area.
Climatic zone (or zone)- a vast region distinguished by climatic indicators.
Scythe- a sandy or pebble ridge stretching along the coast or protruding in the form of a cape far into the sea.
Crater- a depression created after a volcano explosion.
Ridge- a sharply rising large rise, one of the types of hills.
Avalanche- a mass of snow or ice falling down a steep slope.
Lagoon- a shallow bay or bay separated from the sea by a spit or coral reef.
Geographical landscape– type of terrain, a relatively homogeneous area of ​​the geographical envelope.
Glacier- a mass of ice moving slowly under the influence of gravity along a mountainside or valley. The Antarctic glacier is the largest on the planet, its area is 13 million 650 thousand km2, its maximum thickness exceeds 4.7 km, and the total volume of ice is about 25-27 million km3 - almost 90% of the volume of all ice on the planet.
glacial period- a period of time in the geological history of the Earth, characterized by a strong cooling of the climate.
Forest-steppe- a landscape in which forests and steppes alternate.
Forest-tundra- a landscape in which forests and tundra alternate.
Liman– shallow bay at the mouth of the river; usually separated from the sea by a spit or bar.
Lithosphere- one of the shells of the Earth.
Mantle- the shell of the Earth between the earth's crust and core.
Mainland- a large part of land surrounded on all sides by oceans and seas.
Australia– in the Southern Hemisphere, between the Indian and Pacific oceans (the smallest of the continents);
America North and South– in the Western Hemisphere, between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans;
Antarctica– in the central part of the South Polar Region (the southernmost and most high continent on the planet);
Africa– in the Southern Hemisphere (the second largest continent);
Eurasia– in the Northern Hemisphere (the most big continent Earth).
Meridians geographically e – imaginary circles passing through the poles and crossing the equator at right angles; all their points lie at the same geographical longitude.
World Ocean- All body of water Earth.
Monsoons are winds that periodically change their direction depending on the time of year: in winter they blow from land to sea, and in summer from sea to land.
Highlands– a mountainous country, characterized by a combination of mountain ranges and massifs and located high above sea level. Tibet- in Central Asia, the highest and greatest highland on Earth. Its base rests at absolute altitudes of 3500-5000 m or more. Some peaks rise up to 7000 m.
Lowlands– lower tier mountainous countries or independent mountain structures with absolute heights from 500 m to 1500 m. The most famous of them are the Ural Mountains, which stretch for 2000 km from north to south - from Kara Sea to the steppes of Kazakhstan. The vast majority of the peaks of the Urals are below 1500 m.
Lowland– a plain that does not rise above 200 m above sea level. The most famous and significant among them is the Amazon Lowland with an area of ​​more than 5 million km2 in South America.
Lake- a natural body of water on the surface of the land. The largest lake in the world is the Caspian Sea-lake and the deepest is Lake Baikal.
Oceans- parts of the World Ocean, separated friend from each other by continents and islands. Atlantic; Indian - ocean of heated waters; The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest ocean; Pacific Ocean(Great), greatest and deepest ocean on the ground.
Landslide– downslope displacement of a mass of loose rock under the influence of gravity.
Island- a piece of land surrounded on all sides by the waters of the ocean, sea, lake or river. The largest island in the world is Greenland with an area of ​​2 million 176 thousand km2. Relative height is the vertical distance between the top of a mountain and its foot.
Geographical parallels– imaginary circles parallel to the equator, all points of which have the same latitude.
Greenhouse effect(atmospheric greenhouse effect) – protective effects of the atmosphere associated with the absorption of reflected long-wave radiation.
Trade winds– constant winds in tropical areas, blowing towards the equator.
Plateau — 1) high plain, limited by steep ledges; 2) a vast flat area on a mountain top.
Plateau underwater– an elevation of the seabed with a flat top and steep slopes.
Plyos– a deep (wide) section of the river bed between the rifts.
Plateau- a vast area of ​​land with an altitude from 300-500 m to 1000-2000 m or more above sea level with flat peaks and deeply incised valleys. For example: East African, Central Siberian, Vitim plateau.
Floodplain- part of a river valley that is flooded during high water.
Semi-desert- a transitional landscape that combines the features of a steppe or desert.
Earth's hemisphere- half of the earth’s sphere, allocated either along the equator or along the meridians of 160° east. and 20°W (Eastern and Western hemispheres), or according to other characteristics.
Geographic poles– points of intersection of the Earth’s rotation axis with the earth’s surface. Magnetic points of the Earth are points on the earth’s surface where the magnetic needle is located vertically, i.e. where a magnetic compass is not applicable for orientation by cardinal directions.
Arctic Circles(North and South) - parallels located 66° 33′ north and south of the equator.
Threshold– shallow area in the river bed with large slope and fast current.
Foothills– hills and low mountains surrounding the highlands.
Prairies- vast grassy steppes in the North. America.
Ebbs and flowsperiodic oscillations water levels of seas and oceans, which are caused by the attraction of the Moon and the Sun.
Deserts– vast spaces with almost no vegetation due to the dry and hot climate. The largest desert on the globe is the Sahara in the North. Africa.
Plains– vast flat or slightly hilly expanses of land. The largest on Earth is the Eastern European, or Russian, with an area of ​​more than 6 million km2 and the West Siberian in the north of Eurasia, with an area of ​​about 3 million km2.
River- constant water flow, flowing in the riverbed. Amazon is a river in the South. America, the largest in the world in length (more than 7,000 km from the source of the Ucayali River), in basin area (7,180 m2) and in water content; Mississippi - largest river North America, one of the greatest on Earth (length from the source of the Missouri River 6420 km); The Nile is a river in Africa (length 6671 km).
Relief– a set of various irregularities of the earth’s surface of various origins; are formed through a combination of impacts on the earth's surface by endogenous and exogenous processes.
Bed- the deepened part of the valley bottom occupied by a river.
Savannah- a tropical and subtropical landscape in which herbaceous vegetation is combined with individual trees or groups of trees.
North Pole- intersection point earth's axis with the surface of the Earth in the North. hemispheres.
Sel- a mud or mud-stone stream that suddenly passes through the valley of a mountain river.
Tornado (American name tornado) – vortex movement of air in the form of a funnel or column.
Srednegorye– mountain structures with absolute heights from 1500 to 3000 m. There are the most mountain structures of medium height on Earth. They are spread over vast areas of the south and northeast of Siberia. Almost all of them are occupied Far East, eastern China and the Indochina Peninsula; in northern Africa and the East African Plateau; Carpathians, mountains of the Balkan, Apennine, Iberian and Scandinavian peninsulas in Europe, etc.
Slope- an inclined area on land or seabed. Windward slope - facing the direction from which the prevailing winds blow. Leeward slope – facing the direction opposite to the direction of the prevailing winds.
Steppe– treeless spaces with an arid climate, characterized by herbaceous vegetation. In Eurasia, the steppes stretch in an almost continuous strip from the Black Sea to Northeast China, and in North America they occupy vast expanses of the Great Plains, joining the savannas of the tropical belt in the south.
Stratosphere– layer of the atmosphere.
Subtropical zones(subtropics) - located between tropical and temperate zones.
Subequatorial belts– located between equatorial belt and tropical zones.
Taiga– zone of temperate coniferous forests. The taiga covers the northern part of Eurasia and North America in an almost continuous belt.
Typhoon- the name of tropical cyclones of storm and hurricane force in Southeast Asia and the Far East.
Takyr- a flat depression in the desert, covered with a hardened clay crust.
Tectonic movements– movements of the earth’s crust that change its structure and shape.
Tropics- 1) imaginary parallel circles on the globe, spaced 23°30° north and south of the equator: Tropics of Capricorn (northern tropic) - tropics northern hemisphere and the Tropics of Cancer (Southern Tropic) - the tropics of the southern hemisphere; 2) natural zones.
Tropical zones– located between subtropical and subequatorial zones.
Troposphere– lower layer of the atmosphere.
Tundra– treeless landscape in the Arctic and Antarctic.
Temperate zones– located in temperate latitudes.
Temperate latitudes– located between 40° and 65° N. and between 42° and 58° S.
Hurricane– a storm with a wind speed of 30-50 m/s.
Estuary– the place where a river flows into a sea, lake or other river.
Atmospheric front- a zone separating warm and cold air masses.
Fiord (fjord)- a narrow, deep sea bay with rocky shores, which is a glacial valley flooded by the sea.
Hill– a small height and gently sloping hill.
Cyclones– area of ​​low atmospheric pressure.
TsunamiJapanese name huge waves resulting from underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Parts of the world– regions of the Earth, including continents (or parts thereof) with nearby islands. Australia, Asia, America, Antarctica, Africa, Europe.
Shelf– continental shelf with prevailing depths of up to 200 m (in some cases more).
Latitude geographical– the angle between the plumb line at a given point and the plane of the equator, measured in degrees and counted from the equator to the north and south.
Squall– a sharp short-term increase in wind before a storm.
Calm- calm, calm.
Storm– very strong wind, accompanied by strong excitement on the sea.
Equator- an imaginary line connecting points on the globe equidistant from the poles.
Exosphere– layer of the atmosphere.
Ecosphere- an area of ​​outer space suitable for the existence of living organisms.
Erosion– destruction of soils and rocks by flowing waters.
South Pole– the point of intersection of the earth’s axis with the earth’s surface in the Southern Hemisphere.
Earth's corecentral part planets with a radius of about 3470 km.

Economic and social geography

Enclave- part of the territory of one state, surrounded on all sides by the territory of other states and having no access to the sea.
Urban agglomeration- a group of closely located cities, united by close labor, cultural, social, and infrastructure ties into a complex system.
Trade balance- the difference between goods exported from the country (export of the country) and imported (import).
Population reproduction- a set of processes of fertility, mortality and natural increase that ensure the continuous renewal and change of human generations.
Geographical environment- part of the earth’s nature with which society interacts on at this stage historical development.
Geopolitics- dependence of the state’s foreign policy on geographic location and other physical and economic geographic factors.
Global Population Issues- a set of socio-demographic problems affecting the interests of all humanity, creating a threat to its present and future; United efforts of all states and peoples are needed to solve them.
Population policy- a system of administrative, economic, propaganda measures with the help of which the state influences natural population growth in the direction it desires.
Demographic revolution- transition from one type of population reproduction to another.
Demography- a spider about population, the patterns of its reproduction.
Natural population growth- the difference between the birth rate and death rate per 1000 inhabitants per year.
Immigration- entry into the country for permanent or temporary (usually long-term) residence of citizens of other countries.
Import- import of goods into the country from other countries.
Industrialization is the creation of large-scale machine production in all sectors of the economy, the transformation of the country from an agricultural to an industrial one.
International economic integration- the process of establishing deep and sustainable economic relations between countries, based on their implementation of coordinated interstate policies.
Intensive development path- increase in production volumes due to additional capital investments in existing production facilities.
Infrastructure- a set of structures, buildings, systems and services necessary for the normal functioning and provision of Everyday life population.
Conversion- transfer of military production to the production of civilian products.
Megalopolis (metropolis)- most large form resettlement that arose as a result of the fusion of several neighboring urban agglomerations.
Intersectoral complex- a group of industries that produce homogeneous products or have close technological connections.
Population migration- movement of the population across the territory associated with a change of place of residence.
National economy- interaction of people and means of production: means of labor and objects of labor.
Science intensity- the level of costs for research and development in the total costs of production.
Scientific and technological revolution (STR)- a radical qualitative revolution in the productive forces of society, based on the transformation of science into a direct productive force.
Nation- historical and social community of people formed in a certain territory in the process of development of social market relations industrial type and inter-district (international) division of labor.
Industry- a set of enterprises producing homogeneous products or providing homogeneous services.
Socio-economic region- the territory of a country, including several administrative units, differing from others in features historical development, geographical location, natural and labor resources, specialization of the economy.
Zoning- division of territory into districts according to a number of characteristics.
Regional policy- a set of legislative, administrative, economic and environmental measures that contribute to the rational distribution of production across the territory and equalization of people’s living standards.
Resource availability- the relationship between the amount of natural resources and the extent of their use.
Free economic zone- a territory with a profitable EGP, in which, in order to attract foreign capital, preferential tax and customs regimes and special pricing conditions are established.
Production specialization- production by enterprises of individual parts and assemblies, certain types of products, performance of one or more technological operations.
Territory specialization- concentration in the area of ​​production of certain products or certain services
Structure of the national economy- relationship between various areas and industries by product value, number of employees, or value of fixed production assets.
Suburbanization- the process of growth of suburban areas of cities, leading to an outflow of population and places of employment from their central parts.
Territorial division of labor- specialization of individual regions and countries in the production of certain types of products and services and their subsequent exchange.
Labor resources- part of the country's population capable of labor activity and having the necessary physical development, mental abilities and knowledge for work.
Urbanization- the process of urban growth and the spread of urban lifestyle to the entire network of populated areas.
Service- work aimed at meeting the needs of the individual consumer.
Economic-geographical location (EGP)- the position of an object in relation to others geographical objects which is of economic importance to him.
Economically active population- part of the country's population, a comma in the national economy, and the unemployed, actively looking for work and ready to work.
Export- export of goods to other countries.
Extensive development path- increase in production volumes due to quantitative growth of production units.
Emigration- departure of citizens from their country to another for permanent residence or for a long period.
Power system- a group of power plants connected by power lines and controlled from a single center.
Ethnos- a historically established stable community of people with a unique internal structure and original behavioral stereotype, defined in to a greater extent"native" landscape.

In an effort to lose weight, we go on a diet and start exercising. The first days and weeks of loss are very pleasing – the scales shock less and less. But after a few weeks, progress slows down. And after some time it stops altogether - we suddenly discover that there is a plateau effect. But there is no need to be afraid - this article examines the causes of the phenomenon and provides answers to the question of how to overcome stagnation.

What is the plateau effect when losing weight?

The plateau effect when losing weight is a phenomenon in which the scales either freeze in place or even indicate weight gain. At first, with a competent and purposeful approach, body weight decreases relatively quickly. Then the kilograms begin to melt away more and more slowly. It would seem that this is not a problem, but there comes a time when, with the same efforts - dietary and sports - all attempts to break through the ceiling seem unsuccessful. Worse yet, you intensify your attack on fat, but the weight begins to increase. Many people, faced with an unpleasant effect, become disappointed in diets and exercise, lose motivation and capitulate. Usually than more people motivated at the start, so more disappointment.

Giving up the fight is the wrong decision. There are ways to break through stagnation. When faced with a problem, you need to understand its causes and develop a strategy to get out of the stagnant situation. But the plateau also has a positive connotation. During periods of stagnation, the body records the achieved result. Thanks to the body's adaptation to certain conditions, after finishing the diet it is more difficult to gain excess weight again. It is only important to be able to adapt to such phenomena and get out of the situation to your advantage.

Causes

The plateau effect is a phenomenon that may be behind whole line reasons. Let's look at the main ones.

Water retention in tissues

The five kilograms lost are not just fat. The scale shows the weight of the entire body, including muscles, water, body fat, etc. Losing too quickly almost always means that you have lost a complex of components, in which fat is only one of the components.

Strict diets and enormous physical activity, which involve losing 0.5-1 kg daily, are ineffective in the long term. Normal losses are approximately 200 grams of fat per day. Everything above most likely comes from water.

If you are experiencing a plateau, it is likely that fluid is being retained in your body tissues. There are many situations in which prolonged water retention is possible. Sometimes, for a number of reasons, rapid weight gain occurs within 1-3 kg. This happens, again, due to the accumulation of fluid. The accumulation of water, for example, often accompanies the second phase of the menstrual cycle. Excessive consumption of salty foods can lead to retention of up to 1.5 liters of water per day. By increasing your daily salt intake by 10 g per day, you can suddenly gain a kilogram in weight.

Intense training sometimes leads to muscle swelling. The plan is to lose weight after active physical activity, but in fact the weight increases. All these are examples of an imaginary plateau. Dealing with this type of congestion can be relatively simple by eliminating factors that contribute to fluid retention.


Insufficient intake of fats and proteins

A balanced diet means that the diet consists of approximately:

  • 30-35% proteins;
  • 15-20% fat;
  • 45-55% carbohydrates.

Too noticeable departure from the specified ratio of components can negatively affect the condition of the body. As a result, instead of weight loss, there is stagnation. At first glance, to get rid of fat, you need to limit its consumption as much as possible. In fact, the body needs a certain percentage fat and responds to its deficiency by refusing to use up existing fat reserves. This way he insures himself against dangerous force majeure situations.

Overly strict diet

A similar reason is that when you reduce your caloric intake in the first days and weeks, your weight decreases and then freezes at one point. Eating too few calories affects your basal metabolism. Reacting to excessive stress, the body slows down metabolism, which determines the rate of weight loss.

Attempts to further reduce the calorie content of food will lead to even greater “belt tightening” by the body. The body will strive to save every calorie. Ultimately, inadequate diet and exercise will lead to metabolic failure. And this is already much worse than the established weight.


Functional restructuring

The fight against extra pounds can be hampered by the body's work to rebuild systems to basic level. If your weight loss process has stalled, it is possible:

  • the functioning of the cardiovascular system is normalized;
  • the musculoskeletal complex is reshaped;
  • skin tightens;
  • periarticular ligaments are tightened;
  • The position of the internal organs changes due to the burning of fat and freeing up space.

These processes are pursued the most important goal– protect your health. A slim figure is good, but sometimes, according to the body, losing weight can negatively affect the state of internal systems.

Until the fundamental restructuring is completed, it will be very difficult to achieve results. But this is not a reason to give up - on the contrary, you need to continue so as not to be thrown back starting position.

Monotonous training

You can encounter a plateau effect if you give your body the same load from week to week. By not changing the exercises, the number of approaches and repetitions, or increasing the intensity, you are hinting to the body that it can stop adapting to new conditions.

Energy surplus

Fat melts when the body lacks energy from the outside. With such a deficiency, the body is forced to open its own bins. And the first contender for the title of energy source is fat. Stagnation can occur if the amount of energy consumed becomes equal to the amount expended.


How long can the weight loss plateau effect last?

The duration of stagnation varies from 2-3 weeks to 1-2 months. The average duration of the effect is a couple of weeks. Sometimes the period may drag on and exceed the specified ceiling.

The duration depends on the cause of the phenomenon and on how competent the measures are to get out of the plateau. In some cases, it is enough to adjust your diet slightly to see changes. In others, you have to adapt to the body’s decision and wait much longer. In any case, there is a way out of the situation. The stupidest reaction to stagnation is to give up. By focusing your efforts on solving the problem, you will definitely get out of the deadlock sooner or later. Next - how to overcome the plateau effect.

How to overcome effectively?

The problem can be solved in two main ways - by changing your approach to training and working on your diet.

Workout

Let's consider several schemes that will help move the situation forward. But there is no need to act comprehensively. Excessive zeal is fraught with overtraining and will not solve the problem. Loads need to be adjusted gradually, with analysis of changes.

Ways to increase training intensity:

  1. Reduce rest between sets. Most women and men who come to the gym to lose weight and get in shape rest for too long - they might as well stay at home. If you are not a weightlifter or powerlifter, do not stretch the pause - recover for no longer than a minute. Girls who work with minimal weights need to rest even less.
  2. Increasing repetitions per set. There is no need to double the number - a small increase is enough to increase the intensity and impact of the training.
  3. Increasing weight on equipment. This is not about a strength approach to training, but about working in a high-repetition style. This regime also involves a gradual increase in weights - without progressive load, it will not be possible to demonstrate to the body the need for change.
  4. Changing exercises or training strategy in general. Monotony not only kills motivation, but also forces the body to quickly adapt to stress. Instead of banal “jock” techniques, try doing CrossFit or adding more cardio.
  5. Changing the frequency of training. If you've been training a couple times a week, try adding a third. But, if you already go to the gym 5 times a week, this option is not for you.
  6. Using advanced load forcing techniques. This may include negative repetitions, supersets, partner help, etc.
  7. Increasing approaches to exercises. Here you need to act more carefully than in the case of increasing the number of repetitions - even one additional approach may be enough to cause overtraining after some time. But by acting wisely and constantly analyzing the body's response, you can make progress in losing weight.

An example regarding the last point. Let's assume that girls are training their legs and buttocks. Then their changing program might look like this:

And so on, until in all exercises you reach fives or any other numbers that are one more than the original value.

Nutrition

If you suspect that the problems lie in poor nutrition, you can:

  • Reduce daily caloric intake. For example, if you consumed 1700 calories a day, reduce the figure to 1600. No more is needed - gradualness is also important here.
  • On the contrary, increase the number of calories. This will work if you have overdone your diet. At the same time, it is necessary to diversify the menu - focusing on the same type of food will not be a very wise decision.
  • Add fasting days using the swing effect. You can add a couple of specialized days to your regular diet - on one of them the calorie content increases, and on the other it decreases. This effect will help boost your metabolism and overcome stagnation.

An approximate diagram of such a “swing”:

Depending on the cause of stagnation and how long the plateau effect lasts, you need to choose a method to combat it. It is imperative to take into account all the food eaten. Many people overlook certain products that they consider unable to significantly affect the result. But such little things can add up to quite tangible numbers that determine how productive the fight against excess weight will be.

Among other things, you need to drink enough water - liquid speeds up your metabolism well. A sauna and massage will be a good help. It is very important at this stage not to lose motivation and faith that effective weight loss is possible. And such stagnant effects are inherent in various aspects of life - from strength training before mastering a new profession.