A plain is a type of relief that is a flat, vast space. More than two-thirds of Russia's territory is occupied by plains. They are characterized by a slight slope and slight fluctuations in terrain heights. A similar relief is found on the bottom of sea waters. The territory of the plains can be occupied by any: deserts, steppes, mixed forests, etc.
Map of the largest plains in Russia
Most of the country is located on a relatively flat type of terrain. Favorable ones allowed a person to engage in cattle breeding, build large settlements and roads. It is easiest to carry out construction activities on the plains. They contain many minerals and others, including, and.
Below are maps, characteristics and photos of landscapes of the largest plains in Russia.
the East European Plain
East European Plain on the map of Russia
The area of the East European Plain is approximately 4 million km². The natural northern border is the White and Barents Seas; in the south, the lands are washed by the Azov and Caspian Seas. The Vistula River is considered the western border, and the Ural Mountains - the eastern.
At the base of the plain lies the Russian platform and the Scythian plate; the foundation is covered by sedimentary rocks. Where the base is raised, hills have formed: the Dnieper, Central Russian, and Volga. In places where the foundation is deeply sunk, lowlands occur: Pechora, Black Sea, Caspian.
The territory is located at moderate latitude. Atlantic air masses penetrate the plain, bringing with them precipitation. The western part is warmer than the east. The minimum temperature in January is -14˚C. In summer, the air from the Arctic gives coolness. The largest rivers flow south. Short rivers, Onega, Northern Dvina, Pechora, are directed to the north. The Neman, Neva and Western Dvina carry water in a westerly direction. In winter they all freeze. In spring, floods begin.
Half of the country's population lives on the East European Plain. Almost all forest areas are secondary forest, there are a lot of fields and arable lands. There are many mineral deposits in the area.
West Siberian Plain
West Siberian Plain on the map of Russia
The area of the plain is about 2.6 million km². The western border is the Ural Mountains, in the east the plain ends with the Central Siberian Plateau. The Kara Sea washes the northern part. The Kazakh small sandpiper is considered the southern border.
The West Siberian plate lies at its base, and sedimentary rocks lie on the surface. The southern part is higher than the northern and central. The maximum height is 300 m. The edges of the plain are represented by the Ket-Tym, Kulunda, Ishim and Turin plains. In addition, there are the Lower Yisei, Verkhnetazovskaya and North Sosvinskaya uplands. Siberian ridges are a complex of hills in the west of the plain.
The West Siberian Plain lies in three regions: arctic, subarctic and temperate. Due to low pressure, Arctic air penetrates the territory, and cyclones are actively developing in the north. Precipitation is unevenly distributed, with the maximum amount falling in the middle part. Most precipitation falls between May and October. In the southern zone, thunderstorms often occur in summer.
The rivers flow slowly, and many swamps have formed on the plain. All reservoirs are flat in nature and have a slight slope. The Tobol, Irtysh and Ob originate in mountainous areas, so their regime depends on the melting of ice in the mountains. Most reservoirs have a northwestern direction. In spring there is a long flood.
Oil and gas are the main riches of the plain. In total there are more than five hundred deposits of combustible minerals. In addition to them, in the depths there are deposits of coal, ore and mercury.
The steppe zone, located in the south of the plain, is almost completely plowed. Fields of spring wheat are located on black soil. Plowing, which lasted for many years, led to the formation of erosion and dust storms. In the steppes there are many salt lakes, from which table salt and soda are extracted.
Central Siberian Plateau
Central Siberian Plateau on the map of Russia
The area of the plateau is 3.5 million km². In the north it borders on the North Siberian Lowland. The Eastern Sayan Mountains are a natural border in the south. In the west, the lands begin at the Yenisei River, in the east they end at the Lena River valley.
The plateau is based on the Pacific lithospheric plate. Because of it, the earth's crust rose significantly. The average heights are 500 m. The Putorana plateau in the north-west reaches 1701 m in height. The Byrranga Mountains are located in Taimyr, their height exceeds a thousand meters. In Central Siberia there are only two lowlands: North Siberian and Central Yakut. There are many lakes here.
Most of the territories are located in the Arctic and subarctic zones. The plateau is fenced off from warm seas. Due to the high mountains, precipitation is distributed unevenly. They fall in large numbers in the summer. The earth cools greatly in winter. The minimum temperature in January is -40˚C. Dry air and lack of winds help to endure such difficult conditions. During the cold season, powerful anticyclones form. There is little precipitation in winter. In summer, cyclonic weather sets in. The average temperature during this period is +19˚C.
The largest rivers, the Yenisei, Angara, Lena, and Khatanga, flow through the lowland. They cross faults in the earth's crust, so they have many rapids and gorges. All rivers are navigable. Central Siberia has enormous hydropower resources. Most of the major rivers are located in the north.
Almost the entire territory is located in the zone. The forests are represented by larch trees, which shed their needles for the winter. Pine forests grow along the Lena and Angara valleys. The tundra contains shrubs, lichens and mosses.
Siberia has a lot of mineral resources. There are deposits of ore, coal, and oil. Platinum deposits are located in the southeast. There are salt deposits in the Central Yakut Lowland. There are graphite deposits on the Nizhnyaya Tunguska and Kureyka rivers. Diamond deposits are located in the northeast.
Due to difficult climatic conditions, large settlements are located only in the south. Human economic activity is concentrated in the mining and logging industries.
Azov-Kuban Plain
Azov-Kuban Plain (Kuban-Azov Lowland) on the map of Russia
The Azov-Kuban Plain is a continuation of the East European Plain, its area is 50 thousand km². The Kuban River is the southern border, and the northern one is the Yegorlyk River. In the east, the lowland ends in the Kuma-Manych depression, the western part opens to the Sea of Azov.
The plain lies on the Scythian plate and is a virgin steppe. The maximum height is 150 m. The large rivers Chelbas, Beysug, Kuban flow in the central part of the plain, and there is a group of karst lakes. The plain is located in the continental belt. Warm ones soften the local climate. In winter, temperatures rarely drop below -5˚C. In summer the thermometer shows +25˚C.
The plain includes three lowlands: Prikubanskaya, Priazovskaya and Kuban-Priazovskaya. Rivers often flood populated areas. There are gas fields in the territory. The region is famous for its chernozem fertile soils. Almost the entire territory has been developed by humans. People grow cereals. The diversity of flora has been preserved only along rivers and in forests.
The totality of the irregularities of the entire earth's surface is usually called the Earth's topography. Obviously, the surface of the Earth cannot be called absolutely flat, and when studying the relief, we consider such natural formations as mountains and plains.
Concept of the Earth's relief
In different parts of the planet, the surface height is completely different; differences can reach several tens of kilometers. The Earth's topography is unique in that its formation continues to this day.
This occurs due to the collision of lithospheric plates, volcanic eruptions and erosion of rocks by rains and rivers. The processes that shape the topography of our planet are divided into two categories - external And internal.
External processes include the activity of winds, flowing waters, glaciers, and the influence of plants and animals. It is impossible not to mention human activity, which is an anthropogenic force and actively influences the formation of the earth's topography.
Internal processes are called endogenous, they are represented by the subsidence and uplift of the crust, plate movements, earthquakes and volcanism.
Plains and mountains
One of the main forms of relief is the plain. The plateau is a plain of more than 500 m, a highland - from 200 to 500 m, and a lowland - up to 200 m. Plains and mountains occupy 60% and 40% of the earth's surface.
A vast area of land with slight slopes and fluctuations in height is a plain. The plains are classified by absolute height: those that lie below sea level are the Turpan Depression 154 m, the Qattara Depression 133 m, the lowland plains are the Mississippian, Amazonian, Turanian and Atlantic, the highland plains are the Tarim Depression, the Great Plains of North America and the Ustyurt Plateau.
Elevated plains are also distinguished - these are Rbu al-Khali and the Great Victoria Desert. Plain, i.e. its surface can be concave, inclined, convex and horizontal.
There are other classifications: ridged, stepped, flat, hilly. In many ways, the appearance of the plain depends on its history of structure and development.
A significant part of the plains is composed of layers of sedimentary rocks of great thickness and is confined to the plates of young and ancient platforms. Such plains are called stratal plains. Example: West Siberian Lowland.
The Great Chinese Plain, Indogan and Kura-Araks are alluvial plains. The water-glacial plains are the foothills of the Altai, Alps and Caucasus, and the glacial plains are the north of Russia and Europe, as well as the north of North America.
The Kazakh small sandpiper, the plains of the Baltic and Canadian shields are denudation plains. Vivid examples of plateaus, flat surfaces that are limited by ledges, are the Deccan, Ustyurt and Colorado plateaus.
Vast, sharply dissected areas of the earth's surface raised high above the plains are called mountains. Such areas of land have sharp changes in height and have a folded-block structure.
A plain is an area of land whose slope does not exceed 50°, and the heights do not differ by more than 200 meters. This is the most common type of relief on the planet, occupying about 64% of the territory. There are about 30 plains on the territory of the Russian Federation, the most famous of which is the East European one. In area it is second only to the Amazonian lowland and is the second in the world.
For Russia, plains are of great importance, because almost 75% of the country is located on this type of terrain. Historically, it was on the flat areas that the Slavic civilization developed: ancient cities and roads were built, political revolutions and wars took place. The fertile soils of the plains not only provided people with food, but also introduced unique features into culture and fishing.
East European Plain (4 million km2)
One of the largest plains on the planet, covering most of Eastern Europe, received a second name - Russian. The distance between the northern and southern borders exceeds 2500 km. And from west to east it extends for 2700 km. Borders:
- In the northwest are the Scandinavian Mountains;
- In the southwest are the mountains of Central Europe (Sudetes);
- In the southeast - the Caucasus Mountains;
- In the west is the Vistula River;
- In the north - the White and Barents Seas;
- In the east are the Ural Mountains and Mugodzhary.
The height of the plain above sea level is not uniform. Frequently occurring elevations are located at levels of 200-300 m, and large rivers such as the Volga, Dnieper, Danube, Don, Western Dvina and Vistula flow through the lowlands. The origin of the vast majority of highlands and lowlands is tectonic.
At the base of the plain lie two plates: Russian with a Precambrian crystalline foundation and Scythian with a Paleozoic folded foundation. The relief does not express the intertile boundary.
Glaciation had a significant impact on the process of relief formation, especially changing the surface of the northern areas. The passage of the glacier gave rise to the formation of many lakes for which the area is famous. This is how the Beloe, Peipus and Pskov lakes were formed. In the southern part, glaciation activity is weak due to erosion processes.
Central Siberian Plateau (about 3.5 million km2)
In the eastern part of Russia there is another largest flat area - the Central Siberian Plateau. It covers the territories of the Irkutsk region, Krasnoyarsk Territory and Yakutia.
- In the south - the Eastern Sayan mountain system, as well as the mountain regions of the Baikal region and Transbaikalia;
- In the west is the valley of the Yenisei River;
- In the north - the North Siberian Lowland;
- In the east is the Lena River valley.
The plateau is located on the Siberian platform. A characteristic feature is alternating plateaus and ridges. The highest peak is Mount Kamen (height 1701 m above ground level), which belongs to the middle mountains of Putorana. The western edge of the plateau is covered by the dissected hills of the Yenisei Ridge (the highest point is Mount Enashimsky Polkan, 1104 m high). The territory of the Central Siberian Plateau is distinguished by the largest permafrost rocks in the world, the height of which reaches 1500 km.
West Siberian Plain (2.6 million km²)
The plain is located in the northern part of Asia and covers the entire territory of western Siberia. It has a characteristic trapezoidal shape, which tapers towards the north. The length from south to north is about 2500 km, and from west to east it varies from 800 to 1950 km. Borders:
- In the west - the Ural Mountains;
- In the east - the Central Siberian Plateau;
- In the north - the Kara Sea;
- In the south - the Kazakh small hills;
- In the southeast - the West Siberian Plain and the foothills of Altai.
The surface of the plain is relatively uniform with a slight difference in elevation. Lowland areas are concentrated in the central and northern parts, and low elevations are located along the eastern, southern and western outskirts (height does not exceed 250 m).
Baraba Lowland (117 thousand km2)
The Barabinskaya stele is located in the southern part of Western Siberia, between the Irtysh and Ob rivers. It is an undulating plain, in the southern part of which there are ridges (parallel elevations). The Novosibirsk and Omsk regions are located in the lowlands. It is composed of thick deposits of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age.
In low areas (height 80-100 m), fresh (Ubinskoe) and salt (Chany, Tandovo and Sartlan) lakes, swamps filled with peat moss and saline fields were formed. During geological exploration activities, deposits of oil and natural gas were discovered in the north of the plain.
Kulunda Plain (100 thousand km²)
The Kuluda Plain is the southern part of the West Siberian Plain and covers the Altai and Pavlodar regions. Its appearance is associated with the accumulative activity of large rivers - the Irtysh and Ob. The southeast of the plain adjoins the Altai foothills. The highest point does not exceed 250m, low-lying areas mainly occupy the central part (100-120 m above sea level).
The relief is distinguished by the alternation of elevated ridges (50-60m) and low areas separating them. The valleys of the Burla, Kuchuk and Kulunda rivers pass through the lowlands. For the industry of Western Siberia, the plain is of significant importance due to the endorheic lakes, from which table and Glauber's salt (Kuchukskoe and Kulundinskoe lakes), as well as soda (Petukhovskoe lakes) are extracted.
Azov-Kuban (Kuban-Azov lowland) plain (about 50 thousand km2)
The lowland is located in the Western part of the Ciscaucasia and covers the territories of the Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory and Rostov Region. The height of the plain above sea level does not exceed 300 m.
- In the south - the Kuban River;
- In the west - the Sea of Azov;
- In the east - the Kumo-Manych depression;
- In the north is the Yegorlyk River.
The main part of the plain is located within the Scythian plate. Rocks of Meso-Cenozoic age, predominantly of sedimentary origin. The lowland area adjacent to the Black Sea is divided by a large number of branches of the Kuban River. In the marshy areas of the plain there are floodplains (flooded floodplains of rivers) and estuaries (bays that arise when a river flows into the sea).
Relief(from Latin Relevo - “raise”) - a set of irregularities in the earth’s surface that were formed under the influence of internal and external forces. Based on size, landforms are divided into planetary, major and minor.
Planetary landforms: continents and ocean basins.
Basic landforms: mountains and plains.
Plains and mountains are distinguished by height, age and method of formation, and appearance.
Plains– areas of the land surface or ocean floor that have slight fluctuations in height. On land there are plains:
lowlands(up to 200 m high - Black Sea, Indo-Gangetic, La Plata)
hills(200-500 m - Pridneprovskaya, Volynskaya, Laurentian)
plateaus(over 500 m - Deccan, Western Australian, East African, Brazilian).
Plains occupy most of the Earth's surface. The largest plain is the Amazon (area more than 5 million km 2).
The plains are divided into primary (formed as a result of vertical lithospheric movements– Black Sea) and secondary (formed on the site of destroyed mountains– Eastern European or formed by the accumulative activity of rivers – Mesopotamian, Indo-Gangetic). Based on the appearance of the plains, they are divided into flat and hilly.
The main forms of relief have a pattern in location: the plains correspond to platforms, the mountains to areas of folding.
Platforms- relatively stable areas of the earth's crust, have a continental or oceanic type. In accordance with this, land plains or ocean floor plains are formed on the platforms.
Platform structure: lower tier - foundation(formed from metamorphic and igneous rocks) and upper tier - sedimentary cover(from sedimentary rocks). Most of the platforms on the continents are ancient (1.5-4 billion years old): North American, South American, Antarctic, African-Arabian, Eastern European, Siberian, Australian. The foundation of young platforms was formed more than 500 million years ago - the West Siberian platform.
If dense foundation rocks come to the surface on old platforms, shields are formed. The shields most often contain hills and plateaus.
Mountains– areas of the lithosphere surface that rise above the adjacent plains to a height of more than 500 m have a significantly dissected relief.
Low mountains- with an absolute height from 500 m to 1000 m.
Mid-height- from 1000 to 2000 m (Scandinavian, Carpathian Mountains).
High- more than 2000 m (Himalayas, Andes, Caucasus).
Mountains are divided into peaks, mountain ranges, mountain valleys, and mountain gorges.
Mountains are classified according to their formation: folded(formed as a result of the collision of two continental lithospheric plates), fold-block(ancient ruined mountains) and volcanic(arising due to internal processes - volcanism).
Graben(from German Graben - “ditch”) - an elongated, relatively low part of the earth’s crust or a block, limited by faults along its extended sides, that is, a low section of the earth’s crust between tectonic cracks. On the surface of the earth, large grabens can be depressions of lakes (Baikal), seas (Krasnoe).
Horst(from German Horst - “hill”) - a section of the earth’s crust raised along faults.
On a physical map, mountains and plains are indicated by their respective shades of green, yellow and brown(depending on height).
Bibliography
Main
1. Basic course in geography: Textbook. for 6th grade. general education institutions / T.P. Gerasimova, N.P. Neklyukova. – 10th ed., stereotype. – M.: Bustard, 2010. – 176 p.
2. Geography. 6th grade: atlas. – 3rd ed., stereotype. – M.: Bustard, DIK, 2011. – 32 p.
3. Geography. 6th grade: atlas. – 4th ed., stereotype. – M.: Bustard, DIK, 2013. – 32 p.
4. Geography. 6th grade: cont. cards. – M.: DIK, Bustard, 2012. – 16 p.
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and statistical collections
1. Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia / A.P. Gorkin. – M.: Rosman-Press, 2006. – 624 p.
Materials on the Internet
1. Federal Institute of Pedagogical Measurements ().
2. Russian Geographical Society ().
The Russian Federation occupies a vast territory. Due to its impressive area, the country's topography is very diverse. The rivers, plains and mountains of Russia constitute a unique natural system that reflects the entire identity of the Eurasian continent.
Plains of Russia
Plains are areas of land with a flat or hilly surface, in which fluctuations in elevation will be very small. The main feature of all plains is their relatively flat terrain. But in fact, it is more diverse: in some places the plains are indeed flat, in others they are hilly.
On a physical map, plains are indicated by green colors of varying degrees of saturation. So, the lighter the green color, the higher the flat area is located above sea level. Dark green color indicates lowlands.
Rice. 1. Plains on the physical map.
Plains dominate in Russia: they occupy about 70% of the country's territory. There are three largest plains in the Russian Federation:
- East European or Russian Plain . It is located to the west of the Ural Mountains and occupies more than 4 million square meters. km. Its surface does not have a perfectly flat topography, since it consists of lowlands, hills and hilly areas. Such plains are called hilly.
- West Siberian Plain . It is located east of the Ural Mountains and occupies 2.5 million square meters. km. This is one of the lowest plains on the globe. Its distinctive feature is its almost perfectly flat surface. Such plains are called flat. Only occasionally there are small hills, not exceeding 300 m in height.
- Central Siberian Plateau . It is located east of the West Siberian Plain and occupies about 3 million square meters. km. A plateau is a flat area of land that lies high above sea level. The plateau has much in common with the mountainous terrain, but only the mountains have their peaks “cut off.”
Rice. 2. Central Siberian Plateau
Mountains of Russia
On the territory of Russia, mountains are located in the southern and eastern parts. The mountains were formed in ancient times: hundreds of thousands of years ago, when active displacements of the earth's crust occurred.
Mountains are young and old. Young mountains continue to “grow” upward. As a rule, they are very tall, with sharp peaks. They often contain active volcanoes. The ancient mountains are relatively low, flat, and have been experiencing the destructive effects of wind and melt water for many years.
In Russia there are both young and old mountains:
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- Ural Mountains . Some of the most ancient, formed more than 300 million years ago. Stretching from north to south throughout the country, they separate the European part of Russia from the Asian part. The height of the Ural Mountains is very modest: their highest point is Mount Narodnaya (1895 m). They are very rich in minerals, among which precious stones and gems are of particular value.
- . These are the highest and youngest mountains. Formed about 25 million years ago. They are divided into two mountain systems: the Lesser and Greater Caucasus. The highest point is Mount Elbrus (5642 m). Almost all the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains are covered with eternal snow, which attracts climbers and ski lovers.
Rice. 3. Caucasus Mountains.
- Altai and Sayans . Young and high mountains formed in the south of Siberia. The highest peak of the Altai Mountains is Belukha Peak (4506 m). They have a unique ecosystem and are included in the World Natural Heritage List.
- Kamchatka Mountains . These are young mountains, among which there are more than 140 volcanoes, including 28 active ones. The highest and at the same time active volcano in Kamchatka is Klyuchevaya Sopka (4750 m).