Ural Mountains. Heights, climate, photos, minerals of the Ural Mountains. Briefly precious stones, flora and fauna of the Ural Mountains. Physical geography - Ural (Ural Mountains) Ural Mountains description of geographical location

Region meaning

The Urals have long amazed and amazes researchers with the abundance of minerals and its main wealth - minerals. Under the ground of the Ural Mountains there are iron and copper ores, and chromium, and nickel, and cobalt, and zinc, and coal, and oil, and gold, and gems. The Urals have long been the largest mining and metallurgical base of the entire country. Forest resources are also among the riches of nature. Southern and Middle Urals provide the opportunity for farming.

This natural region is one of the most important for the life of Russia and Russians.

Features of nature

The hydropower potential of the Ural rivers (Pavlovskaya, Yumaguzinskaya, Shirokovskaya, Iriklinskaya and several small hydroelectric power stations) remains a far from fully developed resource.

Rivers and lakes

The rivers belong to the basins of the Arctic Ocean (on the western slope - Pechora with Usa, on the eastern slope - Tobol, Iset, Tura, Lozva, Northern Sosva, belonging to the Ob system) and the Caspian Sea (Kama with Chusovaya and Belaya; the Ural River). The rivers of the western slope, especially in the Northern and Subpolar Urals, are fuller; They are characterized by high and long-lasting (up to 2-3 months) floods in May-June (in the Subpolar Urals - in June-July), often turning into high summer floods associated with heavy rains in the mountains. The rivers on the eastern slope of the Southern Urals have the lowest water content (some of them dry up in the summer). The duration of freeze-up increases from 5 months in the Southern Urals to 7 in the Subpolar and Polar Urals. The rivers are fed mainly by snow and rain. The largest lakes are located on the eastern slope of the Middle and Southern Urals (Tavatui, Argazi, Uvildy, Turgoyak, etc.; the deepest lake up to 136 m is Bolshoye Shchuchye). There are small glacial lakes in the Polar Urals, and karst lakes on the western slope of the Middle Urals. The rivers and lakes of the Urals are of great economic importance (sources of water supply to settlements and industrial enterprises) and transport significance (the Kama, Belaya, Chusovaya rivers - in the lower reaches); many rivers are used for timber rafting. The Kama and Votkinsk reservoirs were created on the Kama.

Types of landscapes, their flora and fauna

Changes in climatic conditions from north to south and the nature of the relief, especially the presence of heights of more than 1500 m, are reflected in the change in natural landscapes both in the latitudinal direction (zonation) and in the vertical direction (zonality); the change in altitudinal zones is more pronounced than the transitions between zones. In the Urals there are steppe, forest and alpine landscapes.

Steppe landscapes are widespread in the Southern Urals, especially widely on its eastern slope and on the peneplain foothills. There are meadow, forb-turf-grass, turf-grass, and rocky steppes. Meadow steppes on ordinary and leached chernozems are developed in the forest-steppe zone and in the lower parts of mountain slopes. Various herbs grow here: six-petalled meadowsweet, Gmelin's sickleweed, middle and mountain clover, grasses - meadow bluegrass, awnless brome, etc. The grass stand is closed and reaches a height of 60-80 cm. Many areas are plowed. Meadow steppes to the south are gradually replaced by forb-turf-grass steppes; they are developed on rich chernozems (in the north), and in more southern regions - on ordinary and medium chernozems. They are most characterized by turf grasses, and to the south, due to increasing dryness, forbs become less typical. In the grass stand there are feather grass (narrow-leaved, Ioanna), fescue, tyrsa; of forbs - six-petalled meadowsweet, mountain clover, burnet, etc. The grass stand is lower than in the meadow steppes, and in the southern direction it becomes more sparse. Soddy-grass steppes predominate in the southernmost, driest regions, on southern, locally saline chernozems, as well as on chestnut soils. Feather grass, fescue, and slender-legged graceful are typical; there is a small admixture of forbs, poor in species composition. The grass stand is low and very sparse. The steep, gravelly slopes of the mountains and hills of the eastern slope of the Southern Urals are usually covered with rocky steppes. Willows, sedge, and shrubby caragana grow in places along the valleys of steppe rivers. The steppes are inhabited mainly by rodents (gophers, jerboas), brown hare; Birds include the steppe kestrel, buzzard, and bustards are preserved here and there.

The forest landscapes of the Urals are the most diverse. Dark-coniferous mountain-taiga forests predominate on the western slope (in the Southern Urals, in some places, mixed and broad-leaved forests), on the eastern slope - light-coniferous mountain-taiga forests. The forests of the Southern Urals are the most diverse in tree stand composition; here on the eastern slope at an altitude of 500-600 m, the mountain steppes are replaced mainly by light-coniferous, in some places steppe forests of Scots pine, less often Sukachev larch; In some places there is a lot of birch. The more humid western foothills of the Southern Urals are covered mainly with mixed forests on mountain forest gray soils, giving way to leached, podzolized and typical chernozems to the west. Broad-leaved trees include common oak, Norway maple, small-leaved linden, elm, and elm; from conifers – Siberian fir, Siberian spruce. In some places, broad-leaved forests remain; the undergrowth is varied (common hazel, brittle buckthorn). The forests have thick grass cover. At an altitude of 500-600 m on the western slope of the Southern Urals, dark coniferous forests predominate, above 1200-1250 m - char with areas of mountain tundra, stone placers, and rocky outcrops.

On the western and eastern slopes of the Middle Urals, forest landscapes are also different. On the western slope there are dark coniferous southern taiga forests of spruce and Siberian fir, in places there are linden, maple, elm, and hazel and honeysuckle in the undergrowth. In the Middle Urals there are natural forest-steppe areas (Kungurskaya, Krasnoufimskaya and other forest-steppes), including small birch groves. On the eastern slope of the Middle Urals there are many pine forests, and on the peneplain foothills (especially in the basin of the Pyshma and Iset rivers) large areas are occupied by birch and aspen forests. Dark coniferous forests on the eastern slope are less common. In depressions, sphagnum and hypnum-grass bogs are common. The forest landscapes of the Middle and Southern Urals are greatly changed by human economic activity.

The forests of the more northern regions of the Urals are better preserved. On the western slope of the Northern Urals, up to an altitude of 800-900 m, mid-taiga forests of Siberian spruce, less often Siberian fir and Siberian cedar on slightly podzolic soils dominate; the undergrowth is poorly developed or completely absent. Moss cover with a predominance of green mosses is widespread, and berries (blueberries, cloudberries, black crowberries) are also found. There are pine forests on the alluvial terraces of the Kama and Pechora. On the eastern, drier slope of the Northern Urals, large areas are occupied by pine and larch forests.

In the Subpolar and Polar Urals, due to increasing climate severity, the upper limit of the forest belt decreases to 400-250 m. Local mountain northern taiga forests are quite monotonous and consist mainly of Siberian spruce (on the western slope) and pine, Sukachev larch and Siberian larch (on eastern slope). Low growth and sparse forest cover are typical, especially at the upper border of the forest belt. Here, during the transition to the loaches, dwarf birch forests are common. The forests are very swampy in places; Sphagnum bogs predominate.

Animals living in the forests of the Urals, in terms of species, do not differ from those that inhabit the adjacent plains: elk, brown bear, fox, wolverine, lynx, sable (in the north). Only in the Middle Urals is there a cross between sable and pine marten - kidus. Badgers and black ferrets are not uncommon in the forests of the Southern Urals. Reptiles and amphibians live mainly in the Southern and Middle Urals and are represented by the common viper, snake, viviparous lizard, etc.; Among the birds there are: capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouse, nutcracker, common and deaf cuckoos, etc. In summer, songbirds (nightingale, redstart, etc.) fly to the Southern and Middle Urals.

Above the forest belt there are char landscapes. They are especially widespread in the Polar, Subpolar and Northern Urals. On the loaches of the western, more humid slope, moss tundras are more common, and on the loaches of the eastern slope - lichen tundras; There are many sphagnum bogs in the depressions. Among the animals that live in the tundra of the Urals: arctic fox, Ob lemming; Birds include the ruffed buzzard, snowy owl, and tundra partridge. The tundras of the Urals have good summer reindeer pastures. In the northernmost regions of the Urals, alpine deserts are also widely developed, almost devoid of vegetation (there are crustose lichens). There is an abundance of stone placers and rocky outcrops formed during intense frost weathering.

Story

Legend

“Ural” in Bashkir means belt. There is a Bashkir tale about a giant who wore a belt with deep pockets. He hid all his wealth in them. The belt was huge. One day the giant stretched it, and the belt lay across the entire earth, from the cold Kara Sea in the north to the sandy shores of the southern Caspian Sea. This is how the Ural ridge was formed.

In Greek books written two thousand years ago, you can read about the distant “Riphean Mountains”, where gloomy vultures guard countless golden treasures.

Primitive communal system in the Urals

The first people appeared in the Urals at the end of the Early Paleolithic (about 75 thousand years ago). A number of sites have been discovered from the Late Paleolithic (35-10 thousand years ago) (Kapova Cave). During the Neolithic period, related tribes formed in the Urals, among which, apparently, the foundations of the Finno-Ugric linguistic community and a mixed (Mongoloid-Caucasian) anthropological type were formed; In the southern regions, cattle breeding and hoe farming began. At the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. e. Copper and bronze production emerges in the Urals. The main archaeological cultures of the Bronze Age: Abashevskaya, Andronovo, Balanovskaya, Gorbunovskaya, Srubnaya, Turbino. In the 8th-7th centuries. BC e. the tribes of the Urals mastered the technique of obtaining iron. Large tribal alliances were formed. The Sarmatians lived in the steppes of the Southern Urals, tribes of the Kara-Abyzov culture lived in the forest-steppe Urals, and tribes of the Ananyin culture lived in the Kama region, on the basis of which the Pyanobor, Osinsk and Glyadenovsk cultures developed. From the 3rd century. n. e. Large movements of the ancient population took place on the territory of the Urals. New archaeological cultures appeared: Lomovatovskaya, Polomskaya, Bakhmutinskaya, Imenkovskaya, Turaevskaya, Chepetskaya, etc. The population of the Urals had exchange ties with Central Asia, Iran, Byzantium.

The Urals during the period of feudalism

At the beginning of the 1st millennium AD. The decomposition of the primitive communal system began in the Urals. The formation of feudal relations proceeded faster among the ancestors of the Komi-Permyaks, Udmurts and Bashkirs, and more slowly among the Khanty and Mansi. The process of feudalization was accelerated by the influence of neighboring feudal states - Volga-Kama Bulgaria and the Russian principalities. In the 14th century The early feudal state association Perm the Great developed among the Komi-Permyaks in the 15th century. among the Mansi tribes - Pelym.

In the 11th century Russian penetration into the Urals began. In the Northern Urals in the 14th century. squads of Novgorod ushkuiniks appeared. The Yugra land, and then the Perm region, became volosts of the Novgorod feudal republic, and an influx of Russian settlers began into these lands. At the beginning of the 15th century. Russian settlements arise on the upper Kama (Anfalovsky town, Sol-Kamskaya). In 1471, the possessions of Novgorod in the Urals went to the Moscow state, which became part of the state at the end of the 15th century. included the Upper Kama region and part of the Udmurt lands. After the defeat of the Kazan Khanate by the Russian state in 1552, most of Bashkiria and the rest of the Kama Udmurtia voluntarily became part of Russia. Russian settlements arose: Ufa, Sarapul, etc. In the Kama region, the possessions of the Stroganovs were formed, who organized a campaign of a detachment of Cossacks led by Ermak in the Trans-Urals, where at the end of the 16th century. Russian fortresses arose - Lozvinsky town, Pelym, Verkhoturye, etc. Since the 11th century. Russians called the northern part of the Urals - Stone, less often - Belt. In the mid-16th - early 17th centuries. The Bashkir name “Ural” came into use, initially in relation to the southern regions. It is possible that it came from the Turkic “aral” - island. This is how the Turks call any territory that differs in some way from the surrounding area. The Bashkirs have had it since the 13th century. There is a legend about the Urals - a batyr (hero), who sacrificed his life for the happiness of his people, and people built a mound over his grave, from which the Uraoa Mountains grew. By the end of the 17th century. The Russians extended the Bashkir name “Ural” to the entire mountain system.

In the 17th century Russians settled the lands of the Southern and Middle Urals and the Urals, founding the city of Kungur, the settlement of New Usolye, the Trans-Ural settlements of Irbitskaya, Shchadrinskaya, Kamyshlovskaya, and others. Russian settlers brought more developed agricultural technology and crafts to the local population of the Urals. The colonization of the Urals contributed to the cessation of internecine military clashes among the peoples of the Urals and the formation of feudal relations among them, which developed in the 16th and 17th centuries. But at the same time it led to increased national and social oppression of non-Russian peoples. Mansi, Khanty, Bashkirs were taxed with yasak. A significant part of the Komi-Permyaks and Udmurts became dependent on the Stroganovs and other Russian feudal lords. In the 16th-17th centuries. Agriculture developed significantly in the Urals, grain-producing regions emerged that supplied local markets. Most of the cultivated land was owned by black-plowed peasants; landowner plowing was insignificant. Crafts developed, a number of its branches turned into small-scale production (woodworking, leatherworking, pottery, blacksmithing, etc.). The salt-making industry acquired national importance (Lenva, Solikamsk, Novoye Usolye).

In the 17th century Many mineral deposits (iron, copper and other ores) were discovered in the Urals. The metal from the Ural ores was of high quality. By the middle of the 17th century. The first iron and copper smelters appeared. The Russian government paid attention to the Urals as an important raw material base. At the beginning of the 18th century. In the Urals, widespread factory construction began, caused by the development needs of the Russian state and its military needs. First, state-owned factories were founded: in 1701 - Nevyansky (private since 1702) and Kamensky, in 1723 - Yekaterinburg and Yagoshikhinsky (near Perm). Then private factories arose (Demidovs and others). For the organization and development of the mining industry of the Urals at the beginning of the 18th century. V.N. did a lot Tatishchev and V.I. Gennin. In the 1st half of the 18th century. 63 metallurgical plants were built in the Urals in the 50-60s. 67 more enterprises emerged. The Urals became the largest mining region in Russia. In the 50s 18th century Most state-owned factories passed into private ownership. Ural factories of the 18th century. were manufactories, they widely exploited the labor of serfs and assigned peasants. In connection with factory construction, new cities arose (Ekaterinburg; Perm, etc.). The mining state industry of the Urals was managed since 1719 by the Office of Mining Affairs, and since 1734 by the Office of the Main Board of the Factories. In 1807, a system of mining districts was created, headed by the Mining Administration in Perm (until 1830), then in Yekaterinburg. In 1708, the territory of the Urals became part of the Siberian and Kazan provinces. After a series of transformations, the territory of the Urals was divided into Perm and Orenburg provinces in 1796, and in 1865 the Ufa province was formed. At the beginning of the 19th century. In the conditions of the crisis of the feudal-serf system in Russia in the Urals, the rate of production growth sharply decreased, factory construction decreased, and the productivity of serf labor fell. The industrial revolution proceeded very slowly in the Urals. In the 1st half of the 19th century. Only the gold mining industry developed rapidly here. The largest industrial, trade and craft centers in the Urals were Perm, Yekaterinburg, Orenburg, Ufa, Kungur and Irbit, which hosted the most significant fair in the Urals. Along the Kama since the 40s. steamship service began.

The Urals during the period of capitalism (2nd half of the 19th century) and imperialism (1900-17)

As a result of the Peasant Reform of 1861, the mining peasants of the Urals lost 54% of the land that had previously been in their use, and the average per capita plots decreased from 2.8 to 1.2 dessiatines. The development of capitalism in the Urals was hampered by significant remnants of serfdom in the countryside and the mining industry (preservation of landowners' latifundia, labor, etc.). In the 2nd half of the 19th century. the first joint-stock companies appeared, incl. with the participation of foreign capital. A number of old metallurgical plants were reconstructed and several new ones were built. The gold and platinum industries, coal mining (Kizelovsky basin), mechanical engineering (Ekaterinburg Mechanical Factory, Motovilikhinsky in Perm, Izhevsky, Votkinsk and other plants), chemical industry (Bereznikovsky Soda Plant) developed. But in general, the mining industry of the Urals at the end of the 19th century. was in decline, especially the old metallurgical plants that used water energy. The Urals lost their importance as the main metallurgical region of the country, giving way to the South of Russia. In the 2nd half of the 19th century. The urban population grew rapidly. Industrial centers developed that were not yet officially cities (Nizhny Tagil, Votkinsk, Zlatoust, etc.). Were built railways: Samara-Orenburg (1876), Gornozavodskaya (1878), Ekaterinburg-Tyumen (1885), Samara-Ufa-Zlatoust-Chelyabinsk (1892), Ekaterinburg-Chelyabinsk (1896). At the end of the 19th century. there were over 300 thousand industrial and railway workers in the Urals. Part of the proletariat (mining plant workers) participated in the struggle for land, for more favorable conditions use of land, etc. However, the basis of the labor movement was the struggle against capitalist exploitation; since the 70s One of its main forms is an economic strike with political demands. In the 70s There were several groups of revolutionary populists in the Urals. In the 2nd half of the 90s. Social Democratic organizations arose in Ufa (1895), Chelyabinsk (Ural Workers' Union, 1896), Yekaterinburg (1897), Perm (1898) and other cities. At the beginning of the 20th century. Social Democratic committees were created (in 1902 - in Perm; in 1903 - in Ufa, Sredneuralsky - in Yekaterinburg). In 1904, at a conference in Nizhny Tagil, the Ural Regional Committee of the RSDLP was created. The workers of the Urals actively participated in the Revolution of 1905-07, the Bolsheviks were led by Ya.M. Sverdlov and Artyom (F.A. Sergeev). 1st world war 1914-18 had a serious impact on the national economy of both Russia and the Urals. After some revival of military production, by the end of 1916, an industrial crisis began in the Urals, accompanied by a shortage of fuel, devastation in transport, a reduction in agricultural production and a deterioration in the situation of workers. After the February Revolution of 1917, Soviets were created everywhere in the Urals. The Bolsheviks emerged from underground, their numbers grew (827 people by the beginning of March, over 10 thousand in April). In April 1917, the 1st Ural (free) conference of the RSDLP (b), led by Sverdlov, took place in Yekaterinburg.

The Urals during the October Revolution and Civil War (1917-19), during the years of socialist construction (1920-41) and during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45.

Soviet power in the Urals was established mainly in October-December 1917: October 26 (November 8) - in Yekaterinburg and Ufa, October 27 (November 9) - in Izhevsk and many other cities, November 23 (December 6) - in Perm. In a number of places, due to resistance to the counter-revolution and the treacherous tactics of the Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries, the struggle for Soviet power continued at the beginning of 1918 (Solikamsk, Cherdyn, Votkinsk, Zlatoust, etc.). In Orenburg, Soviet power was established after the defeat of the Dutov rebellion on January 18 (31), 1918. In May, the rebellion of the Czechoslovak corps in 1918 began, which also captured part of the Urals. In the summer, local counter-revolutionary uprisings took place - Izhevsk-Votkinsk and others. Since November 1918, a counter-revolutionary regime was established in the Urals - Kolchakism. In May 1919, Soviet troops went on the offensive and by the fall they had largely liberated the territory of the Urals. In March 1919, the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed, in November 1920 - the Votskaya Autonomous Okrug (from 1934 - the Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic), in 1923 - the Ural Region, within which the Komi-Permyak National District was created in 1925 .

After the end of the Civil War in the Urals, the restoration of the national economy began. In 1920-21 the volume of industrial production in the Urals was 12% of the level of 1913, in 1925-26. - already 93%. During the years of the 1st and 2nd Five-Year Plans, many new large industrial enterprises were built in the Urals; among them are the industry giants Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Plant (1932) and Berezniki Chemical Plant (1932); Ural Heavy Engineering Plant in Sverdlovsk (1933), Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (1933) and Solikamsk Potash Plant (1934), Krasnokamsk Pulp and Paper Mill (1936), etc. The Ural-Kuznetsk Combine was created. In 1929, oil was discovered in the Kama region, and in 1932 its production began in Bashkiria. The gross output of large-scale industry in the Urals in 1937 increased almost 7 times compared to 1913. In the 3rd Five-Year Plan, the Novotagil Metallurgical, Ural Aluminum, Ural Carriage Building and other plants came into operation.

During the Great Patriotic War 1941-45 The Urals became the main arsenal of the country and the most important base for the location of industrial enterprises evacuated from the western regions of the USSR. During the first 5 months of the war, 667 enterprises were transferred to the Urals. By the end of 1941, the Urals provided 62% of cast iron, about 50% of steel and rolled products of all production in the USSR. In 1943, the gross output of Ural factories exceeded the 1941 level by 3 times, and the production of military products by 6 times. During the war years, the Urals accounted for up to 40% of all military production in the country, and the annual increase in production was 50%. Three factories in the Urals provided 2/3 of the production of tanks and self-propelled artillery units. Many aircraft, guns, small arms, ammunition, etc. were produced in the Urals. Several divisions and the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps were formed from the working people of the Urals. More than 800 Urals residents became Heroes Soviet Union, 8 people - twice. In 1946, the industry of the Urals was transferred to the production of civilian products.

The Ural Mountains, formed due to the collision of the Eurasian and African lithospheric plates, are a unique natural and geographical object for Russia. They are the only mountain range crossing the country and dividing the state to the European and Asian parts.

Geographical location

Any schoolchild knows which country the Ural Mountains are located in. This massif is a chain that is located between the East European and West Siberian plains.

It is stretched so that it divides the largest into 2 continents: Europe and Asia. Starting from the shore of the Arctic Ocean, it ends in the Kazakh desert. It stretches from south to north, and the length in some places reaches 2,600 km.

The geographical location of the Ural mountains passes almost everywhere parallel to the 60th meridian.

If you look at the map, you can see the following: the central region is located strictly vertically, the northern region turns to the northeast, and the southern region turns to the southwest. Moreover, in this place the ridge merges with the nearby hills.

Although the Urals are considered the border between continents, there is no exact geological line. Therefore it is believed that they belong to Europe, and the line dividing the mainland runs along the eastern foothills.

Important! The Urals are rich in natural, historical, cultural and archaeological values.

The structure of the mountain system

In the chronicles of the 11th century, the Ural mountain system is mentioned as Earth belt. This name is explained by the length of the ridge. Conventionally, it is divided into 5 areas:

  1. Polar.
  2. Subpolar.
  3. Northern.
  4. Average.
  5. South.

The mountain range partially covers the northern regions of Kazakhstan and 7 Russian regions:

  1. Arkhangelsk region
  2. Komi Republic.
  3. Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
  4. Perm region.
  5. Sverdlovsk region.
  6. Chelyabinsk region.
  7. Orenburg region.

Attention! The widest part of the mountain range is located in the Southern Urals.

Location of the Ural Mountains on the map.

Structure and relief

The first mention and description of the Ural Mountains comes from ancient times, but they were formed much earlier. This happened under the interaction of rocks of different configurations and ages. In some areas they are still preserved remnants of deep faults and elements of oceanic rocks. The system was formed almost at the same time as Altai, but subsequently it experienced smaller uplifts, resulting in a small “altitude” of the peaks.

Attention! The advantage over the high Altai is that there are no earthquakes in the Urals, so it is much safer for living.

Minerals

The long-term resistance of volcanic structures to the force of the wind was the result of the formation of numerous attractions created by nature. These include caves, grottoes, rocks and so on. In addition, in the mountains there are huge mineral reserves, primarily ore, from which the following chemical elements are obtained:

  1. Iron.
  2. Copper.
  3. Nickel.
  4. Aluminum.
  5. Manganese.

Making a description of the Ural Mountains using a physical map, we can conclude that most of the mineral development is carried out in the southern part of the region, or more precisely in Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and Orenburg regions. Almost all types of ores are mined here, and a deposit of emeralds, gold and platinum was discovered not far from Alapaevsk and Nizhny Tagil in the Sverdlovsk region.

The area of ​​the lower trough of the western slope is replete with oil and gas wells. The northern part of the region is somewhat inferior in deposits, but this is compensated by the fact that precious metals and stones predominate here.

Ural Mountains – leader in mining, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy and chemical industry. In addition, the region is in first place in Russia for pollution level.

It should be taken into account, no matter how beneficial the development of underground subsoil is, the harm surrounding nature a more significant one is brought. The lifting of rocks from the depths of the mine is carried out by crushing with the release of large quantities of dust particles into the atmosphere.

At the top, the fossils enter into a chemical reaction with their surroundings, the process of oxidation takes place, and the chemical products thus obtained are again enters the air and water.

Attention! The Ural Mountains are known for their deposits of precious, semi-precious stones and precious metals. Unfortunately, they are almost completely exhausted, so Ural gems and malachite can now only be found in museums.

Peaks of the Urals

On the topographic map of Russia, the Ural Mountains are indicated in light brown. This means that they do not have great indicators relative to sea level. Among the natural areas, we can highlight the highest region located in the Subpolar region. The table shows the coordinates of the heights of the Ural Mountains and the exact size of the peaks.

The location of the peaks of the Ural Mountains is created in such a way that there are unique areas in each region of the system. Therefore, all listed heights are recognized tourist sites successfully used by people leading an active lifestyle.

On the map you can see that the Polar region is medium in height and narrow in width.

The nearby Subpolar region has the highest altitude and is characterized by sharp relief.

Of particular interest arises from the fact that several glaciers are concentrated here, one of which is almost as long as 1,000 m.

The height of the Ural Mountains in the Northern region is insignificant. The exception is a few peaks that dominate the entire ridge. The remaining heights, where the vertices are smoothed and they themselves have a rounded shape, do not exceed 700 m above sea level. Interestingly, closer to the south, they become even lower and almost turn into hills. The terrain is almost resembles a plain.

Attention! A map of the southern Ural Mountains with peaks more than one and a half kilometers away again reminds us of the ridge’s involvement in the huge mountain system separating Asia from Europe!

Major cities

A physical map of the Ural Mountains with cities marked on it proves that this area is considered abundantly populated. The only exception is the Polar and Subpolar Urals. Here several million-plus cities And large number those with a population of more than 100,000 people.

The population of the region is explained by the fact that at the beginning of the last century there was an urgent need for minerals in the country. This caused a large migration of people to the region where similar developments were taking place. In addition, in the early 60s and 70s, many young people left for the Urals and Siberia in the hope of radically changing their lives. This influenced the formation of new settlements being built on the site of rock mining.

Ekaterinburg

Capital of the Sverdlovsk region with population 1,428,262 people considered the capital of the region. The location of the metropolis is concentrated on the eastern slope of the Middle Urals. The city is the largest cultural, scientific, educational and administrative center. The geographical position of the Ural Mountains is created in such a way that it is here that the natural path connecting Central Russia and Siberia. This influenced the development of the infrastructure and economy of the former Sverdlovsk.

Chelyabinsk

The population of the city, which is located where the Ural Mountains, according to the geological map, border on Siberia: 1,150,354 people.

It was founded in 1736 on the eastern slope of the South Ridge. And with the advent of railway communication with Moscow, it began to develop dynamically and became one of the largest industrial centers in the country.

Over the past 20 years, the ecology of the region has deteriorated significantly, which has caused an outflow of population.

Nevertheless, today the volume of local industry is more than 35% of gross municipal product.

Ufa

The capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan with a population of 1,105,657 people is considered 31st city in Europe by population. It is located west of the Southern Ural Mountains. The length of the metropolis from south to north is more than 50 km, and from east to west - 30. In terms of size, it is one of the five largest Russian cities. In the ratio of population and occupied area, each resident accounts for about 700 m2 of urban territory.

The Ural Mountains are a unique natural object for our country. You probably shouldn’t think too hard to answer the question why. The Ural Mountains are the only mountain range that crosses Russia from north to south, and are the border between two parts of the world and the two largest parts (macroregions) of our country - European and Asian.


Native land. Ural Mountains: Ural - the ridge of Russia

The Ural Mountains stretch from north to south, mainly along the 60th meridian. In the north they bend towards the northeast, towards the Yamal Peninsula, in the south they turn towards the southwest. One of their features is that the mountainous area expands as you move from north to south (this is clearly visible on the map on the right). In the very south, in the Orenburg region, the Ral Mountains connect with nearby elevations, such as General Syrt.


No matter how strange it may seem, the exact geological border of the Ural Mountains, as well as the exact geographical border between Europe and Asia, still cannot be accurately determined. In 2010, the Russian Geographical Society equipped a special expedition for this purpose.


The Ural Mountains have a long and complex history. It begins in the Proterozoic era - such an ancient and little-studied stage in the history of our planet that scientists do not even divide it into periods and eras. About 3.5 billion years ago, at the site of the future mountains, a rupture of the earth's crust occurred, which soon reached a depth of more than ten kilometers. Over the course of almost two billion years, this rift widened, so that about 430 million years ago an entire ocean, up to a thousand kilometers wide, was formed. However, soon after this, the convergence of lithospheric plates began; The ocean disappeared relatively quickly, and mountains formed in its place. This happened about 300 million years ago - this corresponds to the era of the so-called Hercynian folding.



New large uplifts in the Urals resumed only 30 million years ago, during which the Polar, Subpolar, Northern and Southern parts of the mountains were raised by almost a kilometer, and the Middle Urals by about 300-400 meters.

Currently, the Ural Mountains have stabilized - there are no major movements of the earth's crust observed here. However, to this day they remind people of their active history: from time to time earthquakes occur here, and very large ones at that. The strongest had an amplitude of 7 points and was recorded not so long ago - in 1914.

From a geological point of view, the Ural Mountains are very complex. They are formed by the most different types and ages. In many ways features internal structure The Urals are connected with its history, for example, traces of deep faults and even sections of oceanic crust are still preserved.

The Ural Mountains are of medium height, the highest point is Mount Narodnaya in the Subpolar Urals, reaching 1895 meters. It is curious that the second highest peak of the Urals - Mount Yamantau - is located in the Southern Urals. In general, in profile, the Ural Mountains resemble a depression: the highest ridges are located in the north and south, and the middle part does not exceed 400-500 meters, so that when crossing the Middle Urals, you may not even notice the mountains.


We can say that the Ural Mountains were unlucky in terms of height: they were formed during the same period as Altai, but subsequently experienced much less strong uplifts. The result is that the highest point in Altai, Mount Belukha, reaches four and a half kilometers, and the Ural Mountains are more than two times lower. However, such an elevated position of Altai resulted in the danger of earthquakes - the Urals in this regard are much safer for life.


Typical vegetation of the mountain tundra belt in the Ural Mountains. The picture was taken on the slope of Mount Humboldt (Main Ural Range, Northern Urals) at an altitude of 1310 meters. Photo by Natalya Shmaenkova

The long, continuous struggle of volcanic forces against the forces of wind and water (in geography, the former are called endogenous, and the latter - exogenous) created a huge number of unique natural attractions in the Urals: rocks, caves, etc.


The Urals are also famous for their huge reserves of minerals of all types. These are, first of all, iron, copper, nickel, manganese and many other types of ores, building materials. The Kachkanar iron deposit is one of the largest in the country. Although the metal content in the ore is low, it contains rare but very valuable metals - manganese and vanadium.

In the north, in the Pechora coal basin, hard coal is mined. There are also precious metals in our region - gold, silver, platinum. Undoubtedly, Ural precious and semi-precious stones are widely known: emeralds mined near Yekaterinburg, diamonds, gems from the Murzinsky strip, and, of course, Ural malachite.

The beauty of the Ural Mountains awakened the talent of P.P. Bazhov, who created a series of tales about the Urals and the richness of nature of this region.


Unfortunately, many valuable old deposits have already been developed. Magnetic mountains containing large reserves of iron ore have been turned into quarries, and malachite reserves have been preserved only in museums and in the form of separate inclusions at the site of old mines - it is now hardly possible to find even a three-hundred-kilogram monolith. Nevertheless, these minerals largely ensured the economic power and glory of the Urals for centuries.


The route to Siberia lies through the Urals. See video about this:



The Ural is a unique mountain system, one of the most ancient and picturesque in the world. They are old, very old, dating back to the Devonian period (about 40 million years ago). This massif is like a complex mosaic in which hundreds of types of rocks are mixed. Since the times of the Soviet Union, more than 50 types of minerals and hundreds of minerals, precious and semi-precious stones have been mined here.

But ancient mountains are rarely high. Years wear away their tops, grind rocks, and build up a layer of soil. Therefore, the highest point of the Ural Mountains cannot compete with the Alpine and Tibetan peaks. But still, for the sake of interest, we will compile this list.

The Ural Mountains stretch almost across the entire border of Eurasia, separating two parts of the world from each other. The Ural belt is more than 2,500 kilometers long, and it is conventionally divided into 5 zones:

  1. Southern Urals.
  2. Middle Urals.
  3. Northern Urals.
  4. Subpolar Urals.
  5. Polar Urals.

Some researchers believe that Mugodzhary on the southern side and Pai-Khoi on the northern side should also be added to the system, but still, officially these five zones are considered the Ural Mountains. And each of them has its own highest point.

In fact, this mountain can hardly be called high: only 1640 meters in height. However, all other peaks of the Southern Urals do not even reach this value. It is worth noting that 1640 meters is the height of Big Yamantau. The second peak, Maly Yamantau, is even lower - only 1510 meters.

It is a low, gently sloping mountain, covered with a thick layer of soil, enough for a real forest to grow on it. But the top of the mountain is covered with snow and ice suitable for skiers.

Yamantau is an amazingly beautiful and picturesque mountain that attracts thousands of tourists from all over Russia and even other countries. To travel along it, basic training and equipment is enough. True, the pleasure is spoiled by the fact that local residents have long considered Yamantau a bad mountain, which is even reflected in its name. Adding fuel to the fire of doubt are rumors that Vladimir Putin’s secret bunker was built here. Nobody knows how true they are, but before going here, it’s better to think carefully: “Is it worth it?” Moreover, this is not the only large mountain of the Southern Urals that deserves your attention.

The mountain with such a dissonant name is the highest point of the Middle Urals. True, the numbers are not too impressive: 1119 meters. Previously, we talked about the peaks of the Alps and Tibet, high, sharp, rocky, covered with glaciers. Oslyanka is completely different from them: low, gently sloping, softly rounded... From a distance. Up close, it turns out that the slopes are quite steep, and there are places where the rocky base comes to the surface. Most of the mountain is covered with meadows and forests; in the cold season it is densely covered with snow.

It is perfect for hiking and hiking routes in the warm season, but in winter it is a haven for skiers and snowboarders. Can be supplemented in summer tourist routes rafting on the river.

By the way, this mountain has nothing to do with donkeys. The origin of its name is not known for certain. Most likely, it is based on the word “donkey, touchstone,” that is, a stone on which knives are sharpened. The second version is “oslyad” – a log. There is a third one, which claims that the name of the mountain is connected with the nearby Oslyanka River, but here the connection may be the opposite.

It is always extremely interesting to understand where the names of geographical objects come from, because there are whole stories behind them. Sometimes the connection can be traced immediately, but often you have to figure it out. But in the case of Mount Telposis, it is not immediately clear where it came from and what it means. The truth lies quite deep. Its original name was Tel-Poz-Iz, which in the Komi language means “mountain of the nest of the winds.”

According to legend, the local god of the winds lives on this mountain, so it’s better not to go there again. True, this does not at all prevent tourists from all over Russia from climbing Telposis in pursuit of beautiful scenery and thrills. Its height is 1617 meters. Enough to become the first in the Northern Urals.

This peak is the highest point not only in the Subpolar part of the Urals, but also in the entire mountain range. Of course, in the same Alps, a peak of 1895 meters would never be on such a list, but for the Ural Mountains this is more than enough.

It officially received its name in 1927 during the exploration of this part of the Urals. The subtlety is that the geologist Aleshkov did not specify in his notes where exactly the emphasis should be placed: NARODNAYA or Narodnaya. Both versions are found in the literature. The second looks quite logical, because at that time many objects received similar names. The first one also has the right to life, because the Naroda River flows next to it. And this word from the Komi language has nothing to do with the people.

The first peak of the northernmost, Polar part of the Urals is Payer. This rock formation stands out sharply against the surrounding landscape. There are several more peaks nearby - Western and Eastern Payer, 1330 and 1217 meters, respectively.

The total length of the Ural belt is more than 2,500 kilometers. Just imagine: 2500 kilometers of picturesque mountains, which have everything: rocks, glaciers, snowfields, caves, forests, meadows, rivers... These are incredibly picturesque and rich mountains, you can spend your whole life here and not see even a small part of their wonders. But that doesn't mean it's not worth trying.

In front of you detailed map Ural mountains with names of cities and towns in Russian. Move the map while holding it with the left mouse button. You can move around the map by clicking on one of the four arrows in the upper left corner. You can change the scale using the scale on the right side of the map or turning the mouse wheel.

In which country are the Ural Mountains located?

The Ural Mountains are located in Russia. This is a wonderful, beautiful place, with its own history and traditions. Coordinates of the Ural Mountains: northern latitude and eastern longitude (show on large map).

Virtual walk

The “man” figurine above the scale will help you take a virtual walk through the cities of the Ural Mountains. By clicking and holding the left mouse button, drag it to any place on the map and you will go for a walk, while inscriptions with the approximate address of the area will appear in the upper left corner. Select the direction of movement by clicking on the arrows in the center of the screen. The “Satellite” option at the top left allows you to see a relief image of the surface. In the "Map" mode you will have the opportunity to familiarize yourself in detail with highways Ural mountains and main attractions.