What is next to the Ural mountains. The highest point of the Ural mountains

From the swampy tundras of the Arctic, completely dotted with cloudberries, to the feather grass steppes of Kazakhstan, a grandiose natural stone structure, the Ural Mountains, stretches for more than 2,500 kilometers through vast plains covered with taiga. On a map or from a bird's eye view, you can see how they either expand as backstage parallel ridges, or narrow down to a “narrow” strip (only 30 km), sometimes they almost get lost among the hills overgrown with centuries-old trees, and suddenly suddenly soar in fantastic bulks dotted with scattering domes, over the taiga sea. The Ural Range is a continuous succession of diverse natural landscapes replacing each other.

Geography: Ural Mountains

This stone massif with the territories adjacent to it is usually divided into four parts: Polar, Subpolar, Middle and Southern Urals. Each of them has its own climatic conditions, its vegetation, its natural resources. If you look at the Ural Mountains on the map, you can see that they originate in the Arctic Ocean. The first peak is Konstantinov Kamen, its height is only 492 meters. This part of the mountain range is located on the territory of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Komi Republic. Subpolar Urals originates from the Saber massif and then stretches along the meridian 59 ° N. sh. It consists of two parallel ridges. The territory of the Subpolar Urals ends with a rather high peak (1569 m), which is called the Konzhakovsky Stone. The middle part of this monumental natural structure lies between 56 and 59 degrees. northern latitude. The geographical position of the Ural Mountains also changes here. The meridional strike is replaced by a south-southeast direction. The last, fourth, part of the Ural massif originates from Mount Yurma and extends to the southern tip of the ridge, which is the widest and reaches about 200 kilometers.

Poetic digression

These gray-haired mountain ranges, smoothed by winds and time, today can no longer impress with either the steepness or the height of the slopes, but their severe majesty fills the air with the aroma of eternity. Here, intermountain valleys sheltered a huge number of crystal-clear springs and lakes of wonderful turquoise hues. From the ancient peaks, emerald streams begin their long run to large lakes and rivers - Pechora, Ob, Kama. The slopes are overgrown with shrubs and trees, which, under a piercing wind, convulsively cling to the cracks in the dilapidated rocks - a delicate and fragile beauty opens up to the eyes of the traveler. The remnants of the virgin forest cling to the stern and gloomy stone guards, as if asking them for protection from humans, bringing death wild nature.

Natural characteristics of the Southern and Middle Urals

The nature of the southern part of the Ural ridge is soft and friendly. Mixed taiga covers the slopes. The cozy river valleys are inhabited by the Bashkir people, who gave names to most of the hills and rivers. Including the top of Yaman-Tau, which means "evil mountain". This peak of the Ural Mountains is the highest (1640 m) in these places. The middle part is the lowest of the entire Stone Belt. The abundance of rivers, carrying their waters among the majestic cliffs, enliven the space of wooded parmas (hills), where individual peaks rise above the border of the forest, drearily overlooking the green sea below. Here, on high ridges, one can meet both mountain tundra and real

Harsh North

Moving further north, the stone wall begins to gain height, the mountains look more and more severe and gloomy. It becomes clear why local residents they have been called so since ancient times. After all, the name "Ural" arose quite recently, in the 18th century, with light hand Tatishchev. And the people have always called and continue to call these mountains the Stone, or the Stone Belt. Even most of the peaks of the Urals have preserved the memory of this: Kosvinsky, Denezhkin, Konzhakovsky and many other stones. These giants reach up to the clouds, and the peaks are hidden behind a white curtain. From the description it can be seen that the unique geographical position of the Ural Mountains has absorbed various climatic and beauty of virgin nature cannot be expressed in words, it must be seen with one's own eyes.

If you go even further north, you can see the first caravans, snowfields and moraine ridges. Where fast river Shchugor rushes to Pechora, the giant Telpoz-Iz has risen, which means "nest of winds" in translation. This is the highest mountain of the Ural Mountains in this part of the Stone Belt, its height is 1617 m. It received its poetic name from the indigenous people - the Komi-Zyryans. A nest of winds stands out from total mass powerful rocky cliffs, strong winds and clouds almost constantly hanging over the slopes and the first glaciers. In the 15th century, the path through the Urals passed along the Shchugor River, and this notable peak was a landmark for travelers. Russian chronicles eloquently called her the Pillar. At the time, it was mistakenly believed that highest mountain Ural mountains. Further north you can see the Saber Peak (1497 m), it is clearly visible from the banks of the Pechora. In the middle of the 19th century, this peak also claimed the championship. And only in the 20th century the disputes ended, and it was established for certain that both of them are inferior to the mountain called Narodnaya, discovered in 1927.

The highest peak of the Ural Mountains: the history of discovery

In 1924-1928. in the northern unexplored regions of the Urals, an expedition of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR led by B. Gorodkov was carried out. In June 1927, one of her detachments (led by geologist A. Aleshko) reached the headwaters of the Naroda River. The expedition, surveying the area, discovered a number of peaks that surpassed all previously known then in the Stone Belt. The most high point The Ural Mountains was named Narodnaya in honor of the river near which it is located, and the tenth anniversary of the Soviet people (more on that below). In 1929, A. Aleshkov published a report of his expedition - "The Northern Urals (Lyapinsk Territory)". This was the first publication that reported on the highest peak of the Ural ridge. In addition, the author spoke about its neighbors: Karpinsky (1780 m) and Didkovsky (1750 m) peaks. With their discovery, disputes about primacy among the mountain peaks of this region (Saber, Telpoz-Iz, etc.) were over once and for all.

Folk or Folk?

Which syllable should be stressed? Scientists long time discussed this issue. Some claimed that the discoverer named it so in honor of the Soviet people. Their opponents argue that this highest mountain in the Ural Mountains takes its name from the Naroda River that flows at its foot. Naroda in translation from the Mansi language means "forest". It really originates in the forest. Meanwhile, scientists have found out that they called her Poengurr. Now it is impossible to find reliable information about what Aleshkov, the discoverer of the peak, had in mind. In his notes, he did not put stress and did not explain anything about this. So let's leave the disputes for scientists, and we ourselves will pay attention directly to this magnificent peak. The highest mountain of the Ural Mountains allows us to admire an indescribable panorama - the chaos of the mountains, a harsh, majestic and formidable land. Standing at the top of the peak, you understand that nothing has changed here, everything remains the same, like a hundred, two hundred or even a thousand years ago. Time freezes...

Popular tourist route

This is the highest mountain of the Ural Mountains and its environs extreme species recreation only in the late 50s of the last century. With the arrival of tourists here, the appearance of the mountain began to change. Various plaques and commemorative signs appeared here. Tourists have a custom - to leave notes on top. And in 1998 Orthodox Church installed here a worship cross, on which is written "Save and save." In 1999, the Christians went even further, they organized procession to the highest point of the Urals.

Description of Mount Narodnaya

The slopes of this majestic peak are covered with punishments - these are natural bowl-shaped depressions that are filled with ice and clear water. In addition, there are many large boulders. There are snowfields and glaciers. The relief in this part of the Stone Belt is mountainous, with deep gorges and sheer cliffs. Tourists must be very careful not to get hurt. Moreover, the nearest housing is very, very far away. You can climb Narodnaya Peak along the western ridge, but there are very rocky steeps and a lot of cars, which greatly complicates the ascent. It is easier to climb the northern slope - along the spurs of the mountain. BUT east side The peaks consist entirely of sheer walls and gorges.

Equipment

You don't need climbing equipment to climb this peak. Nevertheless, to make a hike in a deserted mountainous area, you should have a high-quality sports uniform. And in case of insufficient tourist experience, it is best to use the services of an experienced guide. It should be borne in mind that the climate of the circumpolar Urals is very severe. Here, even in summer, cold, changeable weather reigns. It is believed that the most favorable period for a trip to this region is July and the first half of August. When going on a trip, it should be borne in mind that the trip will last at least a week. There is no housing here, you will have to spend the night only in tents. Geographically, Mount Narodnaya belongs to the Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous region. If you are not limited in time, then you can visit another point - the top of Managara. She, of course, is lower than Narodnaya, but she can surprise you with her extraordinary beauty.

How to get to Narodnaya Peak?

First you need to get to railway to the Verkhnyaya Inta station (Komi Republic). Here at st. Dzerzhinsky, 27a is the office national park Yugyd Va. Participants of the hike must register and obtain permission to visit the territory. You need to know that the application is submitted in advance, 10 days before the trip. Having completed all the formalities, go to the bus station, from where you will get to the city of Inta. There is a hotel where you can stay, as it will take some time before being thrown into the mountain area. To do this, you will need to order a car that will take you to the Zhelannaya industrial base near Bolshoe Balbanty Lake. And from here on foot march 17 kilometers to the foot of the mountain along the Balbanyu River. Everything, the rise begins ...

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

In contact with

Geographic location

In which country the Ural Mountains are located, any schoolchild knows. 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 one into 2 continents: Europe and Asia. Starting from the coast of the Arctic Ocean, ends in the Kazakh desert. It stretches from south to north, and in some places it 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 one turns to the northeast, and the southern one turns to the southwest. Moreover, in this place the ridge merges with nearby hills.

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

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

The structure of the mountain system

In the annals of the 11th century, the Ural mountain system is mentioned as earth belt. This name is due to the length of the ridge. Conventionally, it is divided into 5 regions:

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

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

1. Arkhangelsk region
2. Republic of Komi.
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.

The 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 various configurations and ages. In some areas, and now preserved remnants of deep faults and elements of oceanic rocks. The system was formed almost at the same time as Altai, however, later it experienced smaller uplifts, resulting in a small "height" of the peaks.

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

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 can be attributed caves, grottoes, rocks etc. 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 on a physical map, we can conclude that most of the mineral development is carried out in the southern part of the region, and more precisely in Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and Orenburg regions. Almost all types of ores are mined here, and a deposit of emeralds, gold and platinum has been discovered not far from Alapaevsk and Nizhny Tagil in the Sverdlovsk Region.

The region of the lower foredeep of the western slope abounds in oil and gas wells. The northern part of the region is somewhat inferior in deposits, but this is offset by the fact that precious metals and stones predominate here.

Ural mountains - mining leader, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy and chemical industry. In addition, the region is in first place in Russia in terms of pollution level.

It should be taken into account, no matter how profitable the development of underground resources is, the harm nature more substantial is brought. Raising rocks from the depths of the mine is carried out by crushing with the release of a large amount of dust particles into the atmosphere.

Upstairs the fossils enter into chemical reaction with the environment, the oxidation process is carried out, and the chemical products obtained in this way again enter the air and water.

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

Peaks of the Urals

On the topographic map The Russian Ural Mountains are marked in light brown. This means that they do not have large indicators relative to sea level. Among natural areas we can emphasize the highest area 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 sites in each region of the system. Therefore, all the listed heights are recognized tourist sites successfully used by people leading an active lifestyle.

It can be seen on the map that the Polar region is medium in height and narrow in width.

The nearby Subpolar region has highest altitude, it is characterized by a sharp relief.

Of particular interest arises from the fact that several glaciers are concentrated here, one of which is extended in length by almost 1 000 m.

The height of the Ural Mountains in the Northern region is insignificant. The exceptions are a few peaks that rise above the entire range. 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 practically turn into hills. The terrain is practically resembles a flat.

Attention! The map of the south of the Ural Mountains with peaks over one and a half kilometers again reminds us of the involvement of the ridge in the huge mountain system that separates Asia from Europe!

Big cities

The physical map of the Ural Mountains with the cities marked on it proves that this area is considered to be abundantly populated. An exception can only be called the Polar and Subpolar Urals. Here several cities with a population of one million and a large number of those with more than 100,000 inhabitants.

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 was the reason for the large migration of people to the region, where similar developments were carried out. 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 under construction at the site of mining.

Yekaterinburg

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 a natural path lies, connecting Central Russia and Siberia. This influenced the development of infrastructure and the 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 Southern Range. And with the advent of railway communication with Moscow, it began to develop dynamically and turned into one of the largest industrial centers of the country.

Over the past 20 years, the ecology of the region has deteriorated significantly, which has led to an outflow of the 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 to the 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 km. In terms of size, it is one of the five largest Russian cities. In the ratio of the number of population and the occupied area, each inhabitant accounts for about 700 m2 of urban area.

In addition to millionaires, there are cities with a population of less than the indicated number near the Ural Mountains. First of all, you need to name the capitals of administrative centers, which include the following: Orenburg - 564,445 people and Perm - 995,589. In addition to them, you can add some more cities:

1. Nizhny Tagil - 355,694.
2. Nizhnevartovsk - 270 865.
3. Surgut - 306 789.
4. Nefteyugansk - 123,567.
5. Magnitogorsk - 408 418.
6. Chrysostom - 174 572.
7. Miass - 151 397.

Important! Information on the number of population is presented as of the end of 2016!

Geology: Ural Mountains

Ural region. Geographical location, main features of nature

Conclusion

Although the height of the Ural Mountains is not great, they are the object of close attention from climbers, tourists and just people leading an active lifestyle. Anyone, even the most sophisticated person, can find a hobby here to their liking.

The Ural Mountains are a range on the border of Europe and Asia, as well as natural border within, to the east of which - Siberia and Far East, and to the west European part countries.

BELT MOUNTAINS

In the old days, for travelers approaching the Urals from the east or west, these mountains really seemed like a belt that tightly intercepted the plain, dividing it into the Cis-Urals and the Trans-Urals.

The Ural Mountains are a mountain range on the border of Europe and Asia, stretching from north to south. In geography, the division of these mountains according to the nature of the relief is accepted, natural conditions and other features in Pai-Khoi, Polar Urals, Subpolar.

Northern, Middle, Southern Urals and Mugod-zhary. It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of the Ural Mountains and the Urals: in more broad sense the territory of the Urals includes the regions adjacent to the mountain system - the Urals, Cis-Urals and Trans-Urals.

The relief of the Ural Mountains is the main watershed range and several side ranges separated by wide depressions. On the Far North- glaciers and snowfields, in the middle part - mountains with smoothed peaks.

The Ural Mountains are old, they are about 300 million years old, they are noticeably eroded. The highest peak - Mount Narodnaya - is about two kilometers high.

The watershed of large rivers runs along the mountain range: the Ural rivers belong mainly to the basin of the Caspian Sea (Kama with Chusovaya and Belaya, Ural). Pechora, Tobol and others belong to the system of one of largest rivers Siberia - Ob. There are many lakes on the eastern slope of the Urals.

The landscapes of the Ural Mountains are predominantly forested, there is a noticeable difference in the nature of vegetation on different sides of the mountains: on the western slope - mainly dark coniferous, spruce-fir forests (in the Southern Urals - mixed and broad-leaved in places), on the eastern slope - light coniferous pine-larch forests. In the south - forest-steppe and steppe (mostly plowed).

The Ural Mountains have long been of interest to geographers, including from the point of view of their unique location. In the era ancient rome these mountains seemed to scientists so distant that they were seriously called Riphean, or Ripean: literally translated from Latin - "coastal", and in an expanded sense - "mountains at the edge of the earth." They received the name Hyperborean (from the Greek "extreme northern") on behalf of the mythical country of Hyperborea, it was used for a thousand years, until in 1459 the Fra Mauro world map appeared, on which the "edge of the world" was shifted beyond the Urals.

It is believed that the mountains were discovered by the Novgorodians in 1096, during one of the campaigns to Pechora and Ugra by a team of Novgorod ushkuiniki, who were engaged in fur trade, trade and collection of yasak. At that time, the mountains did not receive any name. At the beginning of the XV century. Russian settlements appear on the upper Kama - Anfalovsky town and Sol-Kama.

First famous name these mountains are contained in documents at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries, where they are called Stone: this is how any large rock or cliff was called in Ancient Russia. On the "Big Drawing" - the first map of the Russian state, compiled in the second half of the 16th century. - Ural is designated as Big Stone. In the XVI-XVIII centuries. the name Belt appears, reflecting the geographical position of the mountains between two plains. There are such variants of names as Big Stone, Big Belt, Stone Belt, Big Belt Stone.

The name "Ural" was originally used only for the territory of the Southern Urals and was taken from Bashkir language, which meant "height" or "elevation". By the middle of the XVIII century. the name "Ural Mountains" is already applied to the entire mountain system.

ALL MENDELEEV'S TABLE

This figurative expression is resorted to whenever it is required to give a short and colorful description. natural resources Ural mountains.

The antiquity of the Ural Mountains created unique conditions for the development of minerals: as a result of prolonged destruction by erosion, the deposits literally came to the surface. The combination of energy sources and raw materials predetermined the development of the Urals as a mining region.

Iron, copper, chromium and nickel ores, potash salts, asbestos, coal, precious and semi-precious stones - Ural gems - have been mined here since ancient times. Since the middle of the XX century. oil and gas fields are being developed.

Russia has long been developing the lands adjacent to the Ural Mountains, occupying the Komi-Permyak towns, annexing the Udmurt and Bashkir territories: in the middle of the 16th century. after the defeat of the Kazan Khanate, most of Bashkiria and the Kama part of Udmurtia voluntarily became part of Russia. A special role in securing Russia in the Urals was played by the Ural Cossacks, who received the highest permission to engage in free arable farming here. The merchants Stroganovs laid the foundation for the purposeful development of the wealth of the Ural Mountains, having received from Tsar Ivan IV a charter on the Ural lands "and what lies in them."

At the beginning of the XVIII century. large-scale factory construction began in the Urals, caused by the needs of both economic development country, and the needs of the military departments. Under Peter I, copper-smelting and iron foundries were built here, and subsequently large industrial centers were formed around them: Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Nizhny Tagil, Zlatoust. Gradually, the Ural Mountains found themselves in the center of the largest mining region in Russia, along with Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In the era of the USSR, the Urals became one of the industrial centers of the country, the most famous enterprises are the Ural Heavy Machinery Plant (Uralmash), the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (ChTZ), the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Plant (Magnitogorsk). During the years of the Great Patriotic War industrial production was exported to the Urals from the territories of the USSR occupied by the Germans.

In recent decades, the industrial importance of the Ural Mountains has declined markedly: many deposits are almost exhausted, the level of pollution environment pretty big.

The bulk of the local population lives on the territory of the Ural economic region and in the Republic of Bashkortostan. In more northern regions belonging to the Northwestern and Western Siberian economic regions, the population is extremely rare.

During the industrial development of the Ural Mountains, as well as the plowing of the surrounding lands, hunting and deforestation, the habitats of many animals were destroyed, and many species of animals and birds disappeared, among them - a wild horse, saiga, bustard, little bustard. Herds of deer, which used to graze throughout the Urals, now migrated deep into the tundra. However measures taken for the protection and reproduction of the fauna of the Urals managed to be preserved in the reserves brown bear, wolf, wolverine, fox, sable, ermine, lynx. Where it has not yet been possible to restore populations of local species, acclimatization of imported individuals is being successfully carried out: for example, in the Ilmensky Reserve - sika deer, beaver, deer, raccoon dog, American mink.

SIGHTS OF THE URAL MOUNTAINS

Natural:

■ Pechoro-Ilychsky, Visimsky, Basegi, South Ural, Shulgan-Tash, Orenburg steppe, Bashkir reserves, Ilmensky mineralogical reserve.

■ Divya, Arakaevskaya, Sugomakskaya, Kungurskaya ice and Kapova caves.

■ Rocky outcrops of the Seven Brothers.

■ Chertovo Settlement and Stone Tents.

■ Bashkir National Park, Yugyd Va National Park (Komi Republic).

■ Hoffmann Glacier (Saber Ridge).

■ Azov Mountain.

■ Alikaev Stone.

■ Natural Park Deer Brooks.

■ Blue Mountains pass.

■ Revun rapids (Iset river).

■ Zhigalan waterfalls (River Zhigalan).

■ Aleksandrovskaya Sopka.

■ Taganay National Park.

■ Ustinovskiy Canyon.

■ Gumerovskoye gorge.

■ Red Key spring.

■ Sterlitamak shikhans.

■ Krasnaya Krucha.

■ Sterlitamak shikhans in Bashkiria are ancient Coral reefs formed at the bottom of the Perm Sea. This is amazing place is located near the city of Sterlitamak and consists of several high cone-shaped hills. A unique geological monument, whose age is more than 230 million years.

■ The peoples of the Urals still use the names of the Urals in their languages: Mansi - Ner, Khanty - Kev, Komi - Iz, Nenets - Pe or Igarka Pe. In all languages ​​it means the same thing - "stone". Among the Russians who have long lived in the north of the Urals, a tradition has also been preserved to call these mountains Kamen.

■ The bowls of the St. Petersburg Hermitage were made from Ural malachite and jasper, as well as the interior decoration and the altar of the St. Petersburg Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

■ Scientists have not yet found an explanation for the mysterious natural phenomenon: in the Ural lakes Uvildy, Bolshoi Kisegach and Turgoyak unusual clear water. In neighboring lakes, it is completely muddy.

■ The top of Mount Kachkanar is a collection of bizarrely shaped rocks, many of which have proper names. The most famous of them is Camel Rock.

■ In the past the richest deposits high-quality iron ore from the Magnitnaya, Vysoka and Blagodat mountains, known all over the world and listed in all textbooks on geology, are currently either razed or turned into quarries hundreds of meters deep.

■ The ethnographic image of the Urals was created by three streams of settlers: Russian Old Believers who fled here in the 17th-18th centuries, peasants transferred to the Ural factories from the European part of Russia (mainly from modern Tula and Ryazan regions) and Ukrainians, attracted as an additional work force in early XIX in.

■ In 1996, the Yugyd Va National Park, together with the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve, with which the park borders in the south, was included in the list of World natural heritage UNESCO under the name virgin forests Komi.

■ Alikaev Stone - a 50-meter rock on the Ufa River. The second name of the rock is Maryin cliff. The TV movie “Shadows Disappear at Noon” was filmed here, about life in the Ural outback. It was from the Alikaev stone, according to the plot of the film, that the Menshikov brothers threw off the chairman of the collective farm, Marya Krasnaya. Since then, the stone has a second name - Maryin cliff.

■ The Zhigalan waterfalls on the Zhigalan River, on the eastern slope of the Kvarkush ridge, form a 550 m long cascade. With a river length of about 8 km, the elevation difference from source to mouth is almost 630 m.

■ Sugomak cave is the only cave in the Ural Mountains, 123 m long, formed in marble rock. There are only a few such caves on the territory of Russia.

■ The Krasny Klyuch spring is the most powerful water source in Russia and the second largest in the world after the Fontaine de Vaucluse vault spring. The water flow of the Red Key spring is 14.88 m3/sec. Landmark of Bashkiria in the status of a hydrological monument of nature of federal significance.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Location: between the East European and West Siberian plains.

Geographical division: Pai-Khoi ridge. Polar Urals (from Konstantinov Kamen to the headwaters of the Khulga River), Subpolar Urals (the section between the Khulga and Shchugor rivers), Northern Urals (Voi) (from the Shchugor River to Kosvinsky Kamen and Mount Oslyanka), Middle Ural(Shor) (from Mount Oslyanka to the Ufa River) and the Southern Urals (the southern part of the mountains below the city of Orsk), Mugodzhary ().

Economic regions: Ural, Volga, North-Western, West Siberian.

Administrative affiliation: Russian Federation (Perm, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Orenburg, Arkhangelsk and Tyumen regions, Udmurt Republic, Republic of Bashkortostan, Republic of Komi), Kazakhstan (Aktobe region).

Large cities: Ekaterinburg - 1,428,262 people. (2015), Chelyabinsk - 1,182,221 people. (2015), Ufa - 1,096,702 people. (2014), Perm - 1,036,476 people. (2015), Izhevsk - 642,024 people. (2015), Orenburg - 561,279 people. (2015), Magnitogorsk - 417,057 people. (2015), Nizhny Tagil - 356,744 people. (2015), Kurgan - 326,405 people. (2015).

Languages: Russian, Bashkir, Udmurt, Komi-Permyak, Kazakh.
Ethnic composition: Russians, Bashkirs, Udmurts, Komi, Kazakhs.
Religions: Orthodoxy, Islam, traditional beliefs.
Monetary unit: ruble, tenge.

Rivers: the Caspian Sea basin (Kama with Chusovaya and Belaya, Ural), the Arctic Ocean basin (Pechora with Usa; Tobol, Iset, Tura belong to the Ob system).

Lakes: Tavatui, Argazi, Uvildy, Turgoyak, Big Pike.

CLIMATE

Continental.
Average January temperature: from -20°C (Polar Urals) to -15°C (Southern Urals).
Average temperature in July: from + 9°С (Polar Urals) to +20°С (Southern Urals).
Average annual precipitation: Subpolar and Northern Urals - 1000 mm, Southern Urals - 650-750 mm.
Relative humidity: 60-70%.

ECONOMY

Minerals: iron, copper, chromium, nickel, potassium salts, asbestos, coal, oil.
Industry: mining, iron and steel non-ferrous metallurgy, heavy engineering, chemical and petrochemical, fertilizer, electrical engineering.
Hydroelectric power industry: Pavlovskaya, Yuma-guzinskaya, Shirokovskaya, Iriklinskaya HPPs.
Forestry.
Agriculture: crop production (wheat, rye, horticultural crops), animal husbandry (large cattle, pig breeding).
Traditional crafts: artistic processing of Ural gems, knitting of Orenburg downy shawls.
Service sector: tourism, transport, trade.

The Ural Mountains, also called the "Stone Belt of the Urals", are represented by a mountain system surrounded by two plains (East European and West Siberian). These ranges act as a natural barrier between the Asian and European territory, and are among the oldest mountains in the world. Their composition is represented by several parts - polar, southern, subpolar, northern and middle.

Ural Mountains: where are they located

feature geographical location of this system is considered to be the extent from the northern to the southern direction. Hills adorn the mainland of Eurasia, mainly covering two countries - Russia and Kazakhstan. Part of the array is spread in the Arkhangelsk, Sverdlovsk, Orenburg, Chelyabinsk regions, Perm region, Bashkortostan. Coordinates natural object- the mountains run parallel to the 60th meridian.

The length of this mountain range is more than 2500 km, and the absolute height of the main peak is 1895 m. The average height of the Ural mountains is 1300-1400 m.

To the highest peaks array include:

The highest point is located on the border separating the Republic of Komi and the territory of Yugra (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug).

The Ural Mountains reach the shores belonging to the Arctic Ocean, then hide under water for some distance, continue on Vaigach and the archipelago New Earth. Thus, the massif extended northward for another 800 km. The maximum width of the "Stone Belt" is about 200 km. In some places it narrows to 50 km or more.

Origin story

Geologists say that the Ural Mountains have a complex way of origin, as evidenced by the variety of rocks in their structure. Mountain ranges are associated with the era of the Hercynian folding (late Paleozoic), and their age reaches 600,000,000 years.

The system was formed as a result of the collision of two huge plates. The beginning of these events was preceded by a gap in the earth's crust, after the expansion of which an ocean was formed, which disappeared over time.

Researchers believe that the distant ancestors of the modern system have undergone significant changes over the course of many millions of years. Today, a stable situation prevails in the Ural Mountains, and any significant movements from the side earth's crust missing. The last strong earthquake (with a power of about 7 points) occurred in 1914.

Nature and wealth of the "Stone Belt"

Staying in the Ural Mountains, you can admire impressive views, visit various caves, swim in lake water, experience adrenaline emotions, going down along the flow of raging rivers. It is convenient to travel here in any way - by private cars, buses or on foot.

The fauna of the "Stone Belt" is diverse. In places where spruce grows, it is represented by squirrels that feed on seeds. coniferous trees. After the arrival of winter, red animals feed on self-prepared supplies (mushrooms, pine nuts). Abundant in mountain forests there are martens. These predators settle nearby with squirrels and periodically hunt for them.

The ridges of the Ural Mountains are rich in furs. Unlike the dark Siberian counterparts, the sables of the Urals have a reddish color. The hunting of these animals is prohibited by law, which allows them to freely breed in the mountain forests. In the Ural Mountains there is enough space for wolves, elks, and bears to live. zone overgrown mixed forest, is a favorite place for roe deer. Foxes and hares live on the plains.

The Ural Mountains hide a variety of minerals in the bowels. Hills are fraught with asbestos, platinum, gold deposits. There are also deposits of gems, gold and malachite.

Climate characteristic

Most of the Ural mountain system covers the zone temperate climate. If in the summer season you move along the perimeter of the mountains from the north to the south, you can record that the temperature indicators begin to increase. In summer, the temperature fluctuates at +10-12 degrees in the north and +20 in the south. AT winter time years, the temperature indicators acquire less contrast. With the onset of January, northern thermometers show about -20 ° C, in the south - from -16 to -18 degrees.

The climate of the Urals is closely related to the air currents arriving from Atlantic Ocean. Most of the precipitation (up to 800 mm during the year) permeates the western slopes. In the eastern part, such indicators decrease to 400-500 mm. In winter, this zone of the mountain system is under the influence of an anticyclone coming from Siberia. In the south, in autumn and winter, one should count on cloudy and cold weather.

Fluctuations typical of the local climate are largely due to mountainous terrain. With increasing altitude, the weather becomes more severe, and temperature indicators vary significantly in different parts of the slopes.

Description of local attractions

The Ural Mountains can be proud of many sights:

1. Deer Streams Park.
2. Reserve "Rezhevskoy".
3. Kungur cave.
4. An ice fountain located in the Zyuratkul park.
5. "Bazhov places".

Deer Streams Park located in the city of Nizhniye Sergi. lovers ancient history the local Pisanitsa rock, dotted with drawings of ancient artists, will become interesting. Other prominent places in this park are the caves and the Big Pit. Here you can walk along special paths, visit observation platforms, cross to Right place by cable car.

Reserve "Rezhevskoy" attracts all connoisseurs of gems. This protected area contains deposits of precious and semi-precious stones. It is forbidden to walk here on your own - you can stay on the territory of the reserve only under the supervision of employees.

The territory of the reserve is crossed by the river Rezh. On its right bank is the Shaitan-stone. Many Urals consider it magical, helping in solving various problems. That is why people who want to fulfill their dreams are constantly coming to the stone.

Length Kungur ice cave- about 6 kilometers, of which tourists can visit only a quarter. In it you can see numerous lakes, grottoes, stalactites and stalagmites. To enhance the visual effects, there is a special backlight. The cave owes its name to the constant sub-zero temperature. To enjoy the local beauties, you need to have winter things with you.

It originated from the Zyuratkul National Park, located near the city of Satka, Chelyabinsk Region, thanks to the appearance of a geological well. It is worth looking at only in winter. During the frosty season, this underground fountain freezes and takes the form of a 14-meter icicle.

Park "Bazhovskie Places" associated with the famous and beloved by many book " Malachite Box". In this place, full-fledged conditions for vacationers are created. You can go on an exciting walk on foot, by bike, on horseback, while admiring the picturesque landscapes.

Anyone can cool off here in the lake waters or climb the Markov stone hill. In the summer season, numerous extreme sports enthusiasts come to Bazhovskie Places in order to go downstream mountain rivers. In winter, you can experience just as much adrenaline in the park while walking on a snowmobile.

Recreation centers in the Urals

All the necessary conditions have been created for visitors to the Ural Mountains. Recreation centers are located in places remote from noisy civilization, in quiet corners pristine nature often on the shores of local lakes. Depending on personal preferences, here you can stay in complexes with a modern design or in antique buildings. In any case, travelers are waiting for comfort and polite, caring staff.

The bases provide rental of cross-country and alpine skis, kayaks, tubing, snowmobile trips with an experienced driver are available. On the territory of the guest zone there are traditionally located barbecue areas, a Russian bath with billiards, children's play houses and playgrounds. In such places, you can definitely forget about the bustle of the city, and fully relax on your own or with the whole family, taking unforgettable photos for memory.