Mountains of Russia: a fascinating variety of landscapes

Despite the fact that Russia is a huge state, the mountain peaks rise only on the outskirts of the country, with the exception of the Urals, which winds from the Arctic coasts to the hot southern steppes. The mountains of Russia are a relatively small part of the state, because in the great territory of the country the plains predominate.

Mountains of the Far East

To begin with, we suggest moving to the easternmost regions. The mountain ranges here are lined up in a neat row near the Pacific Ocean and thus create an almost continuous shaft. Near the Sea of Okhotsk is located in a single copy of the ridge Dzhugdzhur (1906 m). A little to the south the mountain belt extends considerably to 500 km and separates into several ridges.

On the peninsula of Kamchatka, mountain peaks grow higher and wider. The most significant is the Median Range (3621 m). The highest point of the peninsula is the Key Sopka with a height of 4750 m.

Mountains of the south of Siberia

On the contour of the southern border of the country are the largest mountains of Russia. This massif consists of the Altai, the Western Sayan, the uplands of Transbaikalia, the Eastern Sayan, the Baikal region, the Aldan Highlands and the Stanovoi Range. The entire mountain chain was formed in the era of Caledonian, Baikal, and Hercynian folding. The entire region is a zone of seismic activity, where the magnitude of earthquakes can vary from 5 to 7 points.

Since these mountains of Russia are in the heart of the state, the climate here is continental. The lowest temperatures are observed in intermontane basins, where heavy air stagnates regularly. In the mountains of Southern Siberia , such large rivers as Lena, Irtysh, Yenisei, Katun and others originate.

The Ural Mountains

The Ural Mountains on the map of Russia vertically cut almost all climatic zones of the country. The mountain system in this region was formed in the late Paleozoic. The mountain peaks of this region are mostly slightly less than 1500 meters high. The highest point of the Urals is Mount Payer, which is in the polar zone (about 1499 m). The lowest part is located on the border of the Kurgan region and the river Ui (102 m). The highest ridge is Zigalga, which is crowned by seven peaks over 1200 meters high.

Caucasus

The Caucasus is the most famous mountain in Russia. Its valleys and ridges are stretched between the Caspian and Black seas. There are reports that the Caucasian mountainous country is over 15 million years old. In addition, the height of the Caucasian peaks continues to rise by a couple of centimeters a year and in our time.

On the territory of Russia is only part of the massif - the northern ranges of the mountain system of the Greater Caucasus. The mountainous part of this region is relatively small, but it has a great variety of landscapes. The highest mountains of Russia are also located here. The highest peak of both the Caucasus and the country is Elbrus (5642 m). Mountain peaks with an average overflow of 5000 meters and more are in the Main, Side and Water dividing ranges. In this area, there are often devastating rockfalls and avalanches.

The mountain systems of Russia really amaze with their diversity and unique scenic views. Increasingly, the inhabitants of the plains are beckoning to the mountains, in order to enjoy their majestic beauty.