The border of Asia and Europe: the history of study and the cultural and historical aspect

The question of where the border between Asia and Europe passes is of interest to scientists for more than one century. The reason for this is not only the constant updating of information about the flora, fauna and geological structure of our continent, but also a certain political and socio-economic aspect.

The key role in the notion of "the border of Asia and Europe" is played by the Ural Mountains, as well as the works of scientists of the 17th-18th centuries. As is known, right up to active development of eastern lands, the Urals was considered the main border between Russia and the Siberian Khanate. Even then, both local residents and colonizers noted a significant difference in the plant and animal life that was observed on different slopes of this mountain range.

The border of Europe and Asia on the map of the mid-18th century, drawn up in France, already divides these two parts of the world, although the watershed between them is quite conventional and has less a political and a political and cultural character. Indeed, the first scientific treatise on this issue can be considered the work of the Swedish researcher Philip Stratelberg, published in 1730. In this treatise more than twenty pages was devoted to the fact that it is the Ural Mountains that are the place where the border of Asia and Europe passes.

Almost simultaneously with the work of the Swede in Russia published a study of VN. Tatishcheva, who, for a long time engaged in the creation of mining plants, showed great interest in the geographical description of the Urals region. According to him, he managed to prove to Stratenberg that it is in the region of the Ural Mountains that the watershed between Europe and Asia lies. From that moment on, this provision practically turned into an axiom.

The border between Europe and Asia on the map is a very curious curve. So, in its northern part, this watershed is completely superimposed on the border of the Komi Republic, the Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansiysk districts. This is proved by the fact that all the rivers west of this line flow into the Volga, and to the east into the Ob.

Then the border of Asia and Europe passes between the Perm and Sverdlovsk regions, penetrating the latter after the railway station "Asian". Subsequently, the watershed reaches the Berezovaya Mountain, turning afterwards to Ekaterinburg. On this way, two memorable signs are now installed - on the old and new Moscow tracts, which symbolize this watershed, but none of them is exactly on the border.

Thus, the old pillar is located somewhat to the south. The whole point is that convicts, who were driven to work in Siberia, were saying goodbye to Russia and were eager to take a pinch of their native land with them. This same place was considered a watershed and visited by him in 1737 the future Emperor Alexander II. The new sign, established in 2004 by the company "Capital of the Urals", also does not coincide with the geographical boundary. But here the reason is more prosaic: this place is more convenient in terms of attracting tourists and developing all necessary infrastructure here.