Plains and lowlands of Eurasia on the map. The highest mountains of Eurasia

And highlands (Himalayas, Tibet) and a deep depression of land (Dead Sea basin). In Eurasia, plains, plateaus and mountains occupy approximately the same area.

The plains of Eurasia of different heights are located on platforms. They are enormous in size and extend for thousands of kilometers. Thus, the East European Plain, which lies on the ancient Eastern Platform, is one of the largest plains in the world. Its relief is complex: elevations (Central Russian, etc.) alternate with lowlands (Black Sea, Caspian - Lowlands, lying 28 m below sea level). It is located in the eastern part of Europe. Since most of it is located within the borders of the Russian Federation, the East European Plain is sometimes called the Russian Plain. In the northwestern part it is limited by the mountains of Scandinavia, in the southwestern part by the Sudetes and other mountains of central Europe, in the southeastern part by the Caucasus, and in the east by the Urals. From the north, the Russian Plain is washed by the waters of the White and Barents seas, and from the south by the Black, Azov and Caspian seas.

The length of the plain from north to south is more than 2.5 thousand kilometers, and from west to east – 1 thousand kilometers. Almost the entire length of the East European Plain is dominated by gently sloping terrain. The majority of Russia's population and most of the country's large cities are concentrated within the territory of the East European Plain. It was here that the Russian state was formed many centuries ago, which later became the largest country in the world by its territory. A significant part of Russia's natural resources is also concentrated here.

The East European Plain almost completely coincides with the East European Platform. This circumstance explains its flat terrain, as well as the absence of significant natural phenomena associated with the movement of the earth's crust (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions). Small hilly areas within the East European Plain arose as a result of faults and other complex tectonic processes. The height of some hills and plateaus reaches 600-1000 meters. In ancient times, the Baltic shield of the East European Platform was at the center of glaciation, as evidenced by some forms of glacial relief.

On the territory of the Russian Plain, platform deposits lie almost horizontally, making up lowlands and hills that form the surface topography. Where the folded foundation protrudes to the surface, hills and ridges are formed (for example, the Central Russian Upland and the Timan Ridge). On average, the height of the Russian Plain is about 170 meters above sea level. The lowest areas are on the Caspian coast (its level is approximately 30 meters below the level of the World Ocean).

Glaciation left its mark on the formation of the relief of the East European Plain. This impact was most pronounced in the northern part of the plain. As a result of the passage of the glacier through this territory, many lakes arose (Chudskoye, Pskovskoye, Beloe and others). These are the consequences of one of the most recent glaciers. In the southern, southeastern and eastern parts, which were subject to glaciations in an earlier period, their consequences were smoothed out by erosion processes. As a result of this, a number of hills (Smolensk-Moscow, Borisoglebskaya, Danilevskaya and others) and lake-glacial lowlands (Caspian, Pechora) were formed.

Even further south is a zone of hills and lowlands, elongated in the meridional direction. Among the hills one can note Priazovskaya, Central Russian, and Volga. Here they also alternate with plains: Meshcherskaya, Oksko-Donskaya, Ulyanovskaya and others.

Even further south are the coastal lowlands, which in ancient times were partially submerged under sea level. The flat relief here was partially corrected by water erosion and other processes, as a result of which the Black Sea and Caspian lowlands were formed.

As a result of the passage of the glacier through the territory of the East European Plain, valleys were formed, tectonic depressions expanded, and even some rocks were polished. Another example of the influence of the glacier is the winding deep bays of the Kola Peninsula. When the glacier retreated, not only lakes formed, but also concave sandy depressions appeared. This happened as a result of the deposition of a large amount of sandy material. Thus, over many millennia, the multifaceted relief of the East European Plain was formed.

Some of the rivers flowing through the territory of the East European Plain belong to the basins of two oceans: the Arctic (Northern Dvina, Pechora) and the Atlantic (Neva, Western Dvina), while others flow into the Caspian Sea, which has no connection with the world ocean. The longest and most abundant river in Europe, the Volga, flows along the Russian Plain.

On the East European Plain there are almost all types of natural zones found in Russia. Along the coast of the Barents Sea, the subtropical zone is dominated by tundra. To the south, in the temperate zone, a strip of forests begins, which stretches from Polesie to the Urals. It includes both coniferous taiga and mixed forests, which in the west gradually turn into deciduous ones. To the south begins the transition zone of the forest-steppe, and beyond it the steppe zone. A small strip of deserts and semi-deserts begins on the territory of the Caspian lowland.

As mentioned above, on the territory of the Russian Plain there are no natural events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Although some tremors (up to magnitude 3) are still possible, they cannot cause damage and are recorded only by highly sensitive instruments. The most dangerous natural phenomena that can occur on the territory of the Russian Plain are tornadoes and floods. The main environmental problem is the pollution of soil, rivers, lakes and the atmosphere with industrial waste, since many industrial enterprises are concentrated in this part of Russia.

The West Siberian Plain (West Siberian Lowland) is one of the largest accumulative lowland plains on the globe. It extends from the shores of the Kara Sea to the steppes of Kazakhstan and from the Urals in the west to the Central Siberian Plateau in the east. The plain has the shape of a trapezoid tapering towards the north: the distance from its southern border to the northern reaches almost 2500 km, the width is from 800 to 1900 km, and the area is only slightly less than 3 million km2. It occupies the entire western part of Siberia from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Central Siberian Plateau in the east, and includes regions of Russia and Kazakhstan. The geographical position of the West Siberian Plain determines the transitional nature of its climate between the moderate continental climate of the Russian Plain and the sharply continental climate of Central Siberia. Therefore, the country’s landscapes are distinguished by a number of unique features: the natural zones here are somewhat shifted to the north compared to the Russian Plain, there is no zone of broad-leaved forests, and landscape differences within the zones are less noticeable than on the Russian Plain.

The Great Chinese Plain is washed in the east by the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, in the north it is bounded by the Yanshan Mountains, in the west by the Taihangshan ridge, the eastern slopes of which break off towards the plain with steep ledges up to 1000 m high, in the southwest by the Tongboshan and Dabeshan ridges, in the south merges with the plain along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The length from north to south is more than 1000 km. The area is about 325 thousand km2.

In the western foothill zone (formed by ancient alluvial cones), the height of the plain is about 100 m; towards the sea it decreases to 50 m or less. This part of the plain is completely flat, with slight slopes, and is replete with shallow depressions filled with flood waters. Many depressions are swampy and occupied by small lakes. In the east, within the plain, are the island Shandong Mountains.

It is composed of a thick layer of alluvial sediments (mainly redeposited loess) of the Yellow, Huaihe, Haihe, Luanhe and other rivers. All rivers are characterized by a monsoon regime with sharp seasonal fluctuations in flow. Summer maximum river flows often exceed spring minimums by more than 100 times. The solid runoff, as well as the accumulation of river sediment, is exceptionally large, which led to the fact that the river beds, including the Yellow River, rose in places up to 10 m above the surrounding area, creating a threat of breaking through protective structures on the banks during periods of heavy floods. Frequent catastrophic floods were accompanied by repeated significant movements of the channels of the Yellow and Huaihe rivers. The Grand Canal crosses the plain from north to south.

The climate is subtropical monsoon with humid summers and dry, cool winters. In winter, cold, dry air prevails, coming from the interior of Asia. The average January temperature in the north is –4––2 °C, in the south up to +8–+12 °C. Summer is hot and rainy, the average temperature in July is from +25 to +28 °C. Precipitation ranges from 400-500 mm per year in the north to 750-1000 mm in the south. Their summer maximum is clearly expressed with a small amount in winter, as well as in transition seasons. The timing of the onset and end of the summer monsoon and its intensity are extremely variable from year to year, which is associated with both periodic severe droughts and heavy, prolonged downpours.

Most of it is plowed (wheat, cotton, rice, peanuts). The previously growing broad-leaved forests with an admixture of evergreen subtropical elements in the south are no longer preserved. There are planted groves of ash, poplar, thuja, and pine. Fertile alluvial soils predominate, greatly altered by agricultural cultivation.

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The greatest continent on Earth. It occupies 1/3 of the entire landmass. The area of ​​Eurasia is 53.4 million km2. It is formed by two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. The conventional border between them is usually drawn along the Ural Mountains; the maritime border runs along the Black and Azov Seas, as well as along the straits connecting the Black and Mediterranean Seas. The name "Europa" comes from the legend that the Phoenician king Agenor had a daughter, Europa. Almighty Zeus fell in love with her, turned into a bull and kidnapped her. He took her to the island of Crete. There Europe first set foot on the land of that part of the world that has since bear its name. Asia - the designation of one of the provinces to the east of the Aegean Sea, this was the name of the Scythian tribes before the Caspian Sea (Asians, Asians).

The coastline is very indented and forms a large number of peninsulas and bays. The largest peninsulas are the Arabian and Hindustan. The continent is washed by the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic and Indian oceans. The seas they form are deepest in the east and south of the continent. Scientists and navigators from many countries took part in the exploration of the continent. The studies of P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky and N.M. acquired particular importance. Przhevalsky.

Relief of Eurasia complex. The mainland is significantly higher than the others. The highest mountain in the world is located in the Himalayan Mountains - Chomolungma (Everest) with a height of 8848 m. 14 peaks of Eurasia exceed the highest peaks of other continents. The plains of Eurasia are enormous in size and stretch for thousands of kilometers, the largest of which are: East European, West Siberian, Central Siberian Plateau, Indo-Gangetic, East Chinese. Unlike other continents, the central regions of Eurasia are occupied by mountains, while the plains are occupied by coastal areas. Eurasia also has the deepest land basin: the shores of the Dead Sea are located 395 meters below sea level. This diversity of relief can only be explained by the historical development of the continent, which is based on the Eurasian lithospheric plate. It contains more ancient sections of the earth's crust - platforms to which the plains are confined, and folding zones that connected these platforms, expanding the area of ​​the continent.

On the southern borders of the Eurasian plate, where it meets other lithospheric plates, powerful mountain-building processes have occurred and are occurring, leading to the emergence of the highest mountain systems. This is accompanied by intense volcanic activity and earthquakes. One of them in 1923 destroyed the capital of Japan, Tokyo. More than 100 thousand people died.

The continent was also influenced by the ancient glaciation that captured the north of the continent. It changed the surface of the earth, smoothed out the peaks, and left numerous moraines. Eurasia is exceptionally rich in mineral resources of both sedimentary and igneous origin.

Eurasia is a continent of great contrasts. This is the only continent where all climatic zones are represented: from the Arctic to the equatorial. Over 1/4 of the territory in the north of the continent is occupied by permafrost, and about the same amount is sultry deserts and semi-deserts. The pole of cold is located in Eurasia - in the northeast of the continent, on the Oymyakon Highlands. Here the air is cooled to -70°C. At the same time, in the deserts of India, the temperature in summer rises to +53°C. On the territory of Eurasia there is also one of the wettest places on earth - Cherrapunji. Many rivers flow through the territory of Eurasia, the length of many of them is about 5 thousand kilometers. These are the Yangtze, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur, Yellow River, Mekong. The largest lake in the world - the Caspian Sea - is also located on the mainland. The deepest lake, Baikal, is also located here. It contains 20% of the fresh water on Earth. Continental ice is an important reservoir of fresh water.

Eurasia is more diverse than other continents of the globe: from arctic deserts to equatorial forests.

The most populated continent. More than 3/4 of all the world's inhabitants live here. The eastern and southern regions of the mainland are especially densely populated. In terms of the diversity of nationalities living on the mainland, Eurasia differs from other continents. Slavic peoples live in the north: Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles, Czechs, Bulgarians, Serbs, and others. South Asia is inhabited by numerous Indian and Chinese peoples.

Eurasia is the cradle of ancient civilizations.

Geographical position: Northern hemisphere between 0°E. d. and 180° east. etc., some of the islands lie in the Southern Hemisphere.

Area of ​​Eurasia: about 53.4 million sq. km.

Extreme points of Eurasia:

The northernmost point of the island is Cape Fligeli, 81°51` N. sh.;

The northernmost continental point is Cape Chelyuskin, 77°43` N. sh.;

The easternmost point of the island is Ratmanov Island, 169°0` W. d.;

The easternmost continental point is Cape Dezhnev, 169°40` W. d.;

The southernmost point of the island is South Island, 12°4` S. sh.;

The southernmost continental point is Cape Piai, 1°16` N. sh.;

The westernmost point of the island is the Monchique rock, 31°16` W. d.;

The westernmost continental point is Cape Roca, 9°30` W. d.

Climatic zones of Eurasia: Arctic, subarctic, temperate, subtropical, Mediterranean, tropical, subequatorial, equatorial.

Geology of Eurasia: On the territory of Eurasia there are the East European, Siberian, Chinese-Korean, South Chinese, and Indian platforms.

Relief of Eurasia: the average height of the continent is 830 m; on the territory of Eurasia there are mountain systems: the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, Tien Shan, Altai, Alps, Caucasus, Karakorum, Kun-Lun, Tibet, Ural Mountains, Pamir, Carpathians, mountains of Southern Siberia, mountains North-Eastern Siberia; Sayano-Tuva Plateau, Deccan Plateau, Central Siberian Plateau; plains: East European, West Siberian, Great Chinese, Indo-Gangetic; Turanian lowland.

Additional information on Eurasia: Eurasia is washed by the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans; the length of the continent from west to east is 16 thousand km, from north to south – 8 thousand km; More than 4.3 billion people live in Eurasia.

Countries of Europe
Asian countries
Geography of Eurasia.
.Relief, history of development.
Climate of Eurasia.
Inland waters of Eurasia.
Natural zones of Eurasia.
Rivers of Europe
Rivers of Asia
Map of Eurasia
Geographical location, size of territory and nature of the coastline of Eurasia
Brief information from the history of the discovery and exploration of the Eurasian continent
Relief and geological structure, minerals of Eurasia
Report - climate of Eurasia
Report – Inland waters of Eurasia
Report – Natural areas of Eurasia
Physico-geographical zoning of Eurasia
Population and political map of Eurasia

Geography
General geography

Continents

Eurasia

Geographical position

Eurasia- the largest continent on the planet. It occupies 1/3 of the land (54.3 million km2). Eurasia is formed by two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, the conventional border between which is the Ural Mountains (Fig. 26). The continent is entirely located in the Northern Hemisphere. In the north it goes far beyond the Arctic Circle (Cape Chelyuskin), and in the south it almost reaches the equator (Cape Piai). Only the Greater Sunda Islands lie in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the continent is in the Eastern Hemisphere. Only the extreme western and eastern parts with a number of islands lie in the Western Hemisphere. The westernmost point is Cape Roka, and the easternmost point is Cape Dezhnev.

Rice. 26. Eurasia
Eurasia is the only continent that is washed by all oceans: in the north - the Arctic, in the south - the Indian, in the west - the Atlantic, in the east - the Pacific. It has a significant shelf zone, a very indented coastline and the largest number of islands and peninsulas.
Eurasia is closest to Africa, from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal. The Bering Strait separates Eurasia from North America. In the distant past, the southeastern part of Eurasia was connected by a land bridge to Australia. Now this connection has been lost. South America and Antarctica are located very far from Eurasia.

Relief features

Eurasia is significantly higher than other continents (except Antarctica); the highest mountain systems of the planet are located on its territory - the Himalayas, Kun Lun, Hindu Kush, Pamir. The plains of Eurasia are large in size, there are much more of them than on other continents. Eurasia has the largest amplitude of heights (the city of Chomolungma, 8848 m - the Dead Sea depression, 395 m). Unlike other continents, mountains in Eurasia are located not only on the outskirts, but also in the center. There are two huge mountain belts: Pacific (most mobile) in the east and Alpine-Himalayan in the south and west.
The relief of Eurasia was formed within several ancient platforms, connected by folded belts of different ages. The Eurasian lithospheric plate includes ancient platforms: Siberian, Chinese, Eastern European, Arabian and Indian, on which great plains of varying heights are located (from lowlands to plateaus). Areas of folding arose between the ancient platforms, merged into huge mountain belts and connected the platforms into a single whole. Now active mining processes are occurring in the east of Eurasia, at the junction of the Pacific and Eurasian lithospheric plates. There are many volcanoes here, and earthquakes occur frequently, both on land and in the ocean.

Features of the climate of Eurasia

The climate of Eurasia is closely related to its large size. The continent is characterized by an exceptional diversity of climatic conditions, which is facilitated by a number of factors (Figure 6).
The climate of Eurasia is more diverse and contrasting than that of North America. Here the summers are warmer and the winters colder (the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere is located in the Oymyakon depression, -71 °C). There is quite a lot of precipitation, especially along the outskirts (except for the coast of the Arctic Ocean). In the south is the wettest place on Earth - the town of Chepuranji (south-eastern slopes of the Himalayas), where over 10,000 mm of precipitation falls per year. However, the climate of Eurasia is generally drier than that of North America. In the mountains of Eurasia, as on other continents, climatic conditions change with altitude. They are most strict in high mountain areas, especially in the Pamirs and Tibet.


Due to its large size and geographic location, all climatic zones are represented in Eurasia, but also all known on the ground climate types. In the north there are arctic and subarctic climate zones with low average air temperatures and low precipitation. The largest area is occupied by the temperate zone, because it is in the temperate latitudes that Eurasia is most elongated from west to east. Here the climatic conditions are different, and one type of climate changes another. Thus, in the west the climate is maritime, in the east it changes to moderate continental, continental, sharply continental (in the center); on the east coast there is a monsoon climate with warm, humid summers and cold, dry winters. In the subtropical zone there are three climatic regions with Mediterranean, continental and monsoon climates.
Peculiar climatic conditions have formed near the Northern Tropic. Here in western Asia it is dry and hot all year round, which is explained by the influence of continental tropical air, and in the east a subequatorial climate type with monsoon atmospheric circulation has formed.

Inland waters

On the territory of Eurasia there are all types of land waters. There are deep rivers, deep lakes, powerful glaciers in mountainous and polar regions, large areas of swamps and permafrost, and significant groundwater reservoirs.
Large rivers Eurasia originates mainly in the interior regions of the continent. A characteristic feature of the continent is the presence of large areas of internal drainage basins; rivers do not reach the oceans, but flow into lakes (Volga, Syrdarya, etc.) or are lost in the sands of deserts.
The rivers of Eurasia belong to the basins of the Arctic (Ob, Yenisei, Lena, etc.), Pacific (Amur, Yellow River, Yangtze, Mekong), Indian (Indus, Gang, etc.), Atlantic (Danube, Dnieper, Rhine, Elbe, Vistula etc.) oceans.
Lakes Eurasians are unevenly distributed and have different basin origins. It is on the territory of Eurasia that the deepest lake in the world is located - Baikal (1620 m) and the largest lake in terms of water surface area on Earth - the Caspian (371,000 km 2). In the north-west there are lakes that were formed as a result of the subsidence of the earth's crust and the influence of an ancient glacier (Ladoga, Onega, Venern, etc.). Tectonic lakes formed in the faults of the earth's crust - Lake Constance, Balaton, Dead Sea, Baikal. There are karst lakes.
Valuable natural resources are The groundwater, especially large reserves of which lie under the Western Siberian Plain. Groundwater not only feeds rivers and lakes, it is also consumed by the population as drinking water.
Swamps distributed in the north of Eurasia, in the tundra and taiga regions.
Modern glaciation occupies significant areas on many islands (Iceland, Spitsbergen, Novaya Zemlya), as well as in the mountains (Alps, Himalayas, Tien Shan, Pamir). Mountain glaciers feed numerous rivers.
Environmental problems of the inland waters of Eurasia require constant attention, because the pollution of such large fresh water reservoirs as Lake Baikal, the rivers of Siberia, the Far East, China and India is dangerous for all organic life on the continent.

Natural areas

The diversity of natural zones in Eurasia is associated with large differences in climatic conditions (combination of heat and moisture) and structural features of the continent's surface. That is, the formation of natural zones is influenced by both zonal and azonal factors. Recently, the anthropogenic factor has become of particular importance, because the components of nature are increasingly changing under the influence of human economic activity.
Eurasia lies in all climatic zones of the Northern Hemisphere; All climate types of the Earth are represented on the continent, so there are all natural complexesour planet(Table 10) . The location of natural zones in Eurasia, as on other continents, is subject to the law of broad zonality, that is, they change from north to south with increasing amounts of solar radiation. However, there are also significant differences, which is explained by the conditions of atmospheric circulation over the continent. In Eurasia, as in North America, some natural zones replace each other from west to east, because the eastern and western outskirts of the continent are the most humid, and the interior regions are much drier. So, the main reasons on which the location of natural zones in Eurasia depends are changes in temperature conditions, annual precipitation, and relief features.
Table 10
Locations of natural zones of Eurasia

The temperate climate zone contains the largest natural zones, and the largest area is occupied by the taiga zone.
Areas with altitudinal zones also occupy most of the continent's territory. The altitudinal zonation is especially clearly represented in the Himalayas, where all the natural zones of the Earth are located, and the upper limit of the distribution of vegetation passes at an altitude of 6218 m.
Natural zones of Eurasia are similar to those in North America. The vegetation and fauna in the northern part of these continents are very similar. However, there are significant differences. In Eurasia, natural zones are more diverse; the natural complexes of arctic deserts, tundra and forest-tundra do not extend as far south as in North America. Here, zones of taiga, mixed and deciduous forests, semi-deserts and deserts occupy a large area, and the areas of altitudinal zones are larger than in North America.

Population, political map and economy of Eurasia

Eurasia is the most populated continent; 2/3 of the planet's population lives here. Representatives of the Mongoloid and Caucasian races live on the mainland, and representatives of the Australoid race live on the islands of Indonesia. Mongoloids live in eastern Asia, Caucasoids live in western and southern Asia, in Europe.
National composition The mainland's population is very complex. Europe is inhabited by Slavic peoples, Germans, French, Italians, Spaniards, Irish, English; Norwegians, Swedes, and Finns live in the north of the region. Southwest Asia is inhabited by Arab peoples, as well as Turks, Kurds and Persians; Northern Asia - Russians; South - Hindustani, Bengalis, Pakistanis; Southeast - Vietnamese, Thais, Burmese, Malays. Tibetans, Uighurs, and Mongols live in Central Asia, and Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans live in Eastern Asia.
By linguistic composition Europe's population is quite diverse. In Europe there live peoples who speak Slavic languages, languages ​​of the Romance and Germanic groups. In Asia, many peoples speak languages ​​of the Altai language group, Indian and Sino-Tibetan languages. The peoples of South-West Asia communicate in Arabic and Iranian languages. In southeast Asia, peoples speak languages ​​belonging to the Austronesian group.
The population is distributed unevenly across the continent. Here we can distinguish areas with a rural population density of more than 100 people/km 2 (South Asia, Eastern China). Western Europe is also densely populated (especially the Atlantic coast), but has a predominantly urban population. A significant part of the continent is very sparsely populated (less than 1 person/km2). These are the highlands of Tibet and Gobi, Central and Northern Asia, the Arabian Peninsula.
Political map Eurasia began to form a very long time ago, so now it is very colorful. There are more than 80 countries, including large ones (China, Russia, India) and very small ones (San Marino, Singapore, etc.). The political map of Western Europe is very diverse. A significant part of the countries has access to the sea, which contributes to their economic development. The continent's political map continues to change.
To the farm Eurasian countries are characterized by diversity. On the mainland there are economically developed states, countries with an average level of development, as well as many of the poorest countries in the world (Figure 7).
Scheme 7

Eurasia is the largest continent on Earth, with an area of ​​53.893 million km², which is 36% of the land area. Population - more than 4.947 billion (2010), which is about 3/4 of the population of the entire planet.

Origin of the name of the continent

Initially, various names were given to the largest continent in the world. Alexander Humboldt used the name "Asia" for all of Eurasia. Carl Gustav Reuschle used the term "Doppelerdtheil Asien-Europa" in his book "Handbuch der Geographie" in 1858. The term "Eurasia" was first used by geologist Eduard Suess in the 1880s.

Geographical location of the mainland

The continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere between approximately 9° W. Longitude and 169°W etc., while some of the islands of Eurasia are located in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of continental Eurasia lies in the Eastern Hemisphere, although the extreme western and eastern ends of the continent are in the Western Hemisphere.

Contains two parts of the world: Europe and Asia. The border line between Europe and Asia is most often drawn along the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Emba River, the northwestern coast of the Caspian Sea, the Kuma River, the Kuma-Manych depression, the Manych River, the eastern coast of the Black Sea, the southern coast of the Black Sea, the strait Bosphorus, Sea of ​​Marmara, Dardanelles, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, Strait of Gibraltar. This division has developed historically. Naturally, there is no sharp border between Europe and Asia. The continent is united by the continuity of land, the current tectonic consolidation and the unity of numerous climatic processes.

Eurasia stretches from west to east for 16 thousand km, from north to south - for 8 thousand km, with an area of ​​≈ 54 million km². This is more than a third of the entire land area of ​​the planet. The area of ​​the Eurasian islands is approaching 2.75 million km².

Extreme points of Eurasia

Mainland points

• Cape Chelyuskin (Russia), 77°43′ N. w. - the northernmost continental point.
• Cape Piai (Malaysia) 1°16′ N. w. - the southernmost continental point.
• Cape Roca (Portugal), 9º31′ W. d. - the westernmost continental point.
• Cape Dezhnev (Russia), 169°42′ W. d. - the extreme eastern continental point.

Island points

• Cape Fligeli (Russia), 81°52′ N. w. - the extreme northern point of the island (However, according to the topographic map of Rudolf Island, the coast stretching in the latitudinal direction to the west of Cape Fligeli lies several hundred meters north of the cape at coordinates 81°51′28.8″ N 58°52′00″ E. d. (G) (O)).
• South Island (Cocos Islands) 12°4′ S w. - the southernmost point of the island.
• Rock of Monchique (Azores) 31º16′ W. d. - the westernmost point of the island.
• Ratmanov Island (Russia) 169°0′ W. d. - the easternmost point of the island.

Largest peninsulas

• Arabian Peninsula
• Peninsula of Asia Minor
• Balkan Peninsula
• Apennine Peninsula
• The Iberian Peninsula
• Scandinavian Peninsula
• Taimyr Peninsula
• Chukotka Peninsula
• Kamchatka Peninsula
• Indochina Peninsula
• Hindustan Peninsula
• Malacca Peninsula
• Yamal Peninsula
• Kola Peninsula
• Peninsula Korea

Geological characteristics of the continent

Geological structure of Eurasia

The geological structure of Eurasia is qualitatively different from the structures of other continents. Eurasia is composed of several platforms and plates. The continent was formed in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras and is the youngest in geological terms. This distinguishes it from other continents, which are hills of ancient platforms formed billions of years ago.

The northern part of Eurasia is a series of plates and platforms formed during the Archean, Proterozoic and Paleozoic periods: the East European platform with the Baltic and Ukrainian shields, the Siberian platform with the Aldan shield, the West Siberian plate. The eastern part of the continent includes two platforms (Chinese-Korean and South China), some plates and areas of Mesozoic and Alpine folding. The southeastern part of the continent represents areas of Mesozoic and Cenozoic folding. The southern regions of the continent are represented by the Indian and Arabian platforms, the Iranian plate, as well as areas of Alpine and Mesozoic folding, which prevail in southern Europe. The territory of Western Europe includes zones of predominantly Hercynian folding and plates of Paleozoic platforms. The central regions of the continent include zones of Paleozoic folding and plates of the Paleozoic platform.

In Eurasia there are many large faults and cracks, which are found in Siberia (Western and Lake Baikal), Tibet and some other areas.

Story

The period of formation of the continent covers a huge period of time and continues today. The process of formation of the ancient platforms that make up the continent of Eurasia began in the Precambrian era. Then three ancient platforms were formed: Chinese, Siberian and East European, separated by ancient seas and oceans. At the end of the Proterozoic and in the Paleozoic, processes of closing the oceans that separated the land masses took place. At this time, the process of land growth around these and other platforms and their grouping took place, which ultimately led to the formation of the supercontinent Pangea by the beginning of the Mesozoic era.

In the Proterozoic, the process of formation of the ancient platforms of Eurasia - Siberian, Chinese and East European - took place. At the end of the era, the land area south of the Siberian Platform increased. In the Silurian, extensive mountain building occurred as a result of the connection of the European and North American platforms, forming the large North Atlantic continent. In the east, the Siberian platform and a number of mountain systems united, forming a new continent - Angaris. At this time, the process of formation of ore deposits took place.

During the Carboniferous period, a new tectonic cycle began. Intense movements led to the formation of mountainous areas connecting Siberia and Europe. Similar mountainous regions also formed in the southern regions of modern Eurasia. Before the start of the Triassic period, all the ancient platforms were grouped and formed the continent of Pangea. This cycle was long and divided into phases. In the initial phase, mountain building took place in the southern territories of what is now Western Europe and in the regions of central Asia. During the Permian period, new major mountain-building processes took place, in parallel with the general uplift of the land. As a result, by the end of the period, the Eurasian part of Pangea was a region with major folding. At this time, the process of destruction of old mountains and the formation of thick sedimentary deposits took place. In the Triassic period, geological activity was weak, but during this period the Tethys Ocean gradually opened in the east of Pangea, which later in the Jurassic divided Pangea into two parts: Laurasia and Gondwana. In the Jurassic period, the process of orogenesis begins, the peak of which, however, occurred in the Cenozoic era.

The next stage in the formation of the continent began in the Cretaceous period, when the Atlantic Ocean began to open. The continent of Laurasia finally divided in the Cenozoic.

At the beginning of the Cenozoic era, northern Eurasia represented a huge landmass that made up ancient platforms connected by the Baikal, Hercynian and Caledonian folds. In the east and southeast, this massif is adjacent to areas of Mesozoic folding. In the west, Eurasia was already separated from North America by the narrow Atlantic Ocean. From the south, this huge massif was supported by the Tethys Ocean, which had shrunk in size. In the Cenozoic, there was a reduction in the area of ​​the Tethys Ocean and intense mountain building in the south of the continent. By the end of the Tertiary period, the continent took on its modern shape.

Physical characteristics of the continent

Relief of Eurasia

The relief of Eurasia is extremely diverse; it contains some of the largest plains and mountain systems in the world, the East European Plain, the West Siberian Plain, and the Tibetan Plateau. Eurasia is the highest continent on Earth, its average height is about 830 meters (the average height of Antarctica is higher due to the ice sheet, but if its height is considered to be the height of the bedrock, then the continent will be the lowest). In Eurasia there are the highest mountains on Earth - the Himalayas (ind. Abode of Snows), and the Eurasian mountain systems of the Himalayas, Tibet, Hindu Kush, Pamir, Tien Shan, etc. form the largest mountain region on Earth.

The modern relief of the continent is caused by intense tectonic movements during the Neogene and Anthropocene periods. The East Asian and Alpine-Himalayan geosynclinal belts are characterized by the greatest mobility. A wide band of structures of different ages from Gissar-Alai to Chukotka is also characterized by powerful neotectonic movements. High seismicity is inherent in many areas of Middle, Central and East Asia and the Malay Archipelago. Active volcanoes in Eurasia are located in Kamchatka, the islands of East and Southeast Asia, Iceland and the Mediterranean.

The average height of the continent is 830 m, mountains and plateaus occupy about 65% of its territory.

The main mountain systems of Eurasia:

• Himalayas
• Alps
• Hindu Kush
• Karakoram
• Tien Shan
• Kunlun
• Altai
• Mountains of Southern Siberia
• Mountains of North-Eastern Siberia
• Western Asian highlands
• Pamir-Alai
• Tibetan plateau
• Sayano-Tuva Plateau
• Deccan plateau
• Central Siberian Plateau
• Carpathians
• Ural Mountains

The main plains and lowlands of Eurasia

• the East European Plain
• West Siberian Plain
• Turanian Lowland
• Great Chinese Plain
• Indo-Gangetic Plain

The relief of the northern and some mountainous regions of the continent was influenced by ancient glaciation. Modern glaciers remain on the Arctic islands, Iceland and in the highlands. About 11 million km² (mainly in Siberia) is occupied by permafrost.

Geographical records of the mainland

In Eurasia there is the highest mountain on Earth - Chomolungma (Everest), the largest lake - the Caspian Sea and the deepest - Baikal, the largest mountain system by area - Tibet, the largest peninsula - the Arabian, the largest geographical area - Siberia, the lowest point sushi - Dead Sea Depression. The cold pole of the northern hemisphere, Oymyakon, is also located on the continent. Eurasia also contains the largest natural region on Earth - Siberia.

Historical and geographical zoning

Eurasia is the homeland of the ancient civilizations of Sumer and China, and the place where almost all the ancient civilizations of the Earth were formed. Eurasia is conventionally divided into two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. The latter, due to its size, is divided into smaller regions - Siberia, the Far East, the Amur region, Primorye, Manchuria, China, India, Tibet, Uighuria (East Turkestan, now Xinjiang within the People's Republic of China), Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Persia, Indochina, Arabia and some others. Other, less well-known regions of Eurasia - Tarkhtaria (Tartaria), Hyperborea today are almost forgotten and not recognized.

Climate of continent Eurasia

All climatic zones and climatic zones are represented in Eurasia. In the north, polar and subpolar climate zones predominate, then a wide strip of Eurasia is crossed by the temperate zone, followed by the subtropical zone. The tropical belt in Eurasia is interrupted, stretching across the continent from the Mediterranean and Red Seas to India. The subequatorial belt projects northward, covering India and Indochina, as well as the extreme south of China, while the equatorial belt covers mainly the islands of southeast Asia. Maritime climate zones are found predominantly in the west of the continent in Europe, as well as on the islands. Monsoon climate zones predominate in the eastern and southern regions. As you move deeper into the land, the continental climate increases, this is especially noticeable in the temperate zone when moving from west to east. The most continental climate zones are located in Eastern Siberia (see Sharply continental climate).

Nature on the continent

Natural areas

All natural zones are represented in Eurasia. This is due to the large size of the continent and its length from north to south.

The northern islands and high mountains are partially covered by glaciers. The polar desert zone extends mainly along the northern coast and a large part of the Taimyr Peninsula. Next comes a wide belt of tundra and forest-tundra, occupying the most extensive areas in Eastern Siberia (Yakutia) and the Far East.

Almost all of Siberia, a significant part of the Far East and Europe (northern and northeastern), is covered by coniferous forest - taiga. In the south of Western Siberia and on the Russian Plain (central and western parts), as well as in Scandinavia and Scotland, mixed forests are located. There are also areas of such forests in the Far East: in Manchuria, Primorye, Northern China, Korea and the Japanese Islands. Deciduous forests predominate mainly in the western part of Europe. Small areas of these forests are found in eastern Asia (China). In the southeast of Eurasia, there are tracts of moist equatorial forests.

The central and southwestern regions are occupied mainly by semi-deserts and deserts. In Hindustan and Southeast Asia there are areas of open forests and variable-humid and monsoon forests. Subtropical and tropical forests of the monsoon type also predominate in eastern China, and their temperate counterparts in Manchuria, the Amur region and Primorye. In the south of the western part of the continent (mainly the Mediterranean and on the Black Sea coast) there are zones of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs (Mediterranean-type forests). Large areas are occupied by steppes and forest-steppes, occupying the southern part of the Russian Plain and the south of Western Siberia. Steppes and forest-steppes are also found in Transbaikalia and the Amur region; there are vast areas of them in Mongolia and northern and northeastern China and Manchuria.

Areas of high altitude zones are widespread in Eurasia.

Fauna, animal world

The large, northern part of Eurasia belongs to the Holarctic zoogeographic region; the smaller, southern one - to the Indo-Malayan and Ethiopian regions. The Indo-Malayan region includes the Hindustan and Indochina peninsulas together with the adjacent part of the mainland, the islands of Taiwan, the Philippine and Sunda, the south of Arabia, together with most of Africa, is included in the Ethiopian region. Some southeastern islands of the Malay Archipelago are classified by most zoogeographers as belonging to the Australian zoogeographic region. This division reflects the peculiarities of the development of the Eurasian fauna in the process of changing natural conditions during the end of the Mesozoic and the entire Cenozoic, as well as connections with other continents. To characterize modern natural conditions, ancient extinct fauna known only in fossil form, fauna that disappeared in historical times as a result of human activity, and modern fauna are of interest.

At the end of the Mesozoic, a diverse fauna formed in Eurasia, consisting of monotremes and marsupial mammals, snakes, turtles, etc. With the advent of placental mammals, especially predators, lower mammals retreated south to Africa and Australia. They were replaced by proboscideans, camels, horses, and rhinoceroses, which inhabited most of Eurasia in the Cenozoic. The cooling of the climate at the end of the Cenozoic led to the extinction of many of them or their retreat to the south. Proboscideans, rhinoceroses, etc. in northern Eurasia are known only in fossil form, and now they live only in South and Southeast Asia. Camels and wild horses were until recently widespread in the arid interior of Eurasia.

The cooling of the climate led to the settlement of Eurasia by animals adapted to harsh climatic conditions (mammoth, aurochs, etc.). This northern fauna, the center of formation of which was located in the Bering Sea region and was common with North America, gradually pushed the thermophilic fauna to the south. Many of its representatives have become extinct, some have survived as part of the modern fauna of tundras and taiga forests. The drying up of the climate in the interior of the continent was accompanied by the spread of steppe and desert fauna, which survived mainly in the steppes and deserts of Asia, and partially became extinct in Europe.

In the eastern part of Asia, where climatic conditions did not undergo significant changes during the Cenozoic, many animals of pre-glacial times found refuge. In addition, through East Asia there was an exchange of animals between the Holarctic and Indo-Malayan regions. Within its borders, tropical forms such as the tiger, Japanese macaque, and others penetrate far to the north.

The distribution of modern wild fauna across the territory of Eurasia reflects both the history of its development, as well as the characteristics of natural conditions and the results of human activity.

On the northern islands and in the far north of the mainland, the composition of the fauna remains almost unchanged from west to east. The fauna of tundras and taiga forests has minor internal differences. The further south you go, the differences in latitude within the Holarctic become more and more significant. The fauna of the extreme south of Eurasia is already so specific and so different from the tropical fauna of Africa and even Arabia that they are classified as different zoogeographic regions.

The tundra fauna is especially uniform throughout Eurasia (as well as North America).

The most common large mammal of the tundra is the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). It is almost never found in the wild in Europe; This is the most common and valuable domestic animal in the north of Eurasia. The tundra is characterized by arctic fox, lemming and mountain hare.

Eurasian countries

The list below includes not only states located on the Eurasian mainland, but also states located on islands classified as Europe or Asia (for example, Japan).

• Abkhazia
• Austria
• Albania
• Andorra
• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Brunei
• Butane
• Vatican
• Great Britain
• Hungary
• East Timor
• Vietnam
• Germany
• Greece
• Georgia
• Denmark
• Egypt (partially)
• Israel
• India
• Indonesia (partially)
• Jordan
• Ireland
• Iceland
• Spain
• Italy
• Yemen
• Kazakhstan
• Cambodia
• Qatar
• Kyrgyzstan
• Republic of China (Taiwan)
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Lithuania
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg Malaysia
• Maldives
• Malta
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Myanmar
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Pakistan
• State
• Palestine
• Poland
• Portugal
• The Republic of Korea
• Republic
• Kosovo
• Macedonia
• Russia
• Romania
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Syria
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Tajikistan
• Thailand
• Turkmenistan
• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
• Türkiye
• Uzbekistan
• Ukraine
• Philippines
• Finland
• France
• Croatia
• Montenegro
• Czech
• Switzerland
• Sweden
• Sri Lanka
• Estonia
• South Ossetia
• Japan

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Eurasia is the world's largest continent. Most of it is located in the Northern Hemisphere of the planet. It is washed by 4 oceans: Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Atlantic. The continent's topography has a complex structure. Numerous mountain systems here are located somewhat differently than on other continents. They are located in the depths of the continent and combine two belts:

1. The Apian-Himalayan, which is located on the southern side and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Pacific - stretching from north to south, as well as to the east of Asia.

Whereas on other continents, mountain systems are located not in the central part, but on their outskirts.

The mountains of Eurasia were formed at the boundaries of lithospheric plates due to intense activity of the earth's crust.

Mountain systems of Eurasia

The formation of mountains occurred in different eras, which is why they have different shapes and heights. Young fold systems formed in the Alpine era include:

• Alps.
• Caucasus and Crimean mountains.
• Pyrenees.
• Carpathians.
• Apennines.
• Himalayas.
• Tibetan Plateau.

A characteristic feature of these mountains of Eurasia are powerful hills with sharp peaks and steep slopes. In addition to the listed mountain systems, there are others on the mainland:

• Kunlun.
• Pamir.
• Tien Shan.
• Karakorum.
• Hindu Kush.
• Altai.
• Sino-Tibetan mountains.
• Sayans.
• Ural Mountains, etc.

Himalayas

The highest mountains on the Eurasian continent are located in Central Asia. The Himalayas are the largest and highest range in the world. It divides the Indo-Gangetic Plain on the south and the Tibetan Plateau on the north. The length of the mountain system is more than 2,400 km, and its width is up to 350 km.

It is here that the highest mountain of Eurasia, or rather the entire planet, is located - Everest. It is also known as Chomolungma or Sagarmatha. Its height is 8,846 m above sea level. Geographically, the mountain is located on the border of Nepal and China. The first climbers to conquer Everest were Edmund Hillary and Norgay Tenzing. They climbed and reached the top of the world peak on May 29, 1953. But not all attempts to conquer Chomolungma were successful. Between 1953 and 2014, approximately 200 climbers died on its slopes.

There are 11 eight-thousanders in the Himalayas, and in general the average height of the ridge is 6 thousand m. The mountains rise above the Indo-Gangetic plain, forming three steps:

• Siwalik Mountains.
• Small Himalayas.
• Great Himalayas.

The Greater Himalayas have glaciers with a total area of ​​more than 33,000 km2. The climate is very harsh: wind gusts reach 55 m/s, and air temperatures can drop to -60 o C.

Alps

These are the largest mountains in Europe, which cross the territory of countries such as France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Austria. The narrow ridges of this chain stretch across Slovenia and Germany. The length of the mountain system is 1,200 km and the width is 260 km. The highest peak - Mont Blanc (4,808 m) - is located on the border of Italy and France. The largest rivers in Europe originate in the Alps: the Rhine, Po, Rhone, Adige and the right tributary of the Danube. There are also numerous lakes here (Como, Geneva, Lago Maggiore, etc.), which are of tectonic-glacial origin. The Alps are a center for skiing and mountaineering. The tourism industry is very developed.

Up to an altitude of 1,800 m, the mountains are covered with forests consisting of broadleaf and coniferous trees; a little higher are the famous alpine meadows.

Pamir

The location of this mountain range is Central Asia. The northern side belongs to Tajikistan, the southern and eastern border belongs to Afghanistan and China. These mountains of Eurasia are located at the junction of the forts of other mountain ranges: Tien Shan, Kunlun, Hindu Kush, Karakoram. The maximum height is Kongur (7,649 m), which is located in China. There are other peaks in the Pamirs whose height exceeds 7,000 m. These include:

• Communism Peak, whose height is 7,495 m. In 1998, it received the name Ismaila Samani.
• Lenin Peak (7,134 m). Initially, after its discovery in 1871, the peak was named Kaufman. Renaming to Lenin Peak took place in 1928. Today the peak bears the name of Abu Ali ibn Sina. The renaming took place in 2006. The mountain was named after the famous healer Avicenna.
• Peak Korzhenevskaya. The mountain was discovered in 1910 and got its name in honor of the discoverer's wife. The height of the peak is 7,105 m.

Caucasus Mountains

The territory of the Caucasus is located between three seas: the Caspian, Azov and Black. In its central part there are two mountain systems that belong to the Alpine folding - the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. The basis is the Vodorazdelny (Main) and Side ridges. In the Caucasus there are peaks higher than 5,000 m. Elbrus (5,642 m) is considered one of these giants. Another very famous peak of the Caucasus is Mount Kazbek (5,033 m). Many climbers have tried to conquer these mighty ridges with varying degrees of success.

Mountains of Crimea

The location of the Crimean Mountains is the southern part of the peninsula of the same name. The length of the ridge is up to 160 km, but its width reaches no more than 50 km. The mountains consist of 3 main ridges:

• The main one (Yayly) is located on the south side.
• Average.
• Northern.

Mount Roman-Kosh (1,545 m) is the highest peak in Crimea. It is located in the Main Ridge. At the foot of Yayla lies a narrow strip of the Crimean coast. The northern ridge has a height of up to 350 m and is covered with coniferous and deciduous forests. The main vegetation consists of beech, oaks, and pine trees. The height of the Middle Ridge is up to 750 m. There are several protected areas in the Crimean Mountains.

Apennines

The location of the mountain system is the Apennine Peninsula. Geographically, it belongs to Italy and San Marino. Its duration is about 1,200 km. On average, the height of the mountain ranges reaches 1200-1800 m. Vegetation here includes coniferous and beech forests, and a huge variety of Mediterranean shrubs. The slopes located above 1,200 m are covered with meadow grasses. Corno Grande (2,912 m) is the highest mountain in the Apennines.

Karakoram

This is a mountain system bordered on the north by the Kunlun and Pamirs, and on the south by the Himalayas and Gandhisishan. Geographically it belongs to China and India. The length of the chain is within 800 km. There are several eight-thousand-meter peaks here, of which Chogori (8,611 m) is the highest peak of the Karakorum and the second on the planet after Chomolungma. The territory of glaciers occupies about 16.3 thousand km 2. On average, mountain ranges have a height of about 6,000 m.

Hindu Kush

The Hindu Kush is the mountains of Eurasia, most of the massif is located in Afghanistan. However, the highest point, the city of Tirichmir (7,690 m), belongs to the territory of Pakistan. In this mountain system, the ridges are characterized by the rounded shape of the peaks; there are a predominant number of them here. But still, individual ridges have an alpine type of structure. About 6,200 km 2 of the entire territory of the massif is occupied by glaciers.

Carpathians

The mountain system crosses the territory of 8 states located in Central Europe. It includes:

• Western Romanian mountains. They are located in Transelvania - a historical and cultural region of Romania. The massif is divided into 11 ridges, the most important of which is the Bihor Plateau. The highest point is at an altitude of 1,848 m (Kurkubeta).
• North Hungarian Mountains (located in the northeastern part of Hungary). This ridge forms a single geographical area together with the Slovak Matran-Slan region. These mountains are the inner part of the Western Carpathians. The highest mountain is Kekesh (1,014 m).
• Ukrainian Carpathians. The mountain system is spread over the territory of 4 western regions: Transcarpathian, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk. The maximum height is the city of Goverla (2,061 m).
• Several mountain ranges of the Carpathian Mountains pass through the territory of Poland. In the southwest of the country (Sudetes) rise the Karkonosze Mountains. The highest point of the ridge is Snezhka (1,602 m). The Beskydy ridge is the northern border of the Carpathians, located on the eastern border of Poland and the Czech Republic. The highest mountain range in this territory is the Tatra Mountains. The highest peak (Rysy) has a height of 2,499 m.
• The largest mountain in the Carpathians is Gerlachovsky Shtit. It has an altitude of 2,654 m above sea level and is geographically located in Slovakia. Located on the highest massif of the Carpathians - the Tatras.

In the northeastern part, the mountain system forms a convex arc. Regionally, the Carpathians are divided into western, eastern and southern. The length of the mountain system is about 1,500 km.

Pyrenees

Mountain system crossing the Iberian Peninsula. Territorially it belongs to such states as Spain, Andorra, France. The length of the chain is about 450 km. In the Pyrenees, the peak of Aneto is considered the highest mountain. Its height is 3,404 m above sea level. Limestones and karst are characteristic of the western part of the ridge. In the center of the mountain system there is a predominantly alpine landform and crystalline rocks. Glaciers are also located here; they occupy an area of ​​up to 40 thousand km 2. The eastern ridges are significantly lower than the others and alternate with intermountain depressions.

Kunlun

The mountains on the Eurasian continent are the highest in the world. One of the largest systems is Kunlun. These mountains are located in the west of the People's Republic of China. Their length is 2.7 thousand km, and their width varies depending on the direction of the ridge. In some areas it is no more than 150 km, in others - up to 600 km. The highest point is Ulugmuztag (7,723 m).

Tien Shan

These are the mountains of Eurasia, the main part of which is located on the territory of the People's Republic of China and Kyrgyzstan. Some western and northern ranges belong to Kazakhstan, and southern ones belong to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The length of the mountain system is about 2,500 km. There are quite high mountains of Eurasia here:

• Pobeda Peak (7439 m);
• Khan Tengri (6995 m);
• Dankov Peak (5982 m).

From the central part of the Tien Shan, 3 mountain ranges diverge to the west: Issyk-Kul, Naryn, At-Bashin. They are separated by intermountain depressions and connected in the west by the Fergana Range.

Tibetan plateau

The highlands are located in Central Asia (Chinese territory). Its area occupies about 2 million km 2. The Tibetan Plateau is one of the largest and highest on the planet. It is surrounded by mountain systems such as the Himalayas, Kunlun, Karakoram, and Sino-Tibetan mountains. The most important waterways of Asia originate here: the Salween, Indus, Yangtze, Yellow River, Mekong, Brahmaputra. There are many lakes concentrated in the Tibetan Plateau: Dangrayum-tso, Nam-tso, Selling and others.

Ural

The Ural Mountains stretch almost meridianally from the coast of the Kara Sea to the south to the sultry deserts of Central Asia. The length of the chain is more than 2,000 km, but the width is 40-150 km, depending on the region. The mountain system consists of a main watershed ridge and several side ones.

The Urals are divided into several sections:

• Polar;
• Circumpolar;
• Northern;
• Average;
• Southern.

The maximum altitude above sea level is 1,895 m (Narodnaya).