Eastern Siberia occupies a vast territory from the Yenisei to the Pacific Ocean. It is famous for its large number of natural resources and minerals. The features of the relief and this region made it so valuable in terms of raw materials. Mineral resources of Eastern Siberia are not only oil, coal and iron ores. A significant part of Russia's gold and diamonds, as well as valuable metals, is mined here. In addition, almost half of the country's forest resources are located in this region.

Eastern Siberia

Minerals are not the only feature of this region. Eastern Siberia covers an area of ​​more than 7 million square kilometers, which is about a quarter of the whole of Russia. It stretches from the valley of the Yenisei River to the most mountain ranges on the Pacific coast. The region borders the Arctic Ocean to the north and Mongolia and China to the south.

Eastern Siberia does not include as many regions and settlements as in the European part of Russia, because this area is considered sparsely populated. Here are the country's largest Chita and Irkutsk regions, as well as the Krasnoyarsk and Trans-Baikal regions. In addition, the autonomous republics of Yakutia, Tuva and Buryatia belong to Eastern Siberia.

Eastern Siberia: relief and minerals

The diversity of the geological structure of this region explains such a wealth of its raw materials. Due to their huge number, many deposits have not even been explored. What minerals are Eastern Siberia rich in? It is not only coal, oil and iron ores. The subsoil of the region contains rich reserves of nickel, lead, tin, aluminum and other metals, as well as sedimentary rocks necessary for industry. In addition, Eastern Siberia is the main supplier of gold and diamonds.

This can be explained by the features of the relief and geological structure of this region. Eastern Siberia is located on the ancient Siberian platform. And most of the territory of the region is occupied by the Central Siberian Plateau, elevated above sea level from 500 to 1700 m. The foundation of this platform is the oldest crystalline rocks, whose age reaches 4 million years. The next layer is sedimentary. It alternates with igneous rocks formed as a result of volcanic eruptions. Therefore, the relief of Eastern Siberia is folded, stepped. It contains many mountain ranges, plateaus, terraces, deep river valleys.

Such a variety of geological processes, tectonic shifts, deposits of sedimentary and igneous rocks led to the wealth of minerals in Eastern Siberia. The table allows you to find out that more resources are mined here than in neighboring regions.

Coal reserves

Due to geological processes since the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras, the largest in Russia coal deposits of minerals in Western and Eastern Siberia are located in the lowlands of the region. These are the Lena and Tunguska basins. There are also a lot of smaller deposits. And although there is less coal in them, they are also promising. These are the Kama-Achinsk and Kolyma-Indigirsk basins, the Irkutsk, Minusinsk, South Yakut deposits.

Hard coal reserves in Eastern Siberia account for 80% of all coal mined in Russia. But many places of its occurrence are very difficult to develop due to the harsh climatic conditions of the region and the features of the relief.

Iron and copper ores

The main minerals of Eastern Siberia are metals. Their deposits are found in the most ancient rocks, even the Precambrian period. Most of all in the region are hematites and magnetites. Their deposits are located in the south of the Yakutsk region, in the basin on and also on the Angara, in Khakassia, Tuva and Transbaikalia.

The largest ore deposits are Korshunovskoye and Abakanskoye. There are also many of them in the Angara-Pitsky district. 10% of all Russian iron ore reserves are concentrated here. In Transbaikalia and in the north of the region there are also large deposits of tin and valuable metals.

The environs of Norilsk are famous for large deposits of copper-nickel ores. Almost 40% of Russian copper and about 80% of nickel are mined here. In addition, there is a lot of cobalt, there are also platinum, silver, tellurium, selenium and other elements. In other places, copper, mercury, manganese, antimony are mined. There are large deposits of bauxite.

Non-metallic minerals

Our country is the world's largest supplier of natural gas, and a lot of oil is produced here. And the first supplier of these minerals is the deposits of Eastern Siberia. In addition, geological processes have led to the emergence of rich deposits of sedimentary rocks.

Gold and diamonds of Eastern Siberia

The most valuable metal has been mined here for almost the second century. The oldest deposit is Bodaibo in the Irkutsk region. There are rich placer and bedrock deposits of gold in the Aldan, Yan, Allah-Yun regions. Deposits have recently begun to be developed in the region of the Yenisei Ridge, near Minussinsk and in the east of Transbaikalia.

Thanks to the special geological processes that have been going on in this region since the Mesozoic era, many diamonds are now being mined here. The largest deposit in Russia is located in Western Yakutia. They are mined from the so-called diatremes filled with kimberlites. Each such "explosion tube" in which diamonds are found even got its own name. The most famous are "Udachnaya-Vostochnaya", "Mir" and "Aikhal".

Natural resources

The complex topography of the region, vast undeveloped territories covered with taiga forests provide a wealth of natural resources. Due to the fact that the most full-flowing rivers of Russia flow here, the region is provided with cheap and environmentally friendly hydroelectric power. The rivers are rich in fish, the surrounding forests are rich in fur-bearing animals, of which sable is especially valued. But due to the fact that man has become more and more actively interfering with nature, many species of plants and animals are dying out. Therefore, many reserves and national parks have recently been created in the region to preserve natural wealth.

The richest areas

Eastern Siberia occupies almost a quarter of the territory of Russia. But there are not many people living here. In some places, there are more than 100 square kilometers per person. But Eastern Siberia is very rich in minerals and natural resources. Although they are unevenly distributed throughout the region.

• The richest in economic terms is the Yenisei basin. Krasnoyarsk is located here, in which more than half of the entire population of Eastern Siberia is concentrated. The richness of this area in minerals, natural and hydro resources led to the active development of industry.
• The wealth located in the upper reaches of the Angara River began to be used only in the 20th century. A very large polymetallic deposit has been discovered here. And the reserves of iron ore are simply huge. The best magnesites in Russia are mined here, as well as a lot of antimony, bauxites, nephelines, and slates. Deposits of clay, sand, talc and limestone are being developed.
• Evenkia has the richest resources. Here in the Tunguska basin there are such minerals of Eastern Siberia as stone and high-quality graphite is mined in the Noginsk deposit. Icelandic spar deposits are also being developed.
• Khakassia is another richest region. A quarter of East Siberian coal and all iron ore are mined here. After all, the Abakansky mine, located in Khakassia, is the largest and oldest in the region. There is gold, copper, a lot of building materials.
• One of the richest places in the country is Transbaikalia. Mostly metals are mined here. For example, it supplies copper ores, Ononskoye - tungsten, Sherlokogonskoye and Tarbaldzheyskoye - tin, and Shakhtaminskoye and Zhrikenskoye - molybdenum. In addition, a lot of gold is mined in Transbaikalia.
• Yakutia is a treasure trove of minerals in Eastern Siberia. Although only after the revolution, deposits of rock salt, coal and iron ore began to be developed. There are rich deposits of non-ferrous metals, mica. In addition, it is in Yakutia that the richest reserves of gold and diamonds have been discovered.

Problems of development of minerals

Huge, often unexplored territories of the region lead to the fact that many of its natural resources are not developed. There is a very low population density here, therefore, promising mineral deposits of Eastern Siberia are mainly developed in populated areas. After all, the lack of roads over a large area and the huge distance from the center make the development of deposits in remote regions unprofitable. In addition, most of Eastern Siberia is located in the permafrost zone. A sharply continental climate hinders the development of natural resources in the rest of the territory.

Northeastern Siberia and the Far East

Due to the peculiarities of the relief and climatic conditions, the minerals of North-Eastern Siberia are not so rich. There are few forests here, mainly tundra and arctic deserts. Most of the territory is dominated by permafrost and year-round low temperatures. Therefore, the minerals of North-Eastern Siberia are not very developed. Basically, coal is mined here, as well as metals - tungsten, cobalt, tin, mercury, molybdenum and gold.

The easternmost and northern regions of Siberia belong to the Far East. This area is also rich, but also more populated due to its proximity to the ocean and milder climate. Mineral resources of Eastern Siberia and the Far East are similar in many respects. There are also many diamonds, gold, tungsten and other non-ferrous metals, mercury, sulfur, graphite, mica are mined. The region has rich deposits of oil, coal and natural gas.

a) The North-East of Russia is characterized by sharp orographic contrasts: medium-altitude mountain systems predominate, along with them there are plateaus, highlands and lowlands. North-Eastern Siberia is a predominantly mountainous country; lowlands occupy a little more than 20% of its area. The most important orographic elements - the marginal mountain systems of the Verkhoyansk Range and the Kolyma Highlands - form a 4000 km long arc convex to the south. Inside it are located the chains of the Chersky ridge, elongated parallel to the Verkhoyansk system, the ridges Tas-Khayakhtakh, Tas-Kystabyt (Sarycheva), Momsky, and others.

The mountains of the Verkhoyansk system are separated from the Chersky ridge by a lowered strip of the Yansky, Elginsky and Oymyakonsky plateaus. The Nera plateau and the Upper Kolyma highlands are located in the east, and in the southeast the Sette-Daban ridge and the Yudomo-Maysky highlands adjoin the Verkhoyansk ridge.

The highest mountains are located in the south of the country. Their average height is 1500-2000 m, however, in the Verkhoyansk, Tas-Kystabyt, Suntar-Khayat and Chersky ridges, many peaks rise above 2300-2800 m, and the highest of them, Mount Pobeda in the Ulakhan-Chistai ridge, reaches 3003 m.

In the northern half of the country, the mountain ranges are lower and many of them stretch in a direction close to meridional. Along with low ridges (Kharaulakhsky, Selennyakhsky), there are flat ridge-like uplands (Polousny Ridge, Ulakhan-Sis) and plateaus (Alazeysky, Yukagirsky). A wide strip of the coast of the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea is occupied by the Yano-Indigirskaya lowland, from which, along the valleys of the Indigirka, Alazeya and Kolyma, the intermountain Sredneindigirskaya (Abyiskaya) and Kolyma lowlands protrude far to the south.

Thus, the North-East of Siberia is a huge amphitheater, inclined towards the Arctic Ocean;

b) The main plan of the modern relief of North-Eastern Siberia was determined by neotectonic movements. In the development of the relief of the Northeast after the Mesozoic mountain building, two periods are distinguished: the formation of widespread leveling surfaces (peneplains); and the development of intense newest tectonic processes that caused splits, deformation and displacement of ancient alignment surfaces, volcanism, violent erosion processes. At this time, the formation of the main types of morphostructures takes place: folded-block areas of ancient median massifs (Alazeya and Yukagagir plateaus, Suntar-Khayata, etc.); mountains revived by the latest arch-block uplifts and depressions of the rift zone (Moma-Selennyakh depression); folded mid-mountains of Mesozoic structures (mountains Verkhoyansk, Sette-Daban, Anyui, etc., the Yanskoye and Elga plateaus, the Oymyakon highlands); stratal-accumulative, sloping plains, created mainly by subsidence (Yano-Indigirskaya and Kolyma lowlands); fold-block ridges and plateaus on the sedimentary-volcanic complex (the Anadyr plateau, the Kolyma highlands, the ridges - Yudomsky, Dzhugdzhur, etc.);

c) The territory of the current North-Eastern Siberia in the Paleozoic and the first half of the Mesozoic was a site of the Verkhoyansk-Chukotka geosynclinal marine basin. This is evidenced by the large thickness of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic deposits, in some places reaching 20-22 thousand m, and the intense manifestation of tectonic movements that created the folded structures of the country in the second half of the Mesozoic. Especially typical are the deposits of the so-called Verkhoyansk complex, whose thickness reaches 12-15 thousand m. It includes Permian, Triassic and Jurassic sandstones and shales, usually intensively dislocated and broken through by young intrusions.

The most ancient structural elements are the Kolyma and Omolon median massifs. Their base is composed of Precambrian and Paleozoic sediments, and the Jurassic formations covering them, unlike other areas, consist of weakly dislocated carbonate rocks occurring almost horizontally; effusives also play a prominent role.

The remaining tectonic elements of the country are of younger age, predominantly Upper Jurassic (in the west) and Cretaceous (in the east). These include the Verkhoyansk folded zone and the Sette-Dabansky anticlinorium, the Yana and Indigirsko-Kolyma synclinal zones, as well as the Tas-Khayakhtakhsky and Momsky anticlinoria. The extreme northeastern regions are part of the Anyui-Chukotka anticline, which is separated from the median massifs by the Oloy tectonic depression filled with volcanic and terrigenous Jurassic deposits;

d) The main types of relief of North-Eastern Siberia form several distinct geomorphological tiers. The most important features of each of them are associated, first of all, with the hypsometric position, due to the nature and intensity of the latest tectonic movements. However, the location of the country in high latitudes and its severe, sharply continental climate determine the altitudinal limits of the distribution of the corresponding types of mountain relief, which are different from those in more southern countries. In addition, the processes of nivation, solifluction, and frost weathering are of greater importance in their formation. The forms of permafrost relief formation also play a significant role here, and fresh traces of Quaternary glaciation are characteristic even of plateaus and areas with low mountain relief.

In accordance with the morphogenetic features within the country, the following types of relief are distinguished: accumulative plains, erosion-denudation plains, plateaus, low mountains, mid-mountain and high-mountain alpine relief.

Accumulative plains occupy areas of tectonic subsidence and accumulation of loose Quaternary deposits - alluvial, lacustrine, marine and glacial. They are characterized by slightly rugged topography and slight fluctuations in relative heights. Forms are widespread here, which owe their origin to permafrost processes, the large ice content of loose deposits and the presence of thick underground ice: thermokarst basins, permafrost heaving mounds, frost cracks and polygons, and high ice cliffs that are intensively collapsing on sea coasts. Accumulative plains occupy vast areas of the Yana-Indigirskaya, Sredneindigirskaya and Kolyma lowlands, some islands of the seas of the Arctic Ocean (Faddeevsky, Lyakhovsky, Bunge Land, etc.). Small areas of them are also found in depressions in the mountainous part of the country (Momo-Selennyakhskaya and Seimchanskaya hollows, Yanskoye and Elga plateaus).

Erosion-denudation plains are located at the foot of some northern ridges (Anyuisky, Momsky, Kharaulakhsky, Kulara), on the peripheral sections of the Polousny ridge, the Ulakhan-Sis ridge, the Alazeysky and Yukagirsky plateaus, as well as on Kotelny Island. The height of their surface usually does not exceed 200 m, but near the slopes of some ridges it reaches 400-500 m. In contrast to the accumulative plains, these plains are composed of bedrock of various ages; the cover of loose sediments is usually thin. Therefore, rubble placers, sections of narrow valleys with rocky slopes, low hills prepared by denudation processes, as well as spots-medallions, solifluction terraces and other forms associated with the processes of permafrost relief formation are often found.

The plateau relief is most typically expressed in a wide strip separating the systems of the Verkhoyansk Range and the Chersky Range (Yanskoye, Elginskoye, Oymyakonskoye and Nerskoye plateaus). It is also characteristic of the Upper Kolyma Highlands, the Yukagir and Alazeya Plateaus, large areas of which are covered with Upper Mesozoic effusive rocks, which occur almost horizontally. However, most of the plateaus are composed of Mesozoic deposits folded into folds and represent denudation leveling surfaces, currently located at an altitude of 400 to 1200-1300 m. Upper Kolyma Highlands, where numerous granite batholiths appear in the form of high domed hills prepared by denudation. Many rivers in regions with a flat mountainous relief are mountainous in nature and flow in narrow rocky gorges.

The low mountains are occupied by areas subjected to uplifts of moderate amplitude (300-500 m) in the Quaternary. They are located mainly along the outskirts of high ridges and are dissected by a dense network of deep (up to 200-300 m) river valleys. The low mountains of North-Eastern Siberia are characterized by relief forms due to nival-solifluction and glacial processing, as well as an abundance of stony placers and rocky peaks.

The mid-mountain relief is especially characteristic of most massifs of the Verkhoyansk Range, the Yudomo-Maya Highlands, the Chersky Range, Tas-Khayakhtakh and Momsky. Significant areas are occupied by mid-mountain massifs also in the Kolyma Uplands and the Anyui Range. Modern medium-altitude mountains arose as a result of the latest uplifts of denudation plains of leveling surfaces, some of which have been preserved here to this day. Then, in the Quaternary, the mountains were vigorously eroded by deep river valleys.

The height of the mid-mountain massifs is from 800-1000 to 2000-2200 m, and only at the bottom of deeply incised valleys the marks sometimes drop to 300-400 m. Relatively gentle relief forms prevail in the interfluve spaces, and fluctuations in relative heights usually do not exceed 200-300 m Forms created by Quaternary glaciers, as well as by permafrost and solifluction processes, are widespread everywhere. The development and preservation of these forms is facilitated by the harsh climate, since, unlike the more southern mountainous countries, many mid-mountain massifs of the Northeast are located above the upper limit of woody vegetation, in the mountain tundra. River valleys are quite diverse. Most often these are deep, sometimes canyon-like gorges (the depth of the Indigirka valley reaches, for example, 1500 m). However, the upper reaches of the valleys usually have a wide flat bottom and less high slopes.

The high-mountainous alpine relief is associated with areas of the most intense Quaternary uplifts, located at an altitude of more than 2000-2200 m. areas of the Verkhoyansk Range. Due to the fact that the most significant role in the formation of the Alpine relief was played by the activity of Quaternary and modern glaciers, it is characterized by deep dissection and large amplitudes of heights, the predominance of narrow rocky ridges, as well as cirques, cirques and other glacial landforms;

e) Among the minerals of this region, one can note numerous deposits of metals, in particular, tin, tungsten, gold, molybdenum, etc. These deposits are associated with Mesozoic-Cenozoic magmatism. Also in the region there are coal and brown coal basins (Zyryansky, Verkhoyansky).

Eastern Siberia is part of the Asian territory of the Russian Federation. It is located from the borders of the Pacific Ocean to the Yenisei River. This zone is characterized by an extremely harsh climate and limited fauna and flora.

Geographic Description

Eastern and occupy almost two-thirds of the territory of Russia. They are located on the plateau. The eastern zone covers an area of ​​about 7.2 million square meters. km. Its possessions extend up to the Sayan mountain ranges. Most of the territory is represented by the tundra lowland. The mountains of Transbaikalia play a significant role in the formation of the relief.

Despite the harsh climatic conditions, there are quite a lot of large cities in Eastern Siberia. The most attractive from an economic point of view are Norilsk, Irkutsk, Chita, Achinsk, Yakutsk, Ulan-Ude, and others. Within the zone are the Zabaikalsky and Krasnoyarsk Territories, the republics of Yakutia, Buryatia, Tuva and other administrative regions.

The main type of vegetation is the taiga. It will be washed from Mongolia to the borders of the forest-tundra. Occupies over 5 million sq. km. Most of the taiga is represented by coniferous forests, which make up 70% of the local vegetation. Soils develop unevenly relative to natural zones. In the taiga zone, the soil is favorable, stable, in the tundra - rocky, frozen.

Within the interfluve and lowlands, insignificant swamps are observed. However, they are much less than in the same Western Siberia. But in the eastern region, arctic deserts and deciduous plantations are often found.

Terrain characteristics

Eastern Siberia of Russia is located at a high level above the sea. All the fault of the plateau, which is located in the middle part of the zone. Here the height of the platform varies from 500 to 700 meters above sea level. The relative averageness of the region is noted. The highest points are the interfluve of the Lena and the Vilyui plateau - up to 1700 meters.

The base of the Siberian platform is represented by a crystalline folded basement, on which there are huge sedimentary layers up to 12 kilometers thick. The north of the zone is determined by the Aldan shield and the Anabar massif. The average thickness of the soil is about 30 kilometers.

To date, the Siberian platform contains several main types of rocks. These are marble, and schist, and charnockite, etc. The oldest deposits date back to 4 billion years. Igneous rocks were formed as a result of eruptions. Most of these deposits are located in and also in the Tunguska depression.

The modern relief is a combination of lowlands and uplands. Rivers flow in the valleys, swamps form, coniferous trees grow better on the hills.

Features of the water area

It is generally accepted that the Far East faces the Arctic Ocean with its "facade". The eastern region borders on such seas as the Kara, Siberian and Laptev. Of the largest lakes, it is worth highlighting Baikal, Lama, Taimyr, Pyasino and Khantayskoye.

Rivers flow in deep valleys. The most significant of them are the Yenisei, Vilyui, Lena, Angara, Selenga, Kolyma, Olekma, Indigirka, Aldan, Lower Tunguska, Vitim, Yana and Khatanga. The total length of the rivers is about 1 million km. Most of the inland basin of the region belongs to the Arctic Ocean. Other external water areas include such rivers as Ingoda, Argun, Shilka and Onon.

The main source of nutrition for the inner basin of Eastern Siberia is the snow cover, which melts in large volumes under the influence of sunlight from the beginning of summer. The next most important role in the formation of the continental water area is played by rains and groundwater. The highest level of the basin's runoff is observed in the summer.

The largest and most important river in the region is the Kolyma. Its water area occupies more than 640 thousand square meters. km. The length is about 2.1 thousand km. The river originates in the Upper Kolyma Highlands. Water consumption exceeds 120 cubic meters per year. km.

Eastern Siberia: climate

The formation of meteorological features of the region is determined by its territorial location. The climate of Eastern Siberia can be briefly described as continental, consistently severe. There are significant seasonal fluctuations in cloudiness, temperature, and precipitation levels. The Asian anticyclone forms vast areas of high pressure in the region, especially this phenomenon occurs in winter. On the other hand, severe frost makes air circulation changeable. Because of this, temperature fluctuations at different times of the day are more significant than in the west.

The climate of North-Eastern Siberia is represented by changeable air masses. It is characterized by increased precipitation and dense snow cover. This area is dominated by continental flows, which are rapidly cooling in the ground layer. That is why in January the temperature drops to a minimum. Arctic winds prevail at this time of the year. Often in winter, you can observe air temperatures down to -60 degrees. Basically, such minima are inherent in depressions and valleys. On the plateau, the indicators do not drop below -38 degrees.

Warming is observed with the arrival of air flows from China and Central Asia to the region.

winter time

No wonder it is believed that Eastern Siberia has the heaviest and most severe. The table of temperature indicators in winter is proof of this (see below). These indicators are presented as average values ​​for the last 5 years.

Due to the increased dryness of the air, the constancy of the weather and the abundance of sunny days, such low rates are easier to tolerate than in a humid climate. One of the defining meteorological characteristics of winter in Eastern Siberia is the absence of wind. Most of the season there is a moderate calm, so there are practically no blizzards and snowstorms here.

Interestingly, in the middle part of Russia, a frost of -15 degrees is felt much stronger than in Siberia -35 C. Nevertheless, such low temperatures significantly worsen the living conditions and activities of local residents. All living quarters have thickened walls. Expensive fuel boilers are used to heat buildings. The weather begins to improve only with the onset of March.

warm seasons

In fact, spring in this region is short, as it comes late. The eastern one, which changes only with the arrival of warm Asian air currents, begins to wake up only by mid-April. It is then that the stability of positive temperatures during the daytime is noted. Warming comes in March, but it is insignificant. By the end of April, the weather begins to change for the better. In May, the snow cover completely melts, the vegetation blooms.

In summer, the weather becomes relatively hot in the south of the region. This is especially true for the steppe zone of Tuva, Khakassia and Transbaikalia. In July, the temperature here rises to +25 degrees. The highest rates are observed on flat terrain. It is still cool in the valleys and highlands. If we take the whole of Eastern Siberia, then the average summer temperature here is from +12 to +18 degrees.

Climate features in autumn

Already at the end of August, the first frosts begin to envelop the Far East. They are observed mainly in the northern part of the region at night. During the day the bright sun shines, it rains with sleet, sometimes the wind intensifies. It is worth noting that the transition to winter is much faster than from spring to summer. In the taiga, this period takes about 50 days, and in the steppe area - up to 2.5 months. All these are characteristic features that distinguish Eastern Siberia from other northern zones.

The climate in autumn is also represented by an abundance of rains coming from the west. Moist Pacific winds blow most often from the east.

Precipitation level

Relief is responsible for atmospheric circulation in Eastern Siberia. Both the pressure and the speed of air mass flows depend on it. About 700 mm of precipitation falls annually in the region. The maximum indicator for the reporting period is 1000 mm, the minimum is 130 mm. The level of precipitation is not clearly defined.

On the plateau in the middle lane, it rains more often. Due to this, the amount of precipitation sometimes exceeds the mark of 1000 mm. The most arid region is Yakutsk. Here the amount of precipitation varies within 200 mm. The least rain falls between February and March - up to 20 mm. The western regions of Transbaikalia are considered the optimal zones for vegetation with respect to precipitation.

Eternal Frost

Today there is no place in the world that could compete in terms of continentality and meteorological anomalies with a region called Eastern Siberia. The climate in some areas is striking in its severity. In the immediate vicinity of the Arctic Circle lies the permafrost zone.

This area is characterized by low snow cover and low temperatures throughout the year. Because of this, mountain weather and the ground lose a huge amount of heat, freezing to whole meters in depth. The soils here are mostly stony. Groundwater is underdeveloped and often freezes for decades.

Vegetation of the region

The nature of Eastern Siberia is mostly represented by taiga. Such vegetation extends for hundreds of kilometers from the Lena River to the Kolyma. In the south, the taiga borders on the local possessions are untouched by man. However, due to the arid climate, the threat of large-scale fires always hangs over them. In winter, the temperature in the taiga drops to -40 degrees, but in summer the figures often rise to +20. Rainfall is moderate.

Also, the nature of Eastern Siberia is represented by the tundra zone. This zone is adjacent to the Arctic Ocean. The soils here are bare, the temperature is low, and the humidity is excessive. Flowers such as cotton grass, gravel, poppy, saxifrage grow in mountainous areas. From the trees of the region, one can distinguish spruces, willows, poplars, birches, pines.

Animal world

Almost all regions of Eastern Siberia are not rich in fauna. The reasons for this are permafrost, lack of food and underdevelopment of deciduous flora.

The largest animals are the brown bear, lynx, elk and wolverine. Sometimes you can meet foxes, ferrets, stoats, badgers and weasels. Musk deer, sable, deer and bighorn sheep live in the central strip.

Due to the eternally frozen soil, only a few species of rodents are found here: squirrels, chipmunks, flying squirrels, beavers, marmots, etc. But the feathered world is extremely diverse: capercaillie, crossbill, hazel grouse, goose, crow, woodpecker, duck, nutcracker, sandpiper, etc. .

The hydrographic network of Eastern Siberia belongs to the basin of the Arctic Ocean and is distributed over the private basins of the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas. By the nature of the relief, Eastern Siberia belongs to mountainous regions, and here mountains of medium height and vast plateaus predominate, while lowlands occupy only small spaces.

Between the Yenisei and Lena is the Siberian Plateau, dissected by erosion. Its height is on average 300-500 m above sea level; only in places among the plateau stand out higher elevations - the Putorana ridge (1500 m), the Vilyui mountains (1074 m) and the Yenisei ridge (1122 m). In the upper part of the Yenisei basin is the Sayano-Baikal fold country. This is the highest mountain region of the region, with heights up to 3480 m (the peak of Munku-Sardyk).

To the east of the lower reaches of the Lena stretches the Verkhoyansk-Kolyma mountainous country, characterized by sharp contrasts of lowland and mountain landscapes. Along the right bank of the Lena stretches a powerful arc of the Verkhoyansk ridge with heights up to 2000 m, further to the east rises the Chersky ridge - a mountain knot with a height of 2000-3000 m, the Tas-Khayakhtakh ridge, etc. Along with the mountain ranges, the Verkhoyansk-Kolyma mountain region includes Oymyakonskoe, Nerskoe and Yukagir plateaus. In the south, the border of the region is made up of the Yablonovy, Stanovoy and Duzhgdzhur ridges, whose heights reach 2500-3000 m. In the east, the Kolyma Range, or Gydan, stretches along the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

On the territory of Eastern Siberia, there are also low-lying plains, among which the Lena-Vilyui lowland stands out for its size, which is a grandiose synclinal trough. The extreme north of the region, along the coast of the marginal seas, is occupied by the Subpolar Lowland, the height of which does not exceed 100 m above sea level; lowlands are also located in the lower reaches of the Alazeya, Kolyma and Indigirka.

The subpolar lowland is occupied by tundra and forest tundra. Most of the territory of Eastern Siberia belongs to the taiga zone. The forest landscape is dominated by Daurian larch, which is most adapted to the harsh climate and the presence of permafrost; much less pine here. The forests of Eastern Siberia are slightly swamped.

The taiga zone on the territory of Eastern Siberia is dominant and extends far to the south; sections of the steppe and forest-steppe are interspersed in it in the form of spots (the Minusinsk basin, which has a steppe character, the steppes of Transbaikalia).

Geologically, the area is characterized by a shallow occurrence of bedrock crystalline rocks, which often come to the surface here. Ancient igneous rocks - traps, which form characteristic vertical outcrops in the form of columnar units (locally - pillars) are widely distributed, especially within the Central Siberian Plateau.

The rivers of Eastern Siberia are predominantly in the form of mountain streams; flowing through the lowlands, they acquire a flat character.