The largest plains on the planet, framed by mountain systems, are located on the territory of Russia. Plains play an important role in Russian history and culture: on these natural sites the civilization of the Slavs developed, cities and roads were built, wars and revolutions took place. The rich, fertile plains allowed Russia to choose its own, individual path of development.
the East European Plain
The East European Plain also has another name: Russian. The area of this huge space is 5 million km2. It was in this arena that the Russian nation was formed, tsars and heroes "acted" on it, the main events of the country's history took place. The plain is limited by the seas: Caspian, Black, Baltic, Barents, White.
The low (about 170 m above sea level) East European Plain has a varied relief. In the northwest - the Kola Peninsula and Karelia, covered with low mountains and ridges. This is the crown of Europe - the foundation on which the entire plain was formed and stands. The appearance of this region was greatly influenced by glaciers descending from the mountains.
Glaciers have contributed to the formation of ridges and hills characteristic of the northern part of the plain. These hills reach the flesh of the line, conventionally connecting Smolensk, Moscow and Vologda. There are a lot of lakes in this region, including such large ones as Ilmen, Beloe, Seliger. In the south of the plain there is a ledge - the Smolensk-Moscow Upland, in the center - the Central Russian Upland, in the east - the Volga Upland.
West Siberian Plain
The low-lying West Siberian Plain is one of the largest sites on the planet. The length of the plain from north to south is about 2500 km, from west to east - about 1000 km. This area is characterized by small differences in elevation, especially in the central and northern regions. Huge, wide, flat spaces are interspersed with rivers.
The main area of the West Siberian Plain is occupied by woodlands - the basins of ancient lakes. This region is characterized by a harsh, sharply continental climate. In winter, the weather is influenced by cold continental air; in summer, humid air masses are brought in from the North Atlantic Ocean. The largest rivers in the region are Irtysh, Yenisei, Ob, Tom.
Central Siberian Plateau and Central Yakutsk Plain
Siberia is divided into two parts by the Yenisei flowing from north to south. On the right bank of the river begins a huge plateau - an area with small hills, deep valleys, steep slopes. This is the Central Siberian Plateau, which is also referred to as plains due to its low altitude and the abundance of flat interfluves.
The eastern plateaus, gradually decreasing, pass in the east to the Central Yakut plain. The plains of Yakutia are rich in an abundance of rivers, lakes and swamps. Permafrost extends hundreds of meters underground. At the same time, the climate in this region is distinguished by aridity, therefore, sands characteristic of Asia may well be located above the permafrost layer.
