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The territory of Russia is so vast that all landforms are represented on it, but almost two thirds are occupied by plains. A plain is a vast piece of land on which there are no large elevation differences (usually up to 50 °). This form of relief is characteristic not only for land, but also for the seabed.
Plains can be covered with forests, ice, sand, occupied by endless steppes. If you rise higher, you can watch how they stretch and stretch to the very horizon, and these are the very soulful Russian expanses.
There are 30 plains on the territory of Russia. They are different in location, elevations, ecosystems. And in area, of course. We present you a list of the 10 largest plains in Russia: a rating of large steppes on Earth, huge plateaus not only in Eurasia, but throughout the world.
10 Abyi lowland
Area: 1 m²
Abyi lowland is located in the north-east of Russia, on the territory of the Republic of Yakutia. The Indigirka River, as well as several of its tributaries, partially flows through its lands. There are many rivers here, they are connected by a network of tributaries, and there are almost 15 thousand lakes.
It is not surprising that the lowland is flooded, swampy, with a large amount of surface and groundwater. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, which determines its unique ecosystem and climate. The air lingers in the lowland, in winter it is cold and with little snow, and in summer it is hot and stuffy.
9. Khanka Plain
Area: 18 000 km²
In the south of Primorsky Krai is spread Khanka Plain. This is the most densely populated place in the Far East, the population density here is 10 people / km². It is located south of Khanka Lake and is limited by the East Manchurian Mountains.
The climate here is temperate monsoon, winters are dry and cold, -20°C is quite common. Summer is not hot and humid, averaging 20°C.
The nature of the Khanka Plain is very diverse. Here, mainly meadow, forest and marsh types are represented. Most of the plain has been exposed to man, and there is practically no virgin nature left. The territory is covered with arable land, hayfields, fields for grazing and others. Up to 400 species of birds are found here, and the waters of Lake Khanka are full of fish.
8. Aginskaya steppe
Area: 45 672 km²
In Transbaikalia, in the Aginsk region between the Aga and On rivers, there is an endless Aginskaya steppe. It is part of the Great Steppes and their most typical representative. The relief is slightly hilly, the height difference is small. The entire territory is occupied mainly by forb-feather grass and forb-rax ecosystems.
In 2004, the Aginsky steppe was awarded the title of a reserve. The purpose of this decision was to preserve and restore the unique steppe ecosystem. In some areas, thread-leaf steppes are represented. These communities are considered relics and are of great value.
On the territory of the plain, there are several dozen saline lakes, which become shallow during drought, or even completely dry up.
Water attracts migratory birds – the Aginskaya steppe is located on the most massive migratory route. Here you can meet more than 200 species of birds, among others the rarest bustard. On the territory of the plain, there are other natural monuments that are carefully protected by the state.
7. Kuznetsk Basin
Area: 48 000 km²
Kuznetsk Plain located in the south of the Western European, it is limited by mountains and ridges and is a unique ecosystem. Its surface is slightly hilly, densely indented by river valleys: many tributaries of the Ob flow here.
In the east of the plain there is the most valuable Kuznetsk coal deposit, the development of which puts unique natural communities at risk of destruction. Here are presented both feather grass steppes, and birch groves, and light pine forests.
The Kuznetsk Basin is rich in both flora (including rare species) and fauna. A huge number of wild animals live here, among which herbivorous rodents predominate. Mice, ground squirrels, marmots, hares, which are hunted by foxes and wolves, live on the plain.
6. Kulunda Plain
Area: 100 000 km²
Kulunda Plain refers to alluvial – formed as a result of changes in the course of rivers. It is located in the south of the West Siberian Plain, east of the Ishim steppe. It occupies the territory between the rivers Ob and Irtysh, in the southeast it is bounded by the Altai foothills.
The climate is typical continental. It is characterized by warm and dry summers and cold winters. Little snow falls, and even that can be swept away by sharp steppe winds. The south and east of the plain are occupied by chernozem steppes, to the north there are pine and birch forests.
The Kulunda Plain is an important agricultural area. Most of it is plowed up and occupied by wheat and industrial crops.
5. Ishim steppe
Area: 250 000 km²
Ishim steppe located in the south of the West Siberian Plain, between the Irtysh and Tobol rivers. It got its name in honor of the Ishim River flowing through it.
It is a lowland, slightly inclined to the east. It is dissected by river valleys, and also has hollows on its territory that have remained from long-disappeared reservoirs.
In the depressions there are a large number of lakes, both fresh and salty, with swampy shores. Winters here are cold and severe, the average temperature is -20°C, but it happens that it drops to -40°C.
In the forest-steppe zones, summer is moderately warm, but the steppes are often burned out by scorching heat. Among the ecosystems, forest-steppes with birch forests, the so-called kolki, predominate. The Ishim steppe is almost completely plowed up by man for agricultural needs.
4. the East European Plain
Area: 2 m²
the East European Plain – part of the Great European Plain, on the territory of which Belarus, the Baltic countries, partially Finland, Poland, Ukraine and Russia are located.
It stretches from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains, from north to south from the cold Barents and White Seas to the resort Black Sea. Its width is about 1000 km, and its length is about 2500 km.
In such vast territories, the alternation of natural zones is clearly visible. The taiga is replacing the tundra, and it is being replaced by mixed and broad-leaved forests. To the south there are forest-steppes and steppes, and in the very south you can find semi-deserts.
The relief is made up of alternating hills and lowlands, but in general it is quite uniform, and air masses are freely transferred to the west. In summer they bring coolness and moisture from the Atlantic Ocean, in winter they bring warmth and snow. This is the most densely populated territory of Russia, where more people live than in the rest of it.
3. West Siberian Plain
Area: 2 m²
West Siberian Plain located in the Asian part of Russia. It is sandwiched between the Ural Mountains and the Central Siberian Plateau. In the north, its shores are washed by the waters of the Kara Sea, and in the south it rests on the Kazakh hills.
This is an important part of the territory of Russia with fertile soils and lands rich in natural resources, especially in the south of the plain. It is here that the most densely populated regions of Siberia are located: Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk and others.
The length of the plain is 2500 km, so the climate on its territory varies greatly, but sharply continental prevails with severe and little snow winters.
Natural zonality is noticeable along its entire length: tundra, forest-tundra, forest-swamp area, forest-steppe and steppe alternately replace each other. Large areas are occupied by tundra and swamps, there are many rivers, lakes and lowlands.
2. European plain
Area: 3 000 000 km²
European plain, to which is sometimes added the prefix “Great” extends from the Pyrenees of France to the Ural Mountains of Russia. In Europe, it is much narrower, but closer to the borders of Russia it expands.
It includes the East European or Russian Plain with an area of 6 million km, which is found in gazetteers a little more often.
Several large rivers flow through the plain, including the Rhine, the Northern Dvina, the Volga and the Don. The climate on the European Plain is determined by its topography and location. In summer, air masses bring coolness and humidity, in winter – warmth and precipitation.
Toward the east, conditions become more severe, with drier summers and colder winters. On the territory of the plain there is a wide variety of natural zones: tundra, taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, steppes and even semi-deserts in the south.
1. The Central Siberian Plateau
Area: 3 m²
In the east of Russia, on the territory of Eastern Siberia, there are The Central Siberian Plateau. In the east and west, it is limited by the valleys of the Yenisei and Lena rivers, in the south by ridges. The relief is an alternation of plateaus and ridges.
The average temperature in the cold period varies from -20°C to -40°C, and in the warm period – from 12°C to 20°C. There is little precipitation here, and in severe winters, the plateau is characterized by the presence of permafrost. The main territories are occupied by tundra, to the south there are pine forests, and in the very south, in the lowlands, there are small areas of forest-steppes and steppes.