And also along the straits connecting Chernoye and. 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 - designation of one of the provinces east of, this is the name of the Scythian tribes to the Caspian Sea (Asians, Asians).
The coastline is very indented and forms a large number of peninsulas and bays. The largest are and. The continent is washed by the waters of the Atlantic, Arctic and. 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. .
Eurasia- 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, Czechs, 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 km2
Extreme points of Eurasia:
- The northernmost point of the island is Cape Fligeli, 81°51` N. sh.;
- the extreme northern continental point is Cape Chelyuskin, 77°43` N. sh.;
- The easternmost point of the island is Ratmanov Island, 169°0` W. d.;
- the extreme eastern 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.
Eurasia is the largest continent, occupying 1/3 of the entire landmass. The area of Eurasia is 53.4 million km2. Extreme points of Eurasia:
Northern: Cape Chelyuskin (78° N, 104° E);
South: Cape Piai (1°N, 103°E);
Western: Cape Roca (39°N, 9°W);
Eastern: Cape Dezhnev (67°N, 169°W).
The coast of Eurasia is quite indented, there are many large and small islands and bays, and there are internal and marginal seas. In the west, a large one juts out into the land with a number of smaller ones: the Black, Aegean, Adriatic, etc. There are a number of large peninsulas: the Iberian, Balkan, Apennine, as well as islands: Sicily,. In the north-west of the mainland, the North and Norwegian seas wash. There are also large bays: Biscay, Bothnia, and Finland.
There are also many seas from the east: , Okhotsk, Japanese, Yellow, East China and South China. , Korea, Indochina are the largest peninsulas. The largest islands: , Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, there are also many archipelagos: Japanese, Kuril, .
The southern coast of Eurasia is less indented; large geographical objects predominate here: the huge Arabian Peninsula and Hindustan, almost as large as the Bay of Bengal.
The border between Europe and Asia is drawn quite conventionally: it is considered to be a line running from the Arctic Ocean through the Ural Mountains, then along the northern shore of the Caspian Sea, the Kuma-Manych depression. Further, Europe and Asia are separated by seas: the Black and Mediterranean.
On the Mediterranean coast there are large reserves of non-ferrous metal ores and bauxite; in northern Asia (Russian territory) there are large reserves of gold and copper-nickel ores. The “tin belt” runs along the coast - a number of tin ore deposits. In the north and on there are deposits of diamonds, and other precious stones are mined: emeralds, rubies, and turquoise.
Eurasia is rich in rivers and lakes, rivers flow into all four oceans, and there are also large areas. Pechora, Yenisei, and others carry their waters into the Arctic Ocean. The largest of them - Ob, Yenisei, Lena - originate in the mountains and plateaus, they are quite deep, as they are fed by melting glaciers and precipitation, in addition, all rivers of the Arctic Ocean have a spring flood, since in these The regions have fairly snowy winters - the melting snow feeds the rivers. These rivers have a huge number of large and small tributaries, the West Siberian Plain, which is located between the Ob and, is very swampy
Rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin. They originate in mountainous areas, but their main course flows along the plain, which is why the rivers are quite deep. The Yellow River and Yangtze overflow heavily, forming sediment. It is not for nothing that the Yellow River is called the “yellow river” - its waters carry a huge amount of sand and small particles of soil. This is especially noticeable at the place where it flows into the sea - the water of the Yellow River is noticeably different in color from the sea.
The largest rivers of the Indian Ocean are the Indus, Ganges, and Tigris. These rivers flow through a fairly hot area, and if the Ganges valleys are highly humidified thanks to the Himalayas, the Tigris and Euphrates flow through arid areas. Due to the fact that the sources of these rivers are located at higher elevations, they are the main reason for soil fertility; a lot of water is used for irrigation.
Other large lakes: and, are connected by natural and artificial channels to each other, as well as from one side to the other. Thus, they are an important element of the transport route from Europe to the Arctic Ocean.
The huge size of the continent affects its climatic conditions. Due to its large extent from north to south, Eurasia is located in all regions; the difference in climate in the northern and southern regions of the continent is very great. Due to the enormous extent from west to east, the influence of the ocean is weakened, a sharply continental type of climate is formed, therefore Eurasia is characterized by not only sublatitudinal, but also submeridional climate change.
Another specific feature of the climate of Eurasia is that the mountains in the south and east of the country block the path from the Pacific and, especially, from the warm Indian Ocean. On the contrary, air masses that form over the Atlantic and have a significant impact on the climate of the continent. Warm winds blow from the Atlantic Ocean, making it quite mild. But cold winds penetrate almost unhindered from the Arctic Ocean to the north and center of the continent.
All this leads to uneven temperature distribution on the mainland during the winter months. January isotherms are not sublatitudinal, but practically follow the contours of the coastline, especially in the west, gradually smoothing out to the east. In the north of the Asian part of the continent there is the cold pole of the northern hemisphere: Oymyakon, -71 °C.
Precipitation is also very unevenly distributed. The central part of the continent, remote from all oceans, is quite arid; deserts form here, including the largest desert in Eurasia - the Gobi. Little precipitation falls in the north of the Asian part. The coasts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and with rare exceptions () are quite well moistened. As we move deeper into the continent, the average annual precipitation decreases sharply in the south (the path to moist air is blocked by mountains) and gradually in the east and west.
The northern coast of Eurasia is located within the Arctic climate zone. These territories are located beyond the Arctic Circle; in winter, the polar night reigns here - the sun does not rise above the horizon. Accordingly, the territories receive very little solar energy. In the summer, the days become quite long, but most of the energy is reflected from the surface of the earth covered with snow. Therefore, the average temperatures in the summer months are also low. There is little precipitation here, since cold air cannot be moist, and moist sea masses do not form over the Arctic Ocean.
To the south stretches a strip of the subarctic climate zone, quite narrow in the west of the continent and expanding to the east. This area is characterized by large temperature differences in summer and winter, and sudden changes in weather are also possible under the influence of cold air from the ocean. In the western part, the climate is moderated by the influence of the warmer Atlantic Ocean.
The temperate climate zone runs through a wide strip. It starts north of 40°, in the western part of the continent it reaches the Arctic Circle.
The coast of Europe is located in the maritime zone, there are mild winters, temperatures rarely drop below zero, and warm summers. There is a lot of precipitation on the coast (up to 1000 mm), and the weather is very changeable.
The European part of Eurasia is located in the temperate continental climate zone. Humid air masses from the Atlantic Ocean come from the west, which soften the climate, thanks to which the average amount of precipitation falls here (500-600 mm). Still, the temperature difference between winter and summer is quite high.
The central part of Eurasia has a sharply continental temperate climate. It is characterized by sharp temperature changes, not only seasonally, but also throughout the day. Winters are very cold and dry, and summers also receive little precipitation (200 mm).
The east coast is under temperate influence. In winter it is cold and clear, without thaws, and there is little precipitation. In summer, on the contrary, it is very humid and quite cool, the sky is often overcast.
Southern Europe, the Pamirs and southern China are in the subtropical climate zone. In the west, the climate is softened by the proximity of the seas; a Mediterranean type of climate is formed here: summers are hot and dry, winters are quite warm and humid. As you move east, deeper into the continent, a zone of continental subtropical climate begins with hot summers, warm winters and very little precipitation (100-150 mm). The Pacific coast has a subtropical monsoon climate: winters are warm and dry, summers are hot and humid.
The tropical climate is characteristic of the Arabian Peninsula and the coast of the Persian Gulf. It is dry, very hot in summer and quite cool (up to 0°C) in winter. Deserts form in this zone.
The subequatorial climate is characteristic of the Hindustan Peninsula and the south: it is warm here in both summer and winter. Winter and spring are dry; summer is dominated by a humid monsoon, bringing heavy, long rainfall from the Indian Ocean.
The equatorial climate type is observed mainly on islands located along the equator. There are no serious temperature changes here, it is always warm and there is a lot of rainfall.
There are all natural zones in Eurasia, the boundaries between them are very clear.
The Arctic zone occupies the islands of the Arctic Ocean. Most of the territory is covered with ice, the soil freezes many meters deep. Marine animals live here - seals, fur seals and numerous seabirds.
To the south there is a zone of tundra and forest-tundra. Mosses and lichens and dwarf trees grow here. Birch and alder trees appear in the southern part of the forest-tundra. The fauna is very limited: there are lemmings, reindeer, and arctic foxes.
In the temperate climate zone, a large forest belt is formed, consisting of two natural zones: mixed and deciduous forests. Taiga occupies almost the entire Scandinavian and northern parts of the East European and West Siberian Plains, as well as the Central Siberian Plateau. Taiga is a dense, sometimes swampy coniferous forest, mainly fir and cedar grow, and podzolic soils are formed. Animals include martens, chipmunks, hares, moose, and brown bears. There are many birds, both insectivores and predators. The zone of mixed and deciduous forests is formed mainly in the European part of the continent. Pines, spruces, oaks grow here, the soils are chestnut and brown forest. This natural area is very densely populated by humans; there is little natural fauna left, mostly small ones - squirrels, chipmunks, hares.
Forests in the south gradually turn into forest-steppes, and then into steppes. These areas are inhabited by many rodents: marmots, gophers, mice, and a variety of grasses grow. The most fertile soil, chernozem, is formed in the steppe zone, so cereals are grown here in abundance.
Deserts and semi-deserts are located in the center of the continent. This area receives very little rainfall and winters are quite cold. The fauna is practically absent; the predominant plants are wormwood and saxaul.
On the Mediterranean coast a zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs has been formed. Palm trees, heat-loving conifers, oil trees, and citrus fruits grow.
On the opposite, eastern, side of the continent there is a zone of variable-humid (monsoon) forests. Beech, oak, magnolias, and bamboo grow here - plants that tolerate dry, cool winters well and begin to grow actively in the warm season. There are many fairly large animals: monkeys, leopards, the Himalayan bear, and in the forests of India - antelopes, crocodiles, tigers, jackals. There are a lot of snakes - about 200 species.
A savannah zone has formed on the Hindustan Peninsula. Many herbs grow here, as well as drought-resistant trees: bamboo, acacia. There are also many large animals here: elephants, buffalos.
The zone of moist equatorial forests is formed on the southern islands of Eurasia. A variety of palm trees, ficuses, and vines grow here. The fauna is diverse: there are many large and small monkeys, there are wild boars, buffaloes, rhinoceroses, crocodiles, lizards and snakes.
In Eurasia there are many areas of altitudinal zones, where natural zones change with altitude.
Eurasia is rightfully recognized as a continent that can be included in the top “best”. It is the largest in area, has the highest mountain peak, and moreover, the mainland is inhabited by a third of the planet's population. Eurasia is rich in its history, and its earth's surface contains a large number of countries and nationalities. In other words, a most interesting continent, about which we will tell you the most informative facts and details.
One can say with certainty about Eurasia that there is almost everything here. Everything that was not in this territory was brought and multiplied over time. The fact is that Eurasia is located in absolutely all climate zones; there are all types of climates, from warm equatorial to harsh and cold arctic, which is mostly concentrated in the north of the continent. There is also a wide variety of flora and fauna here.
The main mainland of Eurasia lies in the northern hemisphere, and in the southern part of the Earth there are islands of land. Since this continent is the largest, it also has the largest number of irregularities: mountains, depressions, and a rugged coastline. This is especially true in the southeast. It would seem that Eurasia is connecting with the African continent. In fact, this is not so; they are separated by the Suez Canal. Therefore, Eurasia is a separate continent. The territory of Eurasia is amazing, it is filled with lakes, seas, rivers, while the entire continent is washed by all 4 oceans.
Description of the climate of Eurasia according to the 7th grade plan
Due to the fact that the territory of Eurasia extends across all climate zones at once, the climate here will be very diverse. The mainland is distinguished by the fact that it is not crossed by the equator (only the island part), while the following climatic zones are assigned to it:
Most of the continent is in the temperate climate zone. A temperate continental climate prevails here with an average temperature in July of + 25 Cº; in winter, in January the thermometer can drop to -19 Cº. In some regions located in the Far North, temperatures can reach -63 Cº.
The temperature on the continent varies from north to south. The northern tip of Eurasia is mostly located in the arctic and subarctic climate zone. Basically, the climate of the mainland corresponds to the conventionally designated zonation, but in the mountains the situation changes. The climate is also changing in the south and southeast of Asia; the monsoons coming from the Indian Ocean change the weather, resulting in large amounts of precipitation.
In general, 4 types of air flows hang over the territory of Eurasia. The mountainous elevation serves as a kind of boundary between the flows of cold or warm masses, dry or wet. Arctic masses are formed over the Arctic and subarctic zones, temperate ones - over the majority of the territory of Eurasia in the temperate zone and, accordingly, tropical and equatorial ones.
If we compare the boundaries of the relief and climate zone, we can say that in the northern part of the Himalayan mountains the amount of precipitation reaches a level of 80-100 mm, while in the east of the Himalayas it is 10,000 mm and above. The same picture is with the Alps, they give warm winters to the countries along the Mediterranean Sea, and leave cold streams for Central Europe, where winters are colder.
Description of the population of Eurasia
Europe is very heterogeneous in its composition. It is filled with both the largest powers: Russia, China, India, and very tiny states, which in size occupy an area no larger than an average city, for example, the Vatican or Andorra. But despite all this, Europe, with an area of 10.18 million km, accommodates about 741 million people on its territory. Conventionally, Eurasia is divided into 2 parts: Europe and Asia, but it is Asia that stands out for its population density. Analysts from many countries around the world have revealed that the European birth rate has decreased several times, while the Asian birth rate is growing every year.
In Eurasia, representatives of three races are expressed - Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Ethiopian. The southeast of the continent is considered the most densely populated. If the average population density in Eurasia is 93-94 people (per 1 sq. km), then in China (160 people / 1 sq. km) the density is increased almost 2 times, in Indonesia 1.5 times (125 people / 1 sq. km).
According to the nationalities on the continent, there is a Slavic group (Russians, Moravians, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Czechs, Belarusians, Croats), a Germanic group (Germans, Swedes, Norwegians, English), Chinese (peoples of East Asia), Arab, Indo-Iranian, Sino-Tibetan, this also includes the peoples of Japan and Korea.
Description of northern Eurasia
Northern Eurasia lies on the shores of the cold Arctic Ocean. Three climatic zones are concentrated in this territory: arctic, subarctic and temperate. The Arctic is the harshest and brings cold air masses, as a result it is impossible not to notice this influence. Throughout the year, the temperature here does not rise above 0 Cº; winter drags on for almost 12 months. The average temperature is - 40 Cº.
In the subarctic zone the picture is much rosier. There is a short summer here, with virtually no precipitation, but with strong winds and a temperature of +12 Cº. The rest of the year is occupied by winter, with little precipitation falling. Another part of northern Eurasia covers the temperate zone, where all 4 seasons appear with a mild transition of temperatures and precipitation. The warmest winters here occur in the western European part, this is due to the flow of Atlantic masses.
The diversity of nature begins in the tundra and taiga zones. The habitat of animals, just like the distribution of vegetation, depends on people and the specific climate. For example, deer, arctic foxes, foxes, white hares, and tundra partridges are common in the tundra. Moving further to the Arctic, the only animals encountered are polar bears, seals, fur seals, and some birds, most of which are nomadic.
Northern Eurasia, with its temperate climate, hosts a more diverse flora and fauna. The temperature is conducive to the habitat of wolves, wolverines, foxes, saigas, hares, deer, bears (brown), moose and some other animals that are also found in the middle zone. Birds include hazel grouse, black grouse, woodpeckers, swallows, falcons, etc.
Northern Eurasia is considered the most sparsely populated after the northeast. The main activities in these areas are fishing, forestry and mining. The north of the continent is filled with oil, gas, various ore deposits, gold and diamond reserves. Many oil and gas processing enterprises, metal and stone processing enterprises are concentrated in the northern territory.
Description of the Eurasian River
Eurasia, more than other continents, is filled with water from rivers, lakes and even seas. The longest river on the continent, the Yangtze, flows through its territory. And the deepest is the Ganges; if we look down the map, we will see that it connects with the Brahmaputra, the most poorly studied river. Nevertheless, it is an important artery of Asia. The Indus, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Soluin rivers lie nearby; they literally carry their waters parallel to each other into the oceans. With them, the Amur, Yellow River, Tigris, and Euphrates also rush into the large harbor.
Many rivers are concentrated in Northern Eurasia on the territory of Russia, flowing into the Arctic Ocean: Yenisei, Kolyma, Indigirka, Yana, Olenyok, Khatanga, Ob. There are other small rivers that flow into large waters, but the greatest rivers of Russia are: the Lena - as the longest river, the Yenisei - famous for its full flow, the Ob - forms many small rivers and ultimately ends with the widest and most overflowing outlet into the ocean, the Ural - the river , which serves as a divider between the European and Asian parts of Eurasia.
There are many other rivers in Eurasia, which can also be noted by their fullness, length, and tortuosity, for example, the Dnieper, Seine, Rhine, Danube. The Volga is considered the longest river in modern Europe, and the Oder crosses the Central European Plain. Rivers with internal drainage are also important; most of them are used for irrigation, and some are even on the verge of extinction.
Description of the relief of Eurasia
Scientists have found that Eurasia was formed as a result of the convergence of several lithospheric platforms. As a result of the connection of the Russian, Siberian, Chinese, Arabian and Indian plates, a folded continent was formed. In the places where it converged, mountains, volcanoes and hills were formed. However, lithospheric movement accompanied not only the protrusion of subsoil to the surface; faults were formed during seismic activity. Currently, these are depressions, rivers, seas, lakes and separated islands.
Eurasia is a fairly high continent, its average height is 835-840 m above sea level. At the same time, the highest mountain range is concentrated on it - the Himalayan range, which makes the mainland even higher. There are many other mountain elevations here; as a rule, between the mountains there is a highland or plateau. The most famous Central Siberian, Deccan, Iranian, plateau. Among the plains, the largest ones are the East European, Central European, and West Siberian.
Distributed in Eurasia and deserts, one of the largest is the Rub al-Khali desert. It covers several countries with sand (Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE). The Karakum and Kyzylkum deserts are located in Central Asia. The Gobi and Taklamakan deserts lie between the Tien Shan and Tibetan mountains. There is also a Kazakh small hill not far from Balkhash; it represents an ancient mountain destruction. Once there were mountains there, now only small elevations remain of them - the Kokchetav Upland, the Karkaraly Mountains.
The western side is distinguished by its homogeneity, but even here there are irregularities - the Alpine mountains crossing several countries, the volcanoes of Italy, the Turkish Mountains. By the way, volcanoes are also found in Japan, on the island of Sumatra, and in southeast Asia. Some of them are extinct, not visible for several decades.
Deserts of Eurasia description
Surprisingly, all the deserts of Eurasia are concentrated in the Asian part of the mainland. It turns out that it was there that unfavorable conditions for all living things prevailed, resulting in sandy and rocky dunes.
Arabian deserts
The Arabian deserts smoothly flow from one large to smaller deserts and ultimately form as many as 5 deserts:
- Rub al-Khali - consists of sand overlying gypsum/gravel deposits, the hottest and driest desert in Eurasia;
- Big Nefud- a desert with red sand and strong winds. It is known for the fact that life-giving moisture is still present in some of its parts. In these very places, certain crops are grown in the form of vegetables and fruits;
- Dekhnu- sandy-rocky desert, which lies in a mountain hollow;
- Nefud-Dakhi- central desert. The sand dunes are inhabited by some Bedouin tribes;
- Al Hasa- a desert filled with sand and just one oasis, Ratif.
Mongolian deserts
The world famous Gobi Desert is located in the mountains of Mongolia. It is divided into several parts and is the divider between northern and southern Asia. Conventionally, daughter deserts received their names due to the adjacent territories. For example, part of the desert adjacent to the Altai Mountains was called Trans-Altai, and the part near Mongolia was called the Mongolian Gobi. In addition to these, the top five deserts include the Alashan Gobi, Gashun Gobi and Dzungarian Gobi.
The remaining deserts of Eurasia are located individually in different parts of the continent. They do not have nearby brothers, but they have their own history and differentiated composition:
- Karakum and Kyzylkum — both deserts are located in Turkmenistan. Only Kyzylkum extends into the territories of neighboring Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan;
- Taklamakan, Tsaidam, Ordos - deserts of China. They differ in their composition: Taklamakan - sandy; Tsaidam - saline-sandy; Ordos - sandy-clayey;
- Tar, Thal- sandy deserts originating in India. Thar simultaneously seizes the territory of Pakistan;
- Syrian desert - bears the name of an even larger desert. It consists of sand and stones and stretches for more than 1 million km. It runs through Syria, Jordan and Iraq;
- Dashti-Margo- located in Afghanistan, translated as the valley of death. It lies in a river valley, among its sandy sections there are clayey and rocky rocks;
- Badgers Big and small — located on the territory of Kazakhstan in the northern part of the Aral Sea;
- Judean Desert - the most mythical and popular among pilgrims. Located in Israel west of the Dead Sea. Many researchers believe that under this desert there are reservoirs that pass through hundreds of millions of cubic meters of water.
Description of the natural zone of Eurasia taiga
Taiga is located on the border with the tundra and is not distinguished by the abundance of flora and fauna. Its nature is devoid of biological diversity; in conditions of extreme cold and high humidity, only certain plants adapted to acidic soils can survive. Pines, cedars, alders, birches, larches and some types of poplars are common in taiga areas. Boreal forests are quite dense; their peculiarity is that in most trees the seeds ripen in cones, hiding from the cold and excess moisture.
Taiga forests can be called impenetrable. On the one hand, the difficulty lies in dense and tall forests, on the other hand, in swamps. The taiga area is simply overflowing with water, small rivers, swamps and swamps literally ooze from it. However, animals and insects have long adapted to low temperatures and moisture.
In the taiga there are wolves, lynxes, foxes, tigers, bears, muskrats, sables, stoats, chipmunks, and the largest taiga animal is the elk. It feeds on the “lower” green layer of vegetation - mosses and lichens, which are more than abundant here due to the specific environment.
Brief description of the nature of Eurasia
In general, the vegetation of Eurasia is the richest on the planet, there are all types of forests: deciduous, broad-leaved, eucalyptus, etc. There is practically no piece of land on the continent that is not covered with greenery, with the exception of deserts. And then, sometimes there are thorns and feather grass. Starting from the lower grass layer, the soil is covered with a layer of grass or mosses, then low-growing plants or shrubs grow, and multi-tiered tree species grow higher up. This growth order is established in the subtropical, tropical, subequatorial and temperate climate zones.
The seas, rivers and lakes of Eurasia are filled with fish and waterfowl, among which there are commercial species. Among them are chum salmon, sturgeon, beluga, kaluga, coho salmon, trout, salmon, flounder, etc. As for the animal world, the tiger is considered the most dangerous Eurasian representative. Behind him are several varieties of bears, wolverines, and lynx. Fields and forests are inhabited by many species of rodents, and many birds also live in Eurasia.
The central European part and southern Eurasia are most favorable for the cultivation of agricultural crops; southern Asia is famous for its fruit and spice market. In other words, regardless of climatic conditions, animals and plants have learned to adapt to their environment.
Description of the subtropical zone of Eurasia
The subtropical zone of Eurasia is very specific in its content. This is explained by the fact that the belt is lined with different areas: mountains give way to plains, lowlands go into the seas. Because of this, the climate of the subtropics is very diverse. However, there are two typical seasons - winter and summer. The continent is influenced from the west by the Atlantic cyclone, and from the south by African warm air currents. Because of this, the Mediterranean has hot and dry summers and rainy, warm winters.
The mid-continental part is characterized by aridity and cold winters. The warm Indian monsoon blows from the south in summer; the islands and land are in excess of precipitation (more than 3000 mm). In winter, the climate changes, influenced by the eastern part of the subtropical zone. From there come the monsoons, which flood the continent with rain and cold winds.
Description of the temperate climate zone of Eurasia
In Eurasia, the temperate climate zone is considered the widest and most extensive. It stretches immediately between the 40th and 65th parallels. Here the distinction between all seasons is expressed. In summer the sun is high, the air temperature is always positive, in autumn and winter the thermometer drops lower than in summer, and in winter snow falls in all regions of the temperate zone and the temperature drops below 0 degrees.
The continent's relief in the temperate zone is mixed, so there is a range of temperatures in the same season. For example, from the west, Atlantic air masses bring warm temperatures, resulting in winters in Europe warmer than in central and eastern Eurasia.
Description of the tropical zone of Eurasia
The tropical belt covers a small part of Eurasia. For this, it is considered unique on the mainland. This territory includes the Arabian Peninsula and the adjacent countries of Mesopotamia. The tropics are warm all year round. Continental-tropical air currents move above them.
Moist streams from the Indian Ocean cannot reach this part of the continent because of the mountains bordering the Arabian Peninsula, so here are the largest deserts on Earth, where heat and drought reign all year round. Summer reigns here most of the year with temperatures above 35º C (July). In summer, temperatures of about 60º C were recorded in Riyadh. Precipitation in these places is very rare. Tropical winter occurs with average temperatures of 12-16ºC in January.
Lakes of Eurasia
Most lakes in Eurasia are recognized as exceptional. Some of them are striking in their transparency and impregnation, others have an unusual history of formation, others are fed by glacial waters, and some have completely turned from seas into lakes. Yes, yes, unfortunately this happens due to drought and the harmful influence of humanity. Such a story happened with the salty Aral Lake; for a long time it was used for irrigation, as a result of which the southern part of the former sea almost dried up.
The nearby Caspian Sea is also now classified as a lake. Its water level constantly fluctuates, the maximum depth is 1025 m.
In Europe, the country of Estonia has the largest number of lakes (Chudskoye, Alesti, Kaali, Verevi, etc.). Who would have thought that there were so many lakes in such a small country. The next largest number of water attractions are Germany and Norway. After them are Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Iceland. Lake Como is considered the most remarkable lake in Europe; in addition to the fact that it is very deep, many world celebrities have settled along it, including Madonna, Ronaldinho and others. Lake Vänern (5.65 thousand km) is recognized as the freshest, and its area is the third after Lake Ladoga (17.8 thousand km) and Lake Onega (9.7 thousand km).
Central Eurasia is filled with no less number of lakes than European. Lake Onega, Lake Ladoga, Urmia, and the system of lakes in Seleger and Karelia are located here. Eastern Eurasia is filled with lakes Balkhash, Issyk-Kul, Dongting, Taimyr, Khanka. But Baikal is considered the most unsurpassed lake. This is the deepest freshwater lake on the planet (1642 m), located in a rift basin. The beautiful waters of Lake Baikal contain many aquatic inhabitants, among which there is an unusual fish, the golomyanka, which has no scales, but is one-third fat. For its remarkable processes, outstanding phenomena, beauty and significance, the lake has been on the UNESCO heritage list since December 1996.
Mountains of Eurasia
The mountains of Eurasia surpass all the elevations of the planet. Here is the highest peak on Earth - Chomolungma. Every year it gets higher. The Ural mountain range divides the continent into two parts: Europe and Asia. The Alps are considered the highest mountain range in the European part, followed by the Carpathians, which also cover several countries.
On the territory of the largest country on the Russian mainland there are many mountain ranges: the Caucasus, Altai, mountains of Southern Siberia, North-Eastern Siberia: Stanovoye Highlands, Verkhoyansk Range, Stanovoy Range. In Kamchatka there are also hills - a chain of Klyuchevskaya volcanoes, one of the main elevated among the hills is the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano.
The Asian part is literally raised by mountain ranges. It is framed from the south by the Sahyadri,
Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau) from the east, Eurasia is closed by the Sikhote-Alin Mountains. Tibet and Tien Shan are also located here. In the southeast of the continent there is the Central Iranian chain of mountains, the Iranian Highlands, and the Kukhrud ridge. The north-west is covered by the Scandinavian mountains.
Animals of Eurasia
The territory of Eurasia is diverse in its relief; accordingly, there is a wide variety of flora and fauna. The most populated areas are those with a normal, accessible climate. Extreme climatic zones like the Arctic and subarctic climate zones are devoid of animal diversity.
The fauna of the tundra is sparse; deer, arctic foxes, wolves, hares, foxes, polar bears and some species of birds live here. In the taiga zone, the list of animals becomes wider; there are already moose, brown bears, lemings, ermines, sables, weasels, otters, wolverines, tigers, and small rodents. Birds in the taiga include wood grouse, nutcrackers, Siberian eagle owls, bee-eaters, and woodpeckers. There are also a large number of insects living here, which literally live in clouds on every meter of wet terrain.
In the temperate zone, the number of inhabitants of the animal world becomes more substantial (cows, bulls, sheep, rams, goats, wild boars, etc.). The inhabitants of the south and southeast Asia are interesting. The largest terrestrial proboscis mammals live here - elephants, bantengs, binturongs, gaurs, camels, big cats, rhinoceroses, chamois, tapirs, exotic birds and, of course, the most charming koalas and pandas. The latter, by the way, are listed in the Red Book. Asia also has a large number of monkeys, amphibians: frogs, newts, reptiles: crocodiles, turtles, snakes and insects.
The desert zone was also not left without its inhabitants: lizards, ground frogs, mice, chuckwells, snakes, foxes, ground squirrels, camels, gazelles, and some species of birds. Even in the Namib Desert, there are insects called beetles that accumulate moisture on their skin when fog falls; they feed on life-giving drops during the heat. It is also home to the most dangerous arachnids on the planet - Transvaal scorpions.
Unusual plants of Eurasia
- Guide radiant;
- Takka Chantrier;
- Kadupul flower;
- Flycatcher flower;
- Catalpa;
- Mognolia.
In discussing the article “The Morality of Amateurism,” it was repeatedly pointed out to me that the climate on the Russian Plain and in Siberia changed - both during periods of glaciation and interglacial periods.
Due to numerous requests to clarify this issue, I am publishing this text.
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About 20 million years ago, ice sheets appeared in Antarctica. In the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, the first glaciers appeared 4-5 million years ago. Over time, the climate worsened, but even about 1 million years ago temperatures exceeded modern ones. But later the temperatures dropped so much that glaciation covered most of the Northern Hemisphere.
Mountain glaciers descended far into the valleys, and ice sheets advanced from the north. But another warming came, and forest zones moved far to the north. As soon as it got colder, forests disappeared and tundra landscapes and cold periglacial steppes appeared in high and middle latitudes.
During the glaciation period, due to the fact that a significant amount of water from the World Ocean turned into ice, its level decreased significantly. Sometimes it fell by 150-200 m, exposing a significant part of the continental shelf.
During the last major glaciation, about 18 thousand years ago, the air temperature on Earth was 5° colder than today, and in Western and Eastern Europe - even 9-15° (a significant part of its territory was covered with a thick layer of ice).
During the maximum period of the last glaciation, almost one third of modern land was covered by a glacier. The largest ice sheets at that time were: Antarctic - 14 million km2, Laurentian (Canadian) - 13.2 million km2, Scandinavian - 10-12 million km2, Ural-Siberian - 4.5 million km2. Because of this, the level of the World Ocean dropped significantly compared to today (by 130 m), about 27 million km2 of the continental shelf were exposed, and so-called land bridges emerged that connected the continents. Bridges connected continental Europe with Greenland, Asia with North America, and the isthmus between North and South America was significant.
(Blue color indicates the glacier, dark green indicates areas of land exposed due to the drop in the level of the World Ocean, green arrows indicate the proposed migration routes of Homo sapiens)
About 15 thousand years ago the warming process began. The ice sheet began to collapse and retreat. Following him, vegetation moved, which gradually developed more and more new lands.
The study of the composition of plant communities, soils and existing landscapes buried in sediments of different origins in Europe made it possible to identify the following climate types: subarctic, boreal, Atlantic, subboreal, subatlantic, which established 11 thousand years ago and lasted until the modern era.
The warmest period of time, called the “climatic optimum,” lasted about 4 thousand years and ended about 5 thousand years ago.
In Northern and Central Europe, average annual temperatures have become 3-4° higher than modern ones, and in North America and Siberia - even by 5°. The area of sea polar ice in the Arctic Ocean has decreased greatly.
Greenland was completely free of ice, but taiga vegetation also grew on its territory. Most of Iceland was occupied by birch forests. Forest vegetation was located not only on the northern coast of Norway, but also on the Siberian coast of the Arctic Ocean.
The fact that the average water temperature in the Arctic was then several degrees higher than now is evidenced by the expansion of the habitat of some animals. The common edible mussel, for example, lived off the coast of Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya (now it is found all the way to the coast of southern Greenland, Iceland and near the Kola Peninsula, but only in the area affected by the Gulf Stream).
Traces of warming are well preserved even in Antarctica. In particular, these are traces of water erosion, indicating that at times the ice in Antarctica melted and water flows eroded the thawed soil. In the coastal waters of Antarctica, the southern tip of Africa and Australia and Tierra del Fuego, there lived more heat-loving mollusks than those that live today.
Warming contributed to the movement of many plants to northern Europe. Broad-leaved forests appeared in the north of Germany and Poland, heat-loving plants such as holm oak and ivy appeared in Denmark, and linden appeared in England. In the mountains, the snow line has greatly increased; forests have risen into the mountains almost 400-500 m above the current level.
(Broadleaf forest)
However, humidity during the period of climatic optimum changed very unevenly. It increased in the north of the Russian (East European) Plain, and south of the 50th latitude, on the contrary, it decreased.
General warming caused a shift to the poles of climate zones, changing atmospheric circulation. Landscapes of steppes, semi-deserts and deserts were located north of modern ones, and now arid areas received large amounts of precipitation. If you look closely at the surfaces of modern deserts, you can clearly see dry riverbeds along which rivers previously flowed, and saucer-shaped lowlands occupied in the past by lakes. Seeds, fruits and even entire trunks of moisture-loving plants that once grew in these places are buried in the thickness of the sand. In Central Asia, the Near and Middle East, humidity during the climatic optimum was much higher than at present.
Just 10 thousand years ago, a warm and humid climate existed in all the now arid regions of Asia and Africa. For example, in the Thar Desert during the climatic optimum, the total amount of precipitation was 4 times higher than the modern level. There were savannas, gazelles, antelopes, elephants and cattle breeding tribes lived here. The inhabitants of the ancient settlement of Harappa, the ruins of which are located in the now arid region on the banks of the Indus, even built special devices for drainage of storm water about 5 thousand years ago.
About 10-12 thousand years ago, almost in the center of one of the driest regions of the Earth - the Sahara, there were two huge freshwater lakes with dense thickets of tropical vegetation along the shores, not inferior in size to the modern Caspian Sea. The present Lake Chad is a small relic of this huge sea. Elephants, zebras, hippos, and rhinoceroses grazed in the savannah, which gradually gave way to tropical rainforests. In the mountainous regions adjacent to the Sahara, ash, maple, and linden grew.
Rock carvings on the Tassilin-Ajer plateau and the results of excavations indicate that settlements were located on the shores of the lake, whose inhabitants were engaged in hunting, fishing, and cultivating fields. Remains of stone tools, fish hooks and household items were found there.
However, the favorable period of climatic optimum quickly ended. Drought began to occur more and more often, and finally, under the pressure of the sands, the vegetation disappeared, the rivers and lakes dried up.
The climate had a direct impact on the economic structure of people. With the beginning of the climatic optimum (the border between the Paleolithic and Mesolithic coincides with it), one of the most favorable stages in the life of human society began. This time was characterized not only by a high culture of making stone tools, but also by the transition to a sedentary lifestyle.
The favorable climate contributed to the wide distribution of forests and wild animals. People searched, extracted and consumed for food what was easily available, what nature provided. But they didn’t create anything in return. This couldn't go on for long. Over time, the number of animals, especially large ones, began to decline. It was easier for people to collectively kill a large animal than to hunt down a dozen small ones for a long time. In addition, hunters destroyed the strongest and most viable animals, and the sick and old were taken over by predators. Thus, primitive people undermined the basis of animal reproduction.
Thus, the emergence of agriculture and cattle breeding was associated not only with changes in natural conditions, but also with unwise management.
Unsuccessful hunts and long journeys in search of animals, the numbers of which were greatly reduced, prompted ancient people to move on to the domestication of animals. This guaranteed their life regardless of the vagaries of the weather and luck in the hunt. The most ancient areas of domestication were the territories of the modern Sahara Desert, the interfluve of the Tigris and Euphrates, the Indus and the Ganges. Almost simultaneously with cattle breeding, agriculture arose.
The most ancient farmers were carriers of the so-called Badari culture. It got its name from the Badari area in Sudan, where ancient stone hoes, sickles and agricultural products were discovered.
(Artifacts from El-Badari, Egypt. 4-5 millennium BC)
The Badari culture arose about 5 thousand years ago. Agricultural cultures of similar age developed in Mesopotamia and other areas. Egypt is considered a classic country of ancient agriculture.
Abundance of moisture, warm climate, fertile soil - this is the key to the development of agriculture and the creation of a high culture of agricultural production among the Egyptians and Sumerians.
At first, pastoral tribes roamed in search of suitable pastures. The number of livestock increased, and it became more difficult to find open areas. Cattle breeders, like farmers, began to burn forests and use the vacated land for pastures and arable land.
The development of land in areas prone to climate change led to a disruption of the centuries-old balance. The moisture circulation and temperature regime of the earth's surface were disrupted. Massive grazing of livestock contributed to the rapid degradation of the soil cover. Destroyed forests, savannas and pastures were not restored. With the onset of aridity due to developing cooling, semi-desert and desert landscapes arose in place of once luxurious forests and savannas. At first, people somehow tried to prevent the advance of the sands, but then they were forced to look for and develop new lands.
Based on the preserved erosion marks in river valleys, it has been established that the full flow of the Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Indus, Ganges and other rivers varied quite a lot in the past. The level of the World Ocean dropped by almost 3 m after the climatic optimum.
Drought and sand encroachment contributed to the decline of the Neolithic culture in the Sahara and the Harappan culture in the Indus Valley. In arid conditions, people were forced to develop irrigated agriculture. Complex irrigation structures created by the hands of ancient people have been preserved. We are amazed by the perfection of forms and scale of construction work. The development of irrigated agriculture did not save, but only delayed the complete depletion of soils. Under the pressure of advancing sands, many ancient settlements ceased to exist.
This was probably the first environmental crisis. Subsequently, unwise management and human intervention in many natural processes more than once led to very undesirable results, some ending in disasters.
In Europe, Mediterranean vegetation could no longer overcome the Alps. But anyway almost 100 km north The boundaries of the distribution of heat-loving vegetation have shifted. Cereals began to be cultivated again in Iceland. The grapes grew along the entire southern coast of the Baltic Sea and even in England. According to contemporaries, English grape wines of that time were not inferior in quality to famous French wines.
The maximum warming in Iceland occurred in the 11th-12th centuries. It was warm everywhere: in America and in Asia. Ancient Chinese chronicles report that in the 7th-10th centuries. tangerines grew in the Yellow River Valley, which means that the climate of this territory was subtropical, and not moderately warm, as it is now. According to a number of historical information and cultural monuments of Japan, starting from the 9th century. Cherry blossoms bloom very early. This event was always recorded, since during the cherry blossom season the Emperor of Japan usually held large celebrations. There is information that in the VI-VIII centuries. In China, the number of severe winters was minimal. They began in the XIII-XIV centuries. During the period of small climatic optimum, a humid climate prevailed in Kampuchea, India, the countries of the Near and Middle East, Egypt, Mauritania and countries located in the south of the Sahara Desert.
The development of human society, various events in the life of peoples and states, interstate relations are well documented in Europe. Many peoples inhabited this continent in the early Middle Ages, but as an example we will focus on the life of the Vikings, since their sagas tell a lot about the natural conditions of the end of the 1st and beginning of the 2nd millennium. Immigrants from Scandinavia, the Vikings, in Russia they were called Varangians, made long journeys , captured foreign countries and developed new lands. The widespread expansion of the Vikings had socio-political and economic roots. And at the same time, the conquests and transitions of the Vikings were facilitated by climate warming.
Evidence of the life and campaigns of the Vikings is recorded in ancient Scandinavian legends, or sagas, which were passed down orally from generation to generation and only later were written down by Irish monks. We learn about the political system of the time, family relationships and the economic state of the Vikings.
At the beginning of the 9th century. The Vikings captured the Faroe Islands. They got their name from the numerous flocks of sheep grazing on the green slopes. Translated from Norwegian, Faroe means Sheep Islands. In the 10th century. The Vikings discovered Greenland. This island owes its name to the fact that at that time it appeared to the Vikings in the form of a boundless green carpet. On 25 ships, 700 people with belongings and livestock sailed across the North Atlantic and founded several large settlements in Greenland. Settlers in Greenland raised livestock and probably cultivated crops. The total number of residents reached 3000 people. For that time this figure was significant.
(Greenland today)
It is difficult to imagine that Greenland, this silent island covered with a thick ice shell, could have flourished just a thousand years ago. However, in reality this was the case. The Vikings did not stay long in Greenland. Under the pressure of advancing ice and developing cold snap, they were forced to leave this huge island. The ice well preserved houses, outbuildings and Viking utensils, as well as traces of livestock and even the remains of grain.
The Vikings not only made shuttle flights between Greenland and the European continent, they sailed across the North Atlantic, periodically visited the North American continent, and even had settlements in Canada and on the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. This is narrated not only in sagas, but is also confirmed by finds of ancient settlements.
Not a single Icelandic or Old Norse saga mentions the ice in the North Atlantic, which, as is well known, now greatly impedes navigation. Nothing is said about harsh winters.
On small wooden ships that had excellent seaworthiness, the Vikings sailed not only in a western direction and sailed to the shores of Canada and Ellesmere Island, but also sailed far to the north. They discovered Spitsbergen, repeatedly entered the White Sea and reached the mouth of the Northern Dvina. The Norwegians even sailed to Novaya Zemlya, where they hunted sea animals. All this gives reason to believe that at the beginning of the 2nd millennium in the Arctic, during a small climatic optimum, there was most likely no thick multi-year ice. Remains of fossilized tundra soil dating back just 1,100 years have recently been discovered in Svalbard. Consequently, in the X-XI centuries. and even earlier, Svalbard not only lacked ice cover, but also had tundra and forest-tundra landscapes.
(Based on materials: Yasamanov N.A. “Entertaining climatology” - M.: “Znanie”, 1989)
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LET'S SUM UP.
When climate scientists talk about the Anthropocene, "warming" means a small and gradual increase in temperature compared to the PRECEDING period.
To what extent? Let's do the math.
The current average annual temperatures are as follows: Vorkuta (-5.3), Irkutsk (-0.9), Arkhangelsk (+1.3), Nizhny Novgorod (+4.8), Moscow (+ 5.8), Sochi (+ 14 ).
Roughly speaking, during the last glaciation (16-8 thousand years BC) in Sochi it was approximately like in Moscow, in Moscow - like now in Vorkuta, and in Vorkuta there was a glacier.
And the climatic optimum, which took place in the 7th-3rd millennium BC, brought warming by almost 20 degrees!
But compared to today, the rise in average annual temperatures was still moderate: 4-5 degrees. That is, in Vorkuta it became like in Arkhangelsk, in Irkutsk - like in Nizhny Novgorod, in Moscow - like in Chisinau, and Sochi - like in Palermo. There is a difference, yes. A little warmer winter, a little longer warm season, more food, less heating resources.
But neither palm trees in the tundra zone nor sunflowers grew at the North Pole during the climatic maximum. At most, coniferous forests on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Under the canopy of which (as mentioned in the previous article) the same gray forest soils are formed.
So, no radical differences from today’s natural conditions were observed even during the period of short-lived (by geological standards) warming. But by the time the Indo-European community collapsed, that too had ended. The settlement of Indo-European and Indo-Iranian (actually, “Aryan”) peoples took place already during the period of the next cold snap. And it leaves much less room for imagination...
Russia is located on the most interesting and diverse continent of the planet, which has collected almost a little bit of everything.
So what place does the Eurasian continent occupy in the world?
Characteristics of the largest continent on Earth
There are 6 continents in total on the planet. Eurasia (Eurasia in English) is the largest.
Characteristics:
- Area – 55,000,000 km².
- There was no such explorer who discovered Eurasia entirely. Different peoples discovered it piece by piece, and great ancient civilizations were formed at different periods. The term "Eurasia" was introduced in 1880 by Eduard Suess.
- The continent is so large that on the map it can be seen in 3 hemispheres at once: northern, eastern and western.
- Population density is about 94 people per square meter. km.
- Eurasia is the continent with the largest population. As of 2015, the number is 5 billion 132 million.
Extreme points on the Eurasian continent with coordinates
List of Eurasian countries with capitals
Countries on the mainland are usually divided into European and Asian countries.
European countries with capitals:
Asian countries with capitals:
What oceans wash Eurasia
The main feature of the geographical location of Eurasia is that the continent is washed by almost all oceans. And since in some countries the 5th Ocean (Southern) has not yet been recognized, it can be partly argued that Eurasia is washed by all existing oceans.
Which parts of the continent are washed by oceans:
- Arctic - northern;
- Indian - southern;
- Pacific Ocean - eastern;
- Atlantic - Western.
Natural areas of Eurasia
The territory contains all existing types of natural areas. They extend from west to east and from north to south.
How are they located geographically:
- Arctic– islands in the very north;
- and forest-tundra- in the north beyond the Arctic Circle. In the eastern part there is an expansion of the zone;
- taiga– located a little further south;
- mixed forests - located in the Baltic states and in the eastern part of Russia;
- broadleaf forests– zones in the western and eastern parts of the continent;
- hardleaf forests– located in the Mediterranean region;
- forest-steppe and steppe– located in the central part south of the taiga;
- deserts and semi-deserts– are located south of the previous zone, as well as in the eastern part of China;
- savannah– Indian Ocean coast;
- variable-humid forests– the most southeastern and southwestern regions, as well as the Pacific coast;
- rainforests- Islands located in the Indian Ocean.
Climate
Due to the geographical location of the continent, the climatic conditions on its territory are quite varied. All climatic indicators differ in different regions: temperature, precipitation, air masses.
The southernmost regions are the hottest. To the north the climate gradually changes. The central part is already characterized by moderate climatic conditions. A northern part of the mainland is in the kingdom of ice and cold.
Proximity to the oceans also plays an important role. Winds from the Indian Ocean bring large amounts of precipitation. But the closer to the center, the fewer there are.
In what climatic zones is Eurasia located:
- arctic and subarctic;
- tropical and subtropical;
- equatorial and subequatorial.
Relief
On other continents, a certain type of relief is common. Usually mountains are located on the coast. The relief of Eurasia is different in that the mountainous areas are located in the center of the continent.
There are two mountain belts: the Pacific and the Himalayan. These mountains are of different ages and were formed at different times.
To the north of them there are several plains:
- Great Chinese;
- West Siberian;
- European;
- Turanskaya.
Also in the central part are the Kazakh small hills and the Central Siberian Plateau.
The highest mountains
One of the main features of Eurasia is that the world’s highest mountain, Everest (8848 m), is located on the mainland.
Mount Everest
But there are several more highest mountain peaks:
- Chogori (8611 m);
- Ulugmuztag (7723 m);
- Tirichmir (7690 m);
- Peak Communism (7495 m);
- Pobeda Peak (7439 m);
- Elbrus (5648).
Volcanoes
The highest active volcano in Eurasia is Klyuchevaya Sopka. It is located near the eastern coast of the mainland in Kamchatka.
Volcano Klyuchevaya Sopka
Other active volcanoes:
- Kerinci (Sumatra island, Indonesia);
- Fuji (Honshu Island, Japan);
- Vesuvius (Italy);
- Etna (Sicily, Italy).
Erciyes Volcano
The tallest extinct volcano is Erciyes (Türkiye).
The largest island
Kalimantan is the largest island in Eurasia.
Parts of the island belong to 3 different countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. It is the 3rd largest island in the world.
Peninsulas of Eurasia
The largest river
The largest river in Eurasia, the Yangtze, flows in China.
Its length is approximately 6,300 km, and the basin area is 1,808,500 km².
The largest lake
Lake Baikal is the largest in Eurasia and in the world.
Its area is 31,722 km². The lake is located in the eastern part of Siberia. It is truly unique because it is not only the largest, but also the deepest in the world. The maximum depth of Lake Baikal is 1,642 m.
- The capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, is the northernmost in the world.
- One plant that is interesting is bamboo. It is capable of growing up to 90 cm per day.
- “Altai” translated from Mongolian means “Golden Mountains”.