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Mountains with a height of 500 1000 m are considered. Mountains: characteristics and types

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Types and types of mountains. What are mountains?

In this article we will answer the question: what are the mountains? There are many types and types of mountains on Earth. Mountains differ in structure, shape, age, origin, height, geographical location, etc.

Consider the main types of mountains.

The classification of mountains by age is presented in the previous paragraph of this article.

Types and types of mountains. What are mountains? Signs of classification.

Consider all the listed types and types of mountains in more detail.

Types and types of mountains by height:

The main feature by which mountains are classified is the height of the mountains. So, according to the height of the mountains there are:

Lowlands (low mountains) - the height of the mountains is up to 800 meters above sea level.

Features of low mountains:

  • The tops of the mountains are rounded, flat,
  • The slopes are gentle, not steep, overgrown with forest,
  • The presence of river valleys between the mountains is characteristic.

Examples: Northern Urals, spurs of the Tien Shan, some ranges of Transcaucasia, Khibiny on the Kola Peninsula, individual mountains of Central Europe.

Middle mountains (medium or medium-altitude mountains) - the height of these mountains is from 800 to 3000 meters above sea level.

Medium mountains features:

  • For medium-altitude mountains, altitudinal zonality is characteristic, i.e. change of landscape with a change in altitude.

Examples of medium mountains: The mountains of the Middle Urals, the Polar Urals, the mountains of the island of Novaya Zemlya, the mountains of Siberia and the Far East, the mountains of the Apennine and Iberian Peninsulas, the Scandinavian mountains in northern Europe, the Appalachians in North America, etc.

More examples of medium mountains (added at the request of visitors):

  • more than half of the territory of the Altai Mountains (800-2000 meters),
  • mid-mountain ranges of the Eastern Sayan,
  • Aldan Highlands (height up to 2306 meters),
  • mid-altitude ridges of the Chukchi Highlands,
  • the Orulgan ridge as part of the Verkhoyansk ridge (height - up to 2409 meters),
  • Chersky Ridge (the highest point is Mount Chingikan with a height of 1644 meters),
  • Sikhote-Alin (the highest point is Mount Tordoki-Yani, 2090 meters high),
  • High Tatras (The highest point is Mount Gerlachovsky Shtit, 2655 m),
  • mid-mountain ranges of Transbaikalia (Daursky (up to 1526 m), Malkhansky (up to 1741 m), Dzhidinsky (up to 2027 m), Olekminsky Stanovik (the average height of the ridge is from 1000 to 1400 m, the maximum is 1845 m), the Vitim plateau (height from 1200 up to 1600 m), etc.).

Highlands (high mountains) - the height of these mountains is more than 3000 meters above sea level. These are young mountains, the relief of which is intensively formed under the influence of external and internal processes.

Highlands features:

  • The slopes of the mountains are steep, high,
  • The peaks of the mountains are sharp, peaked, have a specific name - "carlings",
  • The ridges of the mountains are narrow, jagged,
  • Characterized by altitudinal zonality from forests at the foot of the mountains to icy deserts at the peaks.

Highlands examples: Pamir, Tien Shan, Caucasus, Himalayas, Cordillera, Andes, Alps, Karakorum, Rocky Mountains, etc.

Types and types of mountains by origin.

The next sign by which mountains are classified is their origin. So, by origin, mountains are tectonic, volcanic and erosional. (denudation):

formed as a result of the collision of moving parts of the earth's crust - lithospheric plates. This collision causes the formation of folds on the surface of the earth. This is how folded mountains. When interacting with air, water and under the influence of glaciers, the rock layers that form folded mountains lose their plasticity, which leads to the formation of cracks and faults. At present, folded mountains in their original form have been preserved only in certain parts of the young mountains - the Himalayas, formed in the era of Alpine folding.

With repeated movements of the earth's crust, the hardened folds of rock break into large blocks, which, under the influence of tectonic forces, rise or fall. This is how fold-block mountains. This type of mountains is typical for old (ancient) mountains. An example is the mountains of Altai. The emergence of these mountains fell on the Baikal and Caledonian epochs of mountain building, in the Hercynian and Mesozoic epochs they underwent repeated movements of the earth's crust. The type of folded-blocky mountains was finally accepted during the Alpine folding.

formed during volcanic eruptions. They are usually located along the fault lines of the earth's crust or at the boundaries of the lithospheric plates.

Volcanic mountains are two types:

Volcanic cones. These mountains acquired a cone-shaped appearance as a result of the eruption of magma through long cylindrical vents. This type of mountains is widespread throughout the world. These are Fujiyama in Japan, Mayon Mountains in the Philippines, Popocatepetl in Mexico, Misty in Peru, Shasta in California, etc.
Shield volcanoes. Formed by repeated outpouring of lava. They differ from volcanic cones in their asymmetrical shape and small size.

In areas of the globe where active volcanic activity occurs, entire chains of volcanoes can form. The most famous is the chain of Hawaiian Islands of volcanic origin with a length of more than 1600 km. These islands are the peaks of underwater volcanoes, the height of which is more than 5500 meters from the surface of the ocean floor.

Erosive (denudation) mountains .

Erosion mountains arose as a result of intensive dismemberment of layered plains, plateaus and plateaus by flowing waters. Most of the mountains of this type are characterized by a table shape and the presence of box-shaped and sometimes canyon-shaped valleys between them. The last type of valleys occurs most often when a lava plateau is dissected.

Examples of erosion (denudation) mountains are the mountains of the Central Siberian Plateau (Vilyui, Tungus, Ilim, etc.). Most often, erosional mountains can be found not in the form of separate mountain systems, but within mountain ranges, where they are formed by the dissection of rock layers by mountain rivers.

Types and types of mountains according to the shape of the peak.

Another feature of the classification of mountains is the shape of the peak.

By the nature of the vertex endings mountains are: peaked, dome-shaped, plateau-shaped, etc.

Added at the request of visitors:

Peaked mountain peaks.

Peaked mountain peaks- these are the pointed peaks of the mountains, shaped like peaks, from where the name of this type of mountain peaks came from. Inherent mainly in young mountains with steep rocky slopes, sharp ridges and deep crevices in river valleys.

Examples of peaked mountains:

Communism Peak (mountain system - Pamir, height 7495 meters)

Pobeda Peak (Tian Shan mountain system, height 7439 meters)

Mount Kazbek (mountain system - Pamir, height 7134 meters)

Pushkin Peak (mountain system - Caucasus, height 5100 meters)

Plateau-like mountain peaks.

The tops of mountains that have a flat shape are called plateau-like.

Examples of plateau mountains:

Frontal ridge(English) Front Range listen)) is a mountain range in the southern part of the Rocky Mountains in the United States, adjoining the Great Plains from the west. The ridge stretches from south to north for 274 km. The highest point is Mount Grace Peak (4349 m). The ridge is composed mainly of granites. The peaks are plateau-like, the eastern slopes are gentle, the western ones are steep.

Khibiny(kild. Umptec listen)) is the largest mountain range on the Kola Peninsula. The geological age is about 350 million years. The peaks are plateau-like, the slopes are steep with individual snowfields. At the same time, not a single glacier was found in the Khibiny. The highest point is Mount Yudychvumchorr (1200.6 m above sea level).

Amby(translated from Amharic - Mountain fortress) - the name of flat-topped hills and mesas in Ethiopia. They consist mainly of horizontal sandstones and layers of basalt. This is what determines the flat-topped shape of the mountains. Ambas are located at an altitude of up to 4,500 m.

A variety of mountains with plateau-like peaks are the so-called mesas(German Tafelberg, Spanish mesa- in lane. table) - mountains with a truncated flat top. The flat top of these mountains is usually composed of a solid layer (limestone, sandstone, traps, hardened lava). The slopes of mesas are usually steep or stepped. Table mountains arise when flowing waters dissect layered plains (for example, the Turgai plateau).

Famous mesas:

  • Amby, (Ethiopia)
  • Elbe Sandstone Mountains, (Germany)
  • Lilienstein, (Germany)
  • Buchberg, (Germany)
  • Königstein, (Germany)
  • Tafelberg (Thule), (Greenland)
  • Ben Bulben, (Ireland)
  • Etjo, (Namibia)
  • Gamsberg, (Namibia)
  • Grootberg, (Namibia)
  • Waterberg, (Namibia)
  • Szczelinec the Great, (Poland)
  • Kistenstöckli, (Switzerland)
  • Tafelberg (Suriname)
  • Tepui, (Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana)
  • Monument Valley, (USA)
  • Black Mesa (USA)
  • Table Mountain, (South Africa)
  • Dining room (mountain, Caucasus).

domed mountain peaks.

Dome-shaped, that is, rounded, the shape of the top can take:

Laccoliths - unformed volcanoes in the form of a hill with a core of magma inside,

Extinct ancient heavily destroyed volcanoes,

Small areas of land that have undergone tectonic uplift of a domed character and, under the influence of erosion processes, have taken on a mountainous image.

Examples of mountains with a domed top:

Black Hills (USA). This area has undergone dome uplift and much of the sedimentary cover has been removed by further denudation and erosion. The central core was exposed as a result. It consists of metamorphic and igneous rocks.

Ai-Nikola(Ukrainian Ai-Nikola, Crimean Tatar Ay Nikola, Ai Nikola) - a domed outcast mountain, the southeastern spur of Mount Mogabi near the western outskirts of the village of Oreanda. Composed of Upper Jurassic limestones. Height - 389 meters above sea level.

Castel(Ukrainian Kastel, Crimean Tatar Qastel, Kastel) - a mountain 439 m high on the southern outskirts of Alushta, behind the Professor's corner. The dome of the mountain is covered with a forest cap, and chaos has formed on the eastern slope - stone blocks, sometimes reaching 3-5 m in diameter.

Ayu-Dag or Bear Mountain(Ukr. Ayu-Dag, Crimean Tatar. Ayuv Dağ, Ayuv Dag) - a mountain on the southern coast of Crimea, located on the border of Big Alushta and Big Yalta. The height of the mountain is 577 meters above sea level. This is a classic example of laccolith.

Kara- Dag (Ukrainian Kara-Dag, Crimean Tatar. Qara dağ, Qara dag) is a mountain-volcanic massif, Crimea. The maximum height is 577 m (mountain Svyataya). It is a strongly destroyed volcanic form with a domed top.

Mashuk- remnant magmatic mountain (mountain-laccolith) in the central part of Pyatigorye on the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody, in the north-eastern part of the city of Pyatigorsk. The height is 993.7 m. The top has a regular domed shape.

Types and types of mountains by geographical location.

Different types of mountains are also separated by geographical location. On this basis, it is customary to group mountains into mountain systems, ridges, mountain ranges and single mountains.

Let's take a closer look:

mountain belts are the largest formations. Allocate the Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt, stretching through Europe and Asia, and the Andean-Cordillera mountain belt, passing through North and South America.

Mountain country - many mountain systems.

mountain system - mountain ranges and groups of mountains that are similar in origin and have the same age (for example, the Appalachians)

mountain ranges - interconnected mountains, elongated in a line. For example, the mountains of Sangre de Cristo (North America).

mountain groups - also interconnected mountains, but not elongated in a line, but forming a group of indefinite shape. For example, Mount Henry in Utah and Bear Po in Montana.

Solitary mountains - mountains not connected with other mountains, often of volcanic origin. For example, Mount Hood in Oregon and Rainier in Washington.

To date, it is the Khibiny Mountains, located on the Kola Peninsula belonging to the Russian Federation, that are considered the lowest mountain range in the country with the highest point in Mount Yudychmuvchorr, leaving behind such mountainous regions as the Urals, Sayan Mountains, the Caucasus and Altai.

So the maximum height of this mountain range is only slightly higher than 1200 meters above sea level, which automatically makes the Khibiny the lowest mountains in Russia. As for the Urals, it is mentioned when answering the question of which mountains are the lowest, for the simple reason that it is also famous for one of the lowest mountain systems in the Russian Federation. Thus, the height of the lowest mountain of this longest chain, which has exceeded two thousand kilometers in length, is only 423 meters above sea level (Moreiz Mountain, Pai-Khoi), while its highest peak (Narodnaya Mountain, Subpolar Urals) reaches 1895 meters . That is why the Urals can safely compete with the Khibiny as the lowest mountain system in the country.

At the same time, scientists attribute the "dwarfism" of the Ural Mountains to their ancient age, believing that it was the inexorable processes of destruction that made them so. And such an assumption is quite reasonable, because the mountain system of the Urals was formed back in the Paleozoic period (the beginning of formation fell on the Devonian, while its completion took place in the Triassic), when widespread mountain building took place. It is noteworthy that this mountain range has an impressive length, but at the same time it cannot boast of a large width, which at its maximum barely reaches 150 kilometers. Nevertheless, this mountain system has a huge amount of minerals, among which are such valuable minerals and metals as malachite, jasper, beryl, quartz, copper, pyrite, topaz, etc. But it was Ural malachite that was used to decorate such sights of the Russian Federations like the Hermitage and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Blood.

At the same time, the Khibiny do not have such an impressive reserve of natural resources, representing an array consisting of plateau-like peaks, snowfields and glaciers. At the same time, the area of ​​​​this system is almost twice the area of ​​​​the Ural Mountains, occupying 1300 square kilometers, while the mountain range in the Urals in total stretches over 781 square kilometers. The Khibiny peaks remain snow-covered for a long period of time, which usually lasts from October to the early to mid-summer season. This feature is due to the rather harsh climate that persists in the middle of the massif, so the Khibiny are often exposed to cyclones and sudden pressure drops, as a result of which, in their open areas, the wind speed can reach as much as fifty meters per second.

However, this mountain system also has one significant advantage - the nature of marvelous beauty, because in the period from August to September, when the Khibiny summer comes, you can admire such a miracle of nature as the northern lights. On average, the polar night in these plateau-like mountains lasts up to 42 days, while the polar day has a slightly longer duration, estimated at 50 days. In summer, the temperature in the mountains rarely drops below ten degrees, although this factor has the opposite effect, which is expressed in increased humidity and frequent precipitation. So, up to 1600 millimeters of precipitation falls only on the plateau, while the valleys have half as much - up to 700 millimeters. At the same time, the Khibiny winter cannot be called dry, because even during this period snow or freezing rain continues to fall in the mountains, which tends to spread evenly over the entire surface. As for the Sayan Mountains, we are talking about two mountain systems at once - the Western and Eastern Sayan, which cross not only the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, but also the northern regions of neighboring Mongolia.

The total length of these two mountain ranges does not exceed 1650 kilometers, while their height varies from two to almost three and a half thousand meters above sea level. As for the highest point of these third low mountains in Russia, it is Mount Munku-Sardyk (3 kilometers 491 meters), which is located in the Eastern Sayan.

What is absolute and relative height?

Absolute height - the height of a geographical feature relative to sea level.

Relative height is the excess of one point on the earth's surface above another.

Where do mountains form?

Mountains are formed at the junction of two lithospheric plates, where layers of rocks are crushed into folds.

Locate the Andes Mountains on a map and determine their extent from north to south.

The Andes is 9000 km long.

What is the height of Chomolungma? Find the Caucasus Mountains on the map and name the height of Elbrus.

The height of Chomolungma is 8848 m. The height of Elbrus is 5642 m.

What external processes operate on the surface of the land?

The processes of physical, chemical and biological weathering operate on the surface of the land.

Questions and tasks

1. What is the difference between mountains and plains?

Mountains and plains differ in absolute heights and elevation fluctuations. The mountains are characterized by high absolute heights and their sharp drops, i.e. mountain ranges alternate with intermountain depressions. The plains are characterized by a relatively flat surface with low absolute heights.

2. How do mountains differ in height? Give examples of mountains of different heights.

According to the absolute height, the mountains are divided into three groups: low - below 1000 m (Middle Urals), medium - from 1000 to 2000 m (Carpathians) and high - above 2000 m (Himalayas).

3. How do the plains differ in height? Give examples of plains of different heights.

Plains from 0 to 200 m above sea level are called lowlands (Caspian lowland, Amazonian lowland), from 200 to 500 m (East European Plain) - uplands, and above 500 m - plateaus (Central Siberian Plateau).

4. How do mountains change over time?

The vertical movements of the earth's crust lift the ridges up, and external processes tend to destroy them. The mountains are gradually decreasing, the slopes are becoming more and more gentle, the river valleys are expanding. High mountains turn first into low ones, then into plains.

5. Using the physical maps of the world and Russia in the atlas, find, show and name the lowlands, uplands and plateaus located on the Eurasian continent and on the territory of our country. On the scale of heights, determine the highest height characteristic of the Central Siberian Plateau.

Lowlands of Eurasia - Caspian, Black Sea, Pechora, West Siberian, Turan, Indo-Gangetic.

Hills - Valdai, Central Russian, Volyn-Podolsk, Volga, Smolensk-Moscow.

Plateau - Central Siberian, Dean.

The highest point of the Central Siberian Plateau - Mount Kamen - 1800 m.

6. On the physical map of Russia, determine which mountains surround the East European Plain. Which ones are high and which ones are medium and low?

In the northwestern part it is limited by the mountains of Scandinavia, in the southwestern part by the Sudetenland and other mountains of central Europe, in the southeastern part by the Caucasus, and in the east by the Urals. Caucasus - high mountains. The Sudetes are low mountains. Ural - medium mountains.

7. Based on the physical map of the hemispheres, determine which continent is the most mountainous and which is the most flat?

Eurasia is the most mountainous continent. Australia is the most flat continent.

Goals:

  • To acquaint students with the concept of "mountains", their main types.
  • Continue to develop the ability to work with maps, pictures and other sources of geographic information.
  • To form social competencies: love for nature, respect for it.

Equipment: physical map of the world, pictures of mountains, poems about mountains, recording of songs by V. Vysotsky about mountains, a fragment of the film “Vertical”, presentation, screen, projector, laptop.

Lesson type: learning new material.

Methods:

  • partial search,
  • explanatory and illustrative.

During the classes

In the last lesson, we finished studying one of the sections of physical geography - “Geographic map”.

Today we are starting the next section - "Earth Relief".

Write down the topic of the lesson - “The relief of the Earth. Mountains". (slide number 1)

In elementary school, you studied the subject "The World Around" and met with the concept - "relief". Remember, please - what is relief?

The guys answer: "relief is all the irregularities of the earth's surface." (slide number 2) Write this definition in a notebook.

A remember please, what are the main 2 landforms you know?

The guys answer - mountains and plains.

Quite right.

Write in a notebook: (slide number 3)

So our today's lesson is dedicated to the Mountains. For each person, the mountains are presented in different ways, but for everyone they are an object of admiration.

Watch carefully the video fragment from the feature film “Vertical”, listen to the song that sounds in the film, think– why am I showing you this fragment, with the help of what phrases does the author convey his attitude to the mountains? (slide number 4)

Here is what the guys should answer: (slide number 5)

Below you will not find 10 share of such miracles

The heart is ready to run from the chest to the top

The whole world is in the palm of your hand, you are happy and mute, and only a little jealous of those whose peaks are yet to come

Sometimes climbers, conquerors of peaks are asked what draws them to the mountains so much, because it is 20-30 degrees at the peaks even in summer?

To which they answer - "Go yourself at least once, then you will understand."

It is hard not to agree with the statement “Mountains are the decoration of the Earth, it is necessary to “remove” the mountains with the mind’s eye for a minute, as the Earth will appear dull and meager, as if a solemn outfit was torn off it.”

The purpose of our lesson

  • get to know the concept of "mountains"
  • learn the main types of mountains
  • find out what the mountains mean

So, let's start in order.

Let's write down 2 definitions of mountains that you need to know well.

Mountains are large areas of land that rise high above sea level and where there are sharp fluctuations in altitude.

Mountains are a convex shape of the earth's surface with a well-defined peak, slope and sole. (slide number 6)

Who can make a drawing of a mountain and sign all its parts? The student goes out and draws.

(slide number 7)

And what other form of relief does the drawing look like? - The guys answer that on the hill.

What is the difference between a mountain and a hill? - (slide number 8)

What do you think, is it possible to find out the height of the mountains from the map? - The guys answer that yes, you can. But as? - according to the scale of heights and elevation marks. Let's open the map of the hemispheres. Tell me, looking at it - what conclusion can be drawn about the height of the mountains? - The height of the mountains is different.

Let's look at the types of mountains by height. Write in the middle of the page

Classification of mountains by height (slide No. 9, 10)

Name the highest mountains in the world.

Himalayas

Caucasus - show them on the map! Who can?

And what is the highest peak in the world? - Everest \u003d Chomolungma \u003d “mother of the gods” \u003d 8848 m. Write down in a notebook. Look at the photo. (slide number 11)

And what is the highest peak in Russia? - Elbrus = “high mountain”, “sparkling, shining”, “iron” = 5642 m. Record and view photos. (slide number 12)

What mountains is this peak in? Who will show? - in the Caucasus.

We also live in the mountains. Who can show on the map? What type of height would you classify them as? - medium and low. Let's write in a notebook. What other examples can be given? - Scandinavian - low. Crimean - medium. Who will show?

Many poems are devoted to mountains. (slide number 13)

Lermontov writes -

In the distance I saw through the mist
In the snows burning like a diamond
gray-haired, unshakable, Caucasus
And my heart was
Easy, don't know why
Radkevich writes -
In every pine tree is recognized by the heart
Tell me gray-haired Ural
Where, in what heroic forge
Have you forged your nature?

Tell me, guys, who is right - Lermontov or Radkevich? They both call mountains gray-haired -1 in their poems. - Caucasus. 2. -Ural. Who is right?

The guys argue, come to the conclusion that the Urals are older.

What does it say? - That mountains differ not only in height, but also in age. Let's write down

Classification of mountains by age (slide No. 14.15)

Let's take a look at the difference between old and young mountains. Open the textbook - fig. 35-36 pp. 54-55. Let's answer the questions of the table that you have on the tables looking at these pictures.

Mountains are rarely isolated. They form mountainous countries. Let's write a definition

“Mountain countries - it is an alternation of mountains and intermountain depressions (valleys)”. (slide number 16)

(slide number 17)

“Deep, narrow valleys with steep slopes - canyons, gorges” (slide number 18)

Lermontov - “Close and stuffy
In the wild gorge
The sun is not shining
The sky is barely visible” (slide number 19)

What is the difference between a canyon and a gorge? - the bottom of the gorge is wider. Although in Russia the term canyon is not used, we call everything - gorges. And in the USA - a canyon.

We got acquainted with the concept of "mountains", their types, let's look at - what is the meaning of mountains? And we'll write it down. (slide number 20)

  • Mining
  • Ski resorts
  • Construction of a hydroelectric power station on mountain rivers
  • Pasture for sheep
  • Source of inspiration for poets, artists
  • Sacred territories (slide number 21-24)

So, today we have learned a lot about mountains. What conclusions can be drawn from the topic of the lesson?

Mountains are the main landform

Mountains are varied

Mountains matter a lot

  • Can you tell me what "mountains" are?
  • What are the mountains in height, give examples, show on the map?
  • What are the age?

Grades for the lesson ... ..

Write down S / P - (slide number 25)

  • learn the summary.
  • put on the c / c mountains. Signed as in the atlas. The list at the castle platoon.
  • be able to show the mountains on the map.

I would like to finish our lesson with another song by Vysotsky. Now I think you will perceive it differently.

-low ( up to 1000 m) - Ural, Scandinavian

-average ( from 1000 m to 2000 m ) - Carpathians, Crimean

-high(more than 2000 m) - Tien Shan, Sayans, Caucasus mountains

Methodology: can be identified on the map by color; In elementary school we give the concept of Ural and Caucasus mountains..

Methodology: give an idea of:

-"plateaus" - uplift of land up to 600 m, having a relatively flat surface ( Central Siberian).

- "lowlands" is a piece of land up to 200 m above sea level ( Caspian (depression), West Siberian lowland.

- "heights" is the rise of land from 200 m to 500 m ( Middle Russian).\

3. Relief of the Orenburg region

A. Dimensions and boundaries of our region.

Square Orenburg region - 124,000 sq. km.

a) from west to east, the territory of the region stretches for more than 700 km, and from south to north, the distance between the borders is not the same: if in the western part it is 300 km, then in the central part - 60 km, and in the eastern part - 200 km. The total length of the borders is about 3700 km.

In December 1937, an independent Orenburg region was formed. A year later, it became known as Chkalovskaya, and in 1957 - Orenburgskaya. Now it consists of 34 administrative districts.

b ) boundaries Orenburg region:

The northwestern part borders on Tatarstan

Northern part - with Bashkortostan

In the North - East - with the Chelyabinsk region

All Eastern and Southern parts - with Kazakhstan

Western part - with the Samara region

South - Western part - with the Saratov region.

Being located in the depths of the Eurasian continent, the Orenburg region is at the same time located in two parts of the world in Europe and Asia. The historical border between them within the region is drawn along the Ural River. In natural-historical terms, the Orenburg Territory is located in the center of Eurasia.

B. Territory of the Orenburg region It is represented by three main parts (according to external signs and features of the relief):

Part 1: Urals or Western Orenburg: from the western borders of the region to the valleys of the Bolshoi Ik and Urta-Burti rivers, it stretches for 300 km. This part is an elevated syrt plain with absolute heights from 260 to 400 m.

Part 2: Central Orenburg region (or mountains of the Southern Urals): this part is small. This is the narrowest section of its territory, located east of the river valleys of the Bolshoy Ik and Urta-Burti to the meridional segment of the Ural valley.

Part 3: The eastern part of the Orenburg region - the Orenburg Trans-Urals or the Urals - the Tobolsk plateau: from the meridianally elongated valley of the Ural River to the borders with Kazakhstan. This part is an ancient plain, complicated by erosion (primary origin).


The Orenburg Trans-Urals is a wavy elevated plain. However, the flat relief is disturbed by low hilly ridges.

Conclusion: the western and eastern parts of the region developed in different geological conditions.

B. Modern relief of the Orenburg region It was formed as a result of a long-term erosion of the Ural folds and Cis-Ural syrt plains, as well as under the influence of the latest tectonic movements. In the west and east of the region, the relief is characterized by leveled interfluves and gentle slopes with low remnant ridges, and in the central part, on the interfluve of the Bolshoy Ik and Sakmara rivers, it is low mountains.

Almost the entire Western part of the region to the west of the Bolshoy Ik River belongs to the General Syrt (the highest point is Medvezhiy Lob - 405 m). This upland was formed as a result of young tectonic uplifts and erosional activity of rivers.

In the extreme North-West of the region, the Bugulma-Belebeevskaya Upland adjoins the Common Syrt. In the South, the Common Syrt merges with the plain of the Caspian depression. To the east of the Bolshoi Ik and Burlya rivers is the Ural mountain country. The central part of the Sakmaro-Ural interfluve is occupied by a mountainous plain.