The message of the East European Plain is brief. East European (Russian) Plain: geographical location

For centuries, the Russian plain served as a territory connecting the western and eastern civilizations by trade routes. Historically, two lively trade arteries have run through these lands. The first is known as "the way from the Varangians to the Greeks." According to him, as is known from school history, carried out medieval trade in goods of the peoples of the East and Russia with the states of Western Europe.

The second was the route along the Volga, which made it possible to transport goods by ships to Southern Europe from China, India and Central Asia and in the opposite direction. The first Russian cities were built along the trade routes - Kiev, Smolensk, Rostov. Veliky Novgorod became the northern gateway of the route from the Varangians, protecting the safety of trade.

Now the Russian Plain is still a territory of strategic importance. The capital of the country is located on its lands and Largest cities... The most important administrative centers for the life of the state are concentrated here.

Geographical location of the plain

The East European Plain, or Russian, occupies territories in the east of Europe. In Russia, these are its extreme western lands. In the northwest and west, it is bounded by the Scandinavian Mountains, the Barents and White Seas, the Baltic coast and the Vistula River. In the east and southeast, it is adjacent to the Ural Mountains and the Caucasus. In the south, the plain is bounded by the shores of the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas.

Features of the relief and landscape

The East European Plain is represented by a gentle-flat relief, formed as a result of faults in tectonic rocks. On the basis of relief features, the massif can be divided into three bands: central, southern and northern. The center of the plain consists of extensive highlands and lowlands alternating with each other. The north and south are mostly lowlands with rare low elevations.

The relief, although it is formed in a tectonic way, and insignificant tremors are possible on the territory, there are no tangible earthquakes here.

Natural areas and regions

(The plain has planes with characteristic smooth gradients)

The East European Plain includes all natural zones found on the territory of Russia:

• Tundra and forest-tundra are represented by the nature of the north of the Kola Peninsula and occupy a small part of the territory, slightly expanding to the east. The vegetation of the tundra, namely, shrubs, mosses and lichens, is replaced by birch forests of the forest-tundra.
• Taiga, with its pine and spruce forests, occupies the north and center of the plain. On the borders with mixed deciduous forests, the places are often swampy. Typical Eastern European landscape - coniferous and mixed forests and swamps give way to small rivers and lakes.
• In the forest-steppe zone, you can see alternating hills and lowlands. This area is characterized by oak and ash forests. You can often find birch and aspen forests.
• The steppe is represented by valleys, where oak forests and groves, alder and elm forests grow on the banks of rivers, and tulips and sage bloom in the fields.
• Semi-deserts and deserts are located on the Caspian lowland, where the climate is harsh and the soil is saline, but even there you can find vegetation in the form of various varieties of cacti, wormwood and plants that adapt well to a sharp change in daily temperatures.

Rivers and lakes plains

(A river on the flat terrain of the Ryazan region)

The rivers of the "Russian valley" are majestic and slowly carry their waters in one of two directions - to the north or south, to the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, or to the southern inland seas of the mainland. The rivers of the northern direction flow into the Barents, White or Baltic Seas. Rivers of the southern direction - to the Black, Azov or Caspian Sea... The largest river in Europe, the Volga, also “flows lazily” through the lands of the East European Plain.

The Russian plain is the kingdom of natural water in all its manifestations. The glacier, which passed through the plain thousands of years ago, formed many lakes on its territory. There are especially many of them in Karelia. The consequences of the presence of the glacier were the emergence in the North-West of such large lakes as Ladoga, Onega, Pskov-Peipsi water body.

Under the layer of earth in the localization of the Russian Plain, reserves of artesian water are stored in the amount of three underground basins of huge volumes and many located at a shallower depth.

Climate of the East European Plain

(Flat terrain with small drops near Pskov)

The Atlantic dictates the weather regime on the Russian Plain. Westerly winds, air masses that move moisture, make summer on the plain warm and humid, winter cold and windy. In the cold season, winds from the Atlantic bring about ten cyclones, contributing to changeable heat and cold. And after all, air masses from the Arctic Ocean also tend to the plain.

Therefore, the climate becomes continental only in the interior of the massif, closer to the south and southeast. The East European Plain has two climatic zones- subarctic and temperate, increasing continentality to the east.

East European (aka Russian) has the second largest area in the world, second only to the Amazon lowland. It is classified as a low plain. In the north, the area is washed by the Barents and White Seas, in the south - by the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas. In the west and south-west, the plain is adjacent to the mountains of Central Europe (Carpathians, Sudetes, etc.), in the north-west - with the Scandinavian mountains, in the east - with the Urals and Mugodzhars, and in the southeast - with the Crimean mountains and The Caucasus.

The length of the East European Plain from west to east is about 2500 km, from north to south - about 2750 km, the area is 5.5 million km². The average height is 170 m, the maximum was recorded in the Khibiny (Mount Yudychvumchorr) on the Kola Peninsula - 1191 m, the minimum height is noted on the coast of the Caspian Sea, it has a minus value of -27 m.The following countries are located on the territory of the plain in whole or in part: Belarus, Kazakhstan , Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Estonia.

The Russian Plain almost completely coincides with the East European Platform, which explains its relief with a predominance of planes. Such geographic location characterized by very rare and manifestations of volcanic activity.

A similar relief was formed thanks to tectonic movements and faults. Platform deposits on this plain lie almost horizontally, but in some places they exceed 20 km. Uplands in this area are quite rare and mostly represent ridges (Donetsk, Timansky, etc.), in these areas the folded foundation protrudes to the surface.

Hydrographic characteristics of the East European Plain

In terms of hydrography, the East European Plain can be divided into two parts. Most of the waters of the plain have an outlet to the ocean. The western and southern rivers belong to the Atlantic Ocean basin, while the northern ones belong to the Arctic Ocean. From the northern rivers on the Russian Plain there are: Mezen, Onega, Pechora and Northern Dvina. Western and southern water streams flow into the Baltic Sea (Vistula, Western Dvina, Neva, Neman, etc.), as well as into the Black (Dnieper, Dniester and Southern Bug) and Azov (Don).

Climatic characteristics of the East European Plain

The temperate continental climate prevails on the East European Plain. Summer average recorded temperatures range from 12 (near the Barents Sea) to 25 degrees (near the Caspian lowland). The highest winter average temperatures are observed in the west, there in winter about -

Sections: Geography

Class: 8

Lesson objectives.

1. To find out the features of the nature of the plain as a factor in the formation of the most populated and developed region.

2. Develop research skills.

3. To develop a moral and aesthetic attitude to nature.

Lesson objectives.

1. Formation of ideas and knowledge about the peculiarities of the natural region - the Russian Plain, its role in the formation of the Russian state.

2. Study of the nature and resources of the Russian Plain.

3. Deepening and expanding knowledge about the components of the NTC of the plain.

Equipment: maps of Russia - physical, climatic, vegetation of natural zones, contour maps, video film, books, mobile classroom, multimedia projector, interactive whiteboard.

Forms of work: group with elements of role-playing.

Lesson type:

for didactic purposes - the study of new material;

by teaching methods - role play.

Lesson plan

1. Organization of the lesson.

2. Actualization of students' knowledge. Statement of educational tasks. Learning a new topic.

3. Work of students in groups. Students' answers. Relaxation.

4. Lesson summary. Grading student responses. Achievement of the goal.

5. Test solutions when using laptops. The practical part, the implementation of tasks in contour maps.

6. Homework.

1. Stage - organizational.

Greetings. Lesson readiness. Mark absent in the log.

2. Stage - actualization of students' knowledge.

Teacher. We are starting to study the physical and geographical regions of Russia.

Question number 1. Name and show all these areas on physical map Russia.

Lesson topic. Russian (East European) plain. Geographical position and features of nature.

Teacher. Guys, we have to find out what in the nature of the Russian Plain enchants a person, gives him spiritual and physical strength, affects economic activity.

To solve the problems, it is necessary to investigate the following questions.

1. Geographical position and relief of the Russian Plain.

2. Climate and inland waters.

3. Natural zones of the Russian Plain.

4. Natural resources and their use.

5. Ecological problems Russian (East European) plain.

We begin the study of the Russian Plain by determining the geographical position of the region, since it determines the features of the NTC.

Give a definition of "geographic location".

Geographic location is called the position of an object or point on the earth's surface in relation to other objects or territories.

Knowledge update

Question number 2. What is the basis of the division of Russia into regions or physical and geographical areas?

Answer. The division is based on the relief and geological structure- azonal components.

Question number 3. The first PTK (physical-geographical region), with which we will get acquainted, is the Russian Plain, or as it is also called the East European Plain.

Why do you think this plain has such names?

Answer. Russian - because here is the center of Russia, Ancient Russia was located on the plain. Most of the Russians in Russia live here.

Question number 4. Why East European?

Answer. The plain is located in the east of Europe.

3. Stage. Group work.

Today work in groups, you receive assignments and instructions for completing assignments, for which 5 minutes are allotted.

Students are divided into groups of 4-5 people, consultants are appointed, cards with research assignments are distributed (in the course of work, the children draw up a diagram of their answer on separate sheets), receive assessment sheets.

Evaluation paper

Student research.

Group # 1

Problematic question: How does the geographical location determine the peculiarities of the nature of the Russian Plain?

1. Seas washing the territory of the Russian Plain.

2. Which ocean basin they belong to.

3. Which of the oceans has the greatest impact on the natural features of the plain?

4. The length of the plain from north to south at 40 degrees E. (1 degree = 111 km.).

Output. The plain occupies the western part of Russia. The area is about 3 million square kilometers. The features of nature are influenced by the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.

The Russian plain occupies almost the entire western, European, part of Russia. It stretches from the coasts of the Barents and White Seas in the north to the Azov and Caspian Seas in the south; from the western borders of the country to the Ural Mountains. The length of the territories from north to south exceeds 2500 km, the area of ​​the plain within Russia is about 3 million square kilometers.

The geographical position of the plain is associated with the influence on the features of its nature of the seas of the Atlantic and the least severe seas of the Arctic Oceans. The Russian Plain has the most complete set of natural zones (from tundras to deserts of the temperate zone). In most of its territory, natural conditions are quite favorable for the life and economic activity of the population.

Group no. 2

Problematic question: How was the modern relief of the plain formed?

1. Comparing the physical and tectonic maps, draw a conclusion:

How does tectonic structure affect the relief of the plain? What is an ancient platform?

2. What areas have the highest and lowest altitudes?

3. The relief of the plain is varied. Why? What external processes formed the relief of the plain?

Output. The Russian Plain is located on an ancient platform - the Russian. The highest altitude is the Khibiny Mountains, 1191 m, the lowest is the Caspian lowland - 28 m. The relief is varied, the glacier in the north had a strong influence, and flowing waters in the south.

The Russian Plain is located on an ancient Precambrian platform. This determines the main feature of its relief - flatness. The folded basement of the Russian Plain lies at different depths and comes to the surface in Russia only on the Kola Peninsula and in Karelia (Baltic Shield). In the rest of the territory, the basement is covered by a sedimentary cover of varying thickness.

The cover smoothes out the unevenness of the foundation, but nevertheless they, as on X-ray, “shine through” through the thickness of sedimentary rocks and predetermine the location of the largest hills and lowlands. The Khibiny mountains on the Kola Peninsula have the highest heights, they are on the shield, the lowest is the Caspian lowland - 28 m, i.e. 28 m below sea level.

The Central Russian Upland and the Timan Ridge are confined to the uplifts of the basement. The Caspian and Pechora lowlands correspond to depressions.

The relief of the plain is quite varied. In most of the territory, it is rugged and picturesque. In the northern part, against the general background of a low-lying plain, small hills and ridges are scattered. Here, through the Valdai Upland and the Northern Uvaly, there is a watershed between the rivers carrying their waters to the north and northwest (Western and Northern Dvina, Pechora) and flowing to the south (Dnieper, Don and Volga with their rather numerous tributaries).

The northern part of the Russian Plain was formed by ancient glaciers. The Kola Peninsula and Karelia are located where the destructive activity of the glacier was intensive. Strong bedrocks with traces of glacial processing often come to the surface here. To the south, where the material brought by the glacier was accumulating, finite - moraine ridges and hilly - moraine relief were formed. Moraine hills alternate with depressions, occupied by lakes or swampy.

Along the southern boundary of the glaciation, melted glacial waters deposited a mass of sandy material. Flat or slightly concave sandy plains arose here. At present, they are crossed by slightly incised river valleys.

To the south, large hills and lowlands alternate. Central Russian, Volga Uplands and General Syrt are separated by lowlands along which the Don and Volga flows. Erosional relief is widespread here. Uplands are especially densely and deeply dissected by ravines and gullies.

The extreme south of the Russian Plain, which was flooded with seas in the Neogene and Quaternary, is distinguished by weak dissection and a slightly wavy, almost flat surface. The Russian Plain is located in a temperate climatic zone. Only its extreme north is in the subarctic belt.

Relaxation. The guys are looking at slides with landscapes of nature, and with musical accompaniment.

Group No. 3

Problematic question: Why has a temperate continental climate formed on the Russian Plain?

1. Name the climate-forming factors that determine the climate of the plain.

2. How does the Atlantic Ocean affect the climate of the plain?

3. What kind of weather do cyclones bring?

4. On the climatic map: determine the average temperatures in January and July, the annual amount of precipitation in Petrozavodsk, Moscow, Voronezh, Volgograd.

Output. The climate is temperate continental, the continentality increases towards the southeast. The Atlantic has the greatest influence.

The climate of the Russian Plain is moderately continental. Continentality grows to the east and especially to the southeast. The nature of the relief provides free penetration of Atlantic air masses to the eastern edges of the plain, and the Arctic ones - far to the south. During transition periods, the advancement of the Arctic air causes a sharp drop in temperature and frost, and in summer - droughts.

The Russian plain receives the largest amount of precipitation compared to other large plains in our country. It is influenced by the western transport of air masses and cyclones moving from the Atlantic. This influence is especially strong in the northern and middle parts of the Russian Plain. Precipitation is associated with the passage of cyclones. Humidification here is excessive and sufficient, therefore there are many rivers, lakes and swamps. In the strip of maximum number, there are the sources of the largest rivers of the Russian Plain: the Volga, the Northern Dvina. The northwest of the plain is one of the country's lake regions. Along with large lakes - Ladoga, Onega, Chudskoe, Ilmen - there are many small lakes located in depressions between moraine hills.

In the southern part of the plain, where cyclones are rare, there is less precipitation than can evaporate. Insufficient moisture. In summer, there are often droughts and dry winds. The increasing dryness of the climate goes to the southeast.

Group No. 4

Problematic question: How do you explain the words of A.I. Voeikov: “Rivers are a product of the climate”?

1. Find and name the large rivers of the plain, to the basins of which oceans do they belong?

2. Why do rivers flow in different directions?

3. Climate influences rivers. How is it expressed?

4. There are many large lakes on the territory of the Russian Plain. Most of them are located in the northwest of the plain. Why?

Output. Rivers have spring floods, food is mixed.

Most of the lakes are located in the northwest of the plain. The basins are glacial-tectonic and dammed, i.e. the influence of an ancient glacier.

All rivers of the Russian Plain are mainly fed by snow and spring floods. But the rivers of the northern part of the plain differ significantly from the rivers in the southern part in terms of the amount of runoff and its distribution over the seasons. Northern rivers are full of water. Rainwater and groundwater play a significant role in their nutrition, because the runoff is more evenly distributed throughout the year than that of southern rivers.

In the southern part of the plain, where moisture is insufficient, the rivers are shallow. The share of rainwater and groundwater in their feeding is sharply reduced, so the overwhelming part of the runoff falls on a short period of spring floods.

The longest and most abundant river in the Russian Plain and in all of Europe is the Volga.

The Volga is one of the main treasures and decorations of the Russian Plain. Starting from a small swamp on the Valdai Upland, the river carries its waters to the Caspian Sea. She absorbed the waters of hundreds of rivers and rivulets flowing from the Ural Mountains and born on the plain. The main sources of food for the Volga are snow (60%) and ground (30%) waters. In winter, the river freezes over.

Crossing several natural zones on its way, it reflects in the water surface both large cities, and majestic forests, and high slopes of the right banks, and coastal sands of the Caspian deserts.

Now the Volga has turned into a grand staircase with mirrored steps of reservoirs that regulate its flow. The water falling from the dams provides electricity to the cities and villages of the Russian Plain. The river is connected by canals to five seas. The Volga is a river - a toiler, an artery of life, the mother of Russian rivers, praised by our people.

Of the lakes of the Russian Plain, Lake Ladoga is the largest. Its area is 18100 km2. The lake stretches from north to south for 219 km with a maximum width of 124 km. The average depth is 51 m. The lake reaches its greatest depths (203 m) in its northern part. The northern shore of Lake Ladoga is rocky, indented by narrow long bays. The rest of the shores are low and gentle. The lake has many islands (about 650), most of which are located near the northern coast.

The lake freezes completely only by mid-February. The thickness of the ice reaches 0.7–1 m. The lake opens up in April, but for a long time the ice floes float on its water surface. Only in the second half of May the lake is completely free of ice.

There are hours of fog on Lake Ladoga that impede navigation. Strong and prolonged storms often occur when the waves reach a height of 3 meters. According to the terms of navigation, Ladoga is equated to the seas. The lake is connected through the Neva with the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea; across the Svir River, Lake Onega and the White Sea - Baltic Canal - with the White and Barents Seas; through the Volga-Baltic Canal - with the Volga and the Caspian Sea. V last years there is a strong industrial pollution of Lake Ladoga water in its basin. The problem of preserving the purity of the lake is acute, since St. Petersburg receives water from Ladoga. In 1988, a special resolution was adopted for the protection of Lake Ladoga.

4. Stage. Lesson summary. Grading student responses.

Conclusion on the studied topic

The East European (Russian) Plain has extremely diverse natural conditions and resources. This is due geological history development and geographic location. From these places the Russian land began, for a long time the plain was inhabited and mastered by people. It is no coincidence that it is on the Russian plain that the capital of the country, Moscow, is located, the most developed economic region, Central Russia, with the highest population density.

The nature of the Russian Plain enchants with its beauty. It gives a person spiritual and physical strength, soothes, restores health. The unique charm of Russian nature was praised by A.S. Pushkin,

M.Yu. Lermontov, reflected in the painting of I.I. Levitan, I. I. Shishkin, V. D. Polenov. People passed on from generation to generation the skills of arts and crafts, using natural resources and the very spirit of Russian culture.

5. Stage. The practical part of the lesson. To consolidate and assimilate the educational material, the children perform the test on laptops (exercises with the eyes), at the command of the teacher, press the "result" key.

Summing up, drawing up scorecards.

The practical part in workbooks p. 49 (task number 2).

Marking in diaries.

6. Stage. Homework: paragraph 27, workbook p. 49 (task number 1).

Introspection of a geography lesson

The lesson was conducted in a classroom with good learning opportunities, a developmental learning class.

Students possess the skills of analytical thinking activity.

Lesson type - combined, with elements of role play. Based on the topic and type of lesson, the characteristics of the student body, the following lesson goals were determined:

Reveal the features of the nature of the plain as a factor in the formation of the most populated and developed region;

Improve the ability to work with atlas maps, textbook text, computer, draw up logical reference circuits;

Provide the development of abilities for evaluative actions, express judgments;

Develop research skills;

To cultivate the ability to work in a team, to develop mutual assistance;

To develop a moral and aesthetic attitude to nature.

To achieve these goals, various methods learning:

1. According to the sources of transmission and perception of information:

- verbal- formulation of targets, explanation of methods of activity;

- visual- maps, interactive whiteboard, multimedia projector, mobile classroom;

- practical- work with atlas maps, textbook, workbook using laptops.

2. By the nature of cognitive activity:

- reproductive- the student worked with terms;

- research- identified features, established cause and effect;

- compared, explained, analyzed problematic issues.

The lesson used the following forms of organization educational activities:

1. Individual - each student worked with the text of the textbook, atlas maps, performed control tasks.

2. Paired - discussions, mutual control.

3. Group - creative work.

When developing the lesson, I adhered to principles:

1. The principle of motivation is the creation of passion, interest in knowledge.

2. The principle of a deliberate learning process.

3. The principle of collectivism.

Used tricks mental mental activity:

1. Reception of comparison - favorable and unfavorable conditions.

2. Reception of analysis and synthesis - determination of the features of the distribution of natural resources.

3. Reception of generalization in the formulation of conclusions and summing up.

Lesson steps

Stage 1 - organizational.

The task of the stage is to provide a favorable psychological environment for learning activities.

Stage 2 - updating basic knowledge.

At this stage, the teacher ensures the reproduction of those knowledge and skills on the basis of which new content will be built. Implementation of target attitudes, the formation of skills to determine the goal, plan their educational activities.

Stage 3 - learning new material, working in groups.

The tasks of the stage are to ensure the perception, comprehension of the concepts assimilated by the students, the creation of conditions for the development of knowledge by the students in the form of activity.

1. Creation of problem situations.

2. Using a research teaching method to establish causal relationships.

3. Improving skills in text analysis, drawing up diagrams.

4. Working with the text of the textbook in order to develop scientific thinking.

5. The creative task is aimed at consolidating the skills to analyze the maps of the atlas, as well as at the development of mental mental activity. development of logic.

Stage 4 - the result of the lesson, consolidation of new knowledge and methods of activity.

The task of the stage is to provide an increase in the level of comprehension of the studied material. Improving evaluative actions.

Stage 5 - the practical part, the logical conclusion of the lesson.

Stage 6 - homework information.

The form of the lesson made it possible to combine traditional and unconventional forms work: a combined lesson with elements of role play. The psychological regime was supported by the benevolent attitude of the teacher to the students. The feasibility of assignments for each student, the atmosphere of business cooperation. The high density, the pace of the lesson, the combination of different types of work made it possible to realize the entire volume of the proposed material, to solve the assigned tasks.

1. Geographical location.

2. Geological structure and relief.

3. Climate.

4. Internal waters.

5. Soils, flora and fauna.

6. Natural zones and their anthropogenic changes.

Geographical position

The East European Plain is one of the largest plains the world. The plain goes out to the waters of two oceans and stretches from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains and from the Barents and White Seas to the Azov, Black and Caspian Seas. The plain lies on the ancient East European platform, its climate is predominantly temperate continental and the natural zoning is clearly expressed on the plain.

Geological structure and relief

The East European Plain has a typical platform relief, which is predetermined by platform tectonics. At its base lie the Russian plate with a Precambrian basement and in the south the northern edge of the Scythian plate with a Paleozoic basement. At the same time, the border between the slabs is not expressed in the relief. On the uneven surface of the Precambrian basement, there are strata of Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks. Their power is not the same and is due to the unevenness of the foundation. These include syneclises (areas of deep bedding of the basement) - Moscow, Pechersk, Caspian and anticlises (basement protrusions) - Voronezh, Volga-Ural, as well as aulacogenes (deep tectonic ditches, in the place of which syneclises appeared) and the Baikal ledge - Timan. In general, the plain consists of uplands with heights of 200-300m and lowlands. The average height of the Russian Plain is 170 m, and the highest is almost 480 m - on the Bugulma-Belebey Upland in the Ural part. In the north of the plain there are Northern Uvaly, Valdai and Smolensk-Moscow stratal uplands, Timan ridge (Baikal folding). In the center - the uplands: Central Russian, Volga (stratal-tiered, stepped), Bugulma-Belebeevskaya, General Syrt and lowlands: Oksko-Don and Zavolzhskaya (stratal). The accumulative Caspian lowland lies in the south. The formation of the relief of the plain was also influenced by glaciation. There are three glaciations: Okskoe, Dneprovskoe with the Moscow stage, Valdai. Glaciers and fluvioglacial waters have created moraine landforms and outwash plains. In the periglacial (preglacial) zone, cryogenic forms were formed (due to permafrost processes). The southern border of the maximum Dnieper glaciation crossed the Central Russian Upland in the Tula region, then descended with a tongue along the Don valley to the mouth of the Khopra and Medveditsa rivers, crossed the Volga Upland, the Volga in the area of ​​the Sura mouth, further the upper reaches of the Vyatka and Kama and the Ural in the area of ​​60˚N. Iron ore deposits (KMA) are concentrated in the platform foundation. Coal reserves are associated with the sedimentary cover ( Eastern Donbass, Pechersk and Moscow region basins), oil and gas (Ural-Volga and Timan-Pechersk basins), oil shale (north-western and Middle Volga regions), building materials(widespread), bauxite (Kola Peninsula), phosphorites (in a number of areas), salts (Caspian region).

Climate

Plains climate is influenced by geographical position, Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Solar radiation changes dramatically with the seasons. In winter, more than 60% of the radiation is reflected by the snow cover. Throughout the year, the western transfer dominates over the Russian Plain. The Atlantic air transforms as it moves east. During the cold period, many cyclones come to the plain from the Atlantic. In winter, they bring not only precipitation, but also warming. Mediterranean cyclones are especially warm when the temperature rises to + 5˚ + 7˚C. After cyclones from the North Atlantic, cold Arctic air penetrates into their rear part, causing sharp cold snaps to the very south. Anti-cyclones provide frosty clear weather in winter. During the warm period, cyclones mix to the north, especially the northwest of the plain is affected by them. Cyclones bring rain and coolness in summer. Hot and dry air forms in the cores of the spur of the Azores maximum, which often leads to droughts in the southeast of the plain. The January isotherms in the northern half of the Russian Plain run submeridian from -4˚C in the Kaliningrad region to -20˚C in the north-east of the plain. In the southern part, the isotherms deviate to the southeast, amounting to -5˚C in the lower reaches of the Volga. In summer, isotherms pass sublatitudinal: + 8˚C in the north, + 20˚C along the Voronezh-Cheboksary line, and + 24˚C in the south of the Caspian region. The distribution of precipitation depends on westerly transport and cyclonic activity. Especially a lot of them move in the 55˚-60˚N zone, this is the most humid part of the Russian Plain (Valdai and Smolensk-Moscow Uplands): the annual precipitation here is from 800 mm in the west to 600 mm in the east. Moreover, on the western slopes of the uplands, the precipitation is 100-200 mm more than on the lowlands lying behind them. The maximum precipitation occurs in July (in the south, in June). In winter, snow forms. In the north-east of the plain, its height reaches 60-70 cm and it occurs up to 220 days a year (more than 7 months). In the south, the height of the snow cover is 10-20 cm, and the duration of occurrence is up to 2 months. The moisture coefficient varies from 0.3 in the Caspian lowland to 1.4 in the Pechersk lowland. In the north, moisture is excessive, in the upper reaches of the Dniester and Don rivers and the mouth of the Kama - sufficient and k≈1, in the south, moisture is insufficient. In the north of the plain, the climate is subarctic (the coast of the Arctic Ocean), in the rest of the territory the climate is temperate with varying degrees of continentality. At the same time, the continentality increases towards the southeast.

Inland waters

Surface waters are closely related to climate, relief, geology. The direction of rivers (river runoff) is predetermined by orography and geostructures. Runoff from the Russian Plain occurs in the basins of the Arctic, Atlantic oceans and into the Caspian basin. The main watershed runs along the Northern Uvals, Valdai, Central Russian and Volga Uplands. The largest is the Volga River (it is the largest in Europe), its length is more than 3530 km, and the basin area is 1360 thousand square kilometers. The source lies on the Valdai Upland. After the confluence of the Selizharovka River (from Lake Seliger), the valley expands noticeably. From the mouth of the Oka to Volgograd, the Volga flows with sharply asymmetric slopes. On the Caspian lowland, the Akhtuba branches separate from the Volga and a wide strip of floodplain is formed. The Volga Delta begins 170 km from the Caspian coast. The main food of the Volga is snow, therefore floods are observed from the beginning of April to the end of May. The height of the water rise is 5-10 m. Nine reserves have been created on the territory of the Volga basin. The Don has a length of 1870 km, the basin area is 422 thousand square kilometers. Source from a ravine in the Central Russian Upland. It flows into the Taganrog Bay of the Azov Sea. Food is mixed: 60% snow, more than 30% groundwater and almost 10% rain. Pechora is 1,810 km long, starts in the Northern Urals and flows into the Barents Sea. The basin area is 322 thousand km2. The character of the current in the upper reaches is mountainous, the channel is rapids. In the middle and low reaches, the river flows through the moraine lowland and forms a wide floodplain, and at the mouth a sandy delta. Food is mixed: up to 55% falls on melted snow water, 25% - on rainwater and 20% - on groundwater. The Northern Dvina is about 750 km long, formed from the confluence of the Sukhona, Yuga and Vychegda rivers. It flows into the Dvinskaya Bay. The pool area is almost 360 thousand square kilometers. The floodplain is wide. At the confluence, the river forms a delta. Mixed meals. The lakes on the Russian Plain differ primarily in the origin of the lake basins: 1) moraine lakes are widespread in the north of the plain in areas of glacial accumulation; 2) karst - in the basins of the Northern Dvina and Upper Volga rivers; 3) thermokarst - in the extreme northeast, in the permafrost zone; 4) floodplain (oxbows) - in floodplains of large and medium-sized rivers; 5) estuary lakes - in the Caspian lowland. Groundwater is widespread throughout the Russian Plain. There are three artesian basins of the first order: Central Russian, East Russian and Caspian. Within their limits, there are artesian basins of the second order: Moscow, Volgo-Kama, Pre-Ural, etc. With depth chemical composition water and water temperature changes. Fresh waters occur at depths of no more than 250 m. Mineralization and temperature increase with depth. At a depth of 2-3 km, the water temperature can reach 70˚C.

Soils, flora and fauna

Soils, like vegetation on the Russian Plain, have a zonal distribution. In the north of the plain, there are tundra coarse-humus gley soils, there are peat-gley soils, etc. To the south, under the forests are podzolic soils. In the northern taiga, they are gley-podzolic, in the middle - typical podzolic, and in the southern - sod-podzolic soils, which are also characteristic of mixed forests. Gray forest soils are formed under deciduous forests and forest-steppe. In the steppes, the soils are chernozemic (podzolized, typical, etc.). On the Caspian lowland, the soils are chestnut and brown desert, there are salt licks and salt marshes.

The vegetation of the Russian Plain differs from the vegetation cover of other large regions of our country. Deciduous forests are widespread on the Russian Plain, and only here are semi-deserts. In general, the set of vegetation is very diverse, from tundra to desert. The tundra is dominated by mosses and lichens; to the south, the amount of dwarf birch and willow increases. The forest-tundra is dominated by spruce with an admixture of birch. In the taiga, spruce dominates, to the east with an admixture of fir, and on the poorest soils - pine. Mixed forests include coniferous-deciduous species, in deciduous forests, where they have survived, oak and linden dominate. The same species are also characteristic of the forest-steppe. The steppe occupies here largest area in Russia, where cereals predominate. The semi-desert is represented by cereal-wormwood and wormwood-saltwort communities.

In the fauna of the Russian Plain, there are western and eastern species. The most widely represented are forest animals and, to a lesser extent, steppe animals. Western species gravitate towards mixed and deciduous forests (marten, black polecat, dormouse, mole, and some others). Eastern species gravitate towards taiga and forest-tundra (chipmunk, wolverine, Ob lemming, etc.) Rodents dominate the steppes and semi-deserts (ground squirrels, marmots, voles, etc.), and saiga penetrates from the Asian steppes.

Natural areas

Natural zones on the East European Plain are especially pronounced. From north to south, they replace each other: tundra, forest-tundra, taiga, mixed and deciduous forests, forest-steppe, steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. The tundra occupies the coast of the Barents Sea, covers the entire Kanin Peninsula and further to the east, to the Polar Urals. The European tundra is warmer and more humid than the Asian, the climate is subarctic with features of the sea. The average January temperature ranges from -10˚C near the Kanin Peninsula to -20˚C near the Yugorsky Peninsula. In summer, about + 5˚C. Precipitation is 600-500 mm. The permafrost is thin, there are many swamps. On the coast, typical tundras are widespread on tundra-gley soils, with a predominance of mosses and lichens; in addition, Arctic bluegrass, pike, alpine cornflower, sedges grow here; from shrubs - wild rosemary, dryad (partridge grass), blueberries, cranberries. To the south, shrubs of dwarf birches and willows appear. The forest-tundra stretches south of the tundra in a narrow strip of 30-40 km. The forests here are sparse, the height is no more than 5-8 m, spruce dominates with an admixture of birch, sometimes larch. Low places are occupied by swamps, thickets of small willows or birch dwarf birch. There are many crowberries, blueberries, cranberries, blueberries, mosses and various taiga herbs. Tall-trunk forests of spruce with an admixture of mountain ash (here its flowering occurs on July 5) and bird cherry (blooming by June 30) penetrate along the river valleys. Of the animals in these zones, typical are the reindeer, arctic fox, polar wolf, lemming, white hare, ermine, and wolverine. In summer there are many birds: eiders, geese, ducks, swans, snow bunting, white-tailed eagle, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon; many blood-sucking insects. Rivers and lakes are rich in fish: salmon, whitefish, pike, burbot, perch, char, etc.

Taiga extends south of the forest-tundra, its southern border runs along the line St. Petersburg - Yaroslavl - Nizhny Novgorod - Kazan. In the west and in the center, the taiga merges with mixed forests, and in the east with forest-steppe. The climate of the European taiga is moderately continental. Precipitation on the plains is about 600 mm, and up to 800 mm on heights. Excessive moisture. The growing season lasts from 2 months in the north and almost 4 months in the south of the zone. The depth of soil freezing is from 120 cm in the north to 30-60 cm in the south. The soils are podzolic, in the north of the zone there are peat-gley soils. There are many rivers, lakes, swamps in the taiga. The European taiga is characterized by the dark coniferous taiga of European and Siberian spruce. Fir is added to the east, cedar and larch are closer to the Urals. Pine forests are formed in swamps and sands. In clearings and burnt-out areas - birch and aspen, along the river valleys, alder, willow. Among the animals are elk, reindeer, brown bear, wolverine, wolf, lynx, fox, white hare, squirrel, mink, otter, chipmunk. There are a lot of birds: wood grouse, hazel grouse, owls, white partridge, snipe, woodcocks, lapwings, geese, ducks, etc. in swamps and water bodies. Woodpeckers are widespread, especially three-toed and black woodpeckers, bullfinch, waxwings, schur, Siberian chives, tits, crossbills, kinglets etc. Reptiles and amphibians - viper, lizards, newts, toads. There are many blood-sucking insects in summer. Mixed, and to the south, broad-leaved forests are located in the western part of the plain between the taiga and forest-steppe. The climate is moderately continental, but, unlike taiga, it is milder and warmer. Winter is noticeably shorter and summer is longer. Sod-podzolic and gray forest soils. Many rivers begin here: the Volga, the Dnieper, the Western Dvina, etc. There are many lakes, swamps and meadows. The border between forests is poorly defined. As we move to the east and north in mixed forests, the role of spruce and even fir increases, while the role of broad-leaved species decreases. Linden and oak are found. Maple, elm, ash appear to the southwest, and conifers disappear. Pine forests are found only on poor soils. In these forests, the undergrowth (hazel, honeysuckle, euonymus, etc.) and the herb cover of dwarf, clefthoof, starlet, some grasses are well developed, and where conifers grow, there are oxalis, mine, ferns, mosses, etc. In connection with the economic development of these forests, the animal world has sharply decreased. There are elk, wild boar, red deer and roe deer have become very rare, bison only in nature reserves. The bear and the lynx have practically disappeared. The fox, squirrel, dormouse, polecat, beavers, badger, hedgehog, moles are still common; preserved marten, mink, forest cat, desman; muskrat, raccoon dog, American mink have been acclimatized. From reptiles and amphibians - too, a viper, lizards, frogs, toads. There are many birds, both sedentary and migratory. Woodpeckers, tits, nuthatch, blackbirds, jays, owls are characteristic; finches, warblers, flycatchers, warblers, buntings, and waterfowl fly in the summer. Black grouses, partridges, golden eagles, white-tailed eagles, etc. have become rare. Compared with the taiga, the number of invertebrates in the soil significantly increases. The forest-steppe zone extends south of the forests and reaches the Voronezh - Saratov - Samara line. The climate is temperate continental with an increase in the degree of continentality to the east, which affects the poorer floristic composition in the east of the zone. Winter temperatures range from -5˚C in the west to -15˚C in the east. The annual amount of precipitation decreases in the same direction. Summer is very warm everywhere + 20˚ + 22˚C. The moisture coefficient in the forest-steppe is about 1. Sometimes, especially in recent years, droughts occur in summer. The relief of the zone is characterized by erosional dissection, which creates a certain variegation of the soil cover. The most typical gray forest soils on loess-like loams. Leached chernozems are developed along river terraces. The further south, the more leached and podzolized chernozems, and the gray forest soils disappear. Little natural vegetation has been preserved. Forests are found here only in small islands, mainly oak groves, where you can find maple, elm, ash. Pine forests have survived on poor soils. Meadow forbs survived only on lands that were not suitable for plowing. The fauna consists of forest and steppe fauna, but recently in connection with economic activities man began to dominate the steppe fauna. The steppe zone extends from the southern border of the forest-steppe to the Kumo-Manych depression and the Caspian lowland in the south. The climate is moderately continental, but with a significant degree of continentality. Summers are hot, average temperatures + 22˚ + 23˚C. Winter temperatures range from -4˚C in the Azov steppes to -15˚C in the Trans-Volga steppes. Annual precipitation decreases from 500 mm in the west to 400 mm in the east. The moisture coefficient is less than 1; droughts and dry winds are frequent in summer. The northern steppes are less warm, but more humid than the southern ones. Therefore, the northern steppes are grass-feather grass on chernozem soils. The southern steppes are dry on chestnut soils. They are characterized by solonetzicity. In the floodplains of large rivers (Don and others), there are floodplain forests of poplar, willow, alder, oak, elm, etc. Rodents predominate among animals: ground squirrels, shrews, hamsters, field mice, etc. From predators - ferrets, foxes, weasels ... Among the birds are larks, steppe eagle, harrier, corncrake, falcons, bustard, etc. There are snakes and lizards. Most of the northern steppes are now plowed up. The semi-desert and desert zone within Russia is located in the southwestern part of the Caspian lowland. This zone adjoins the coast of the Caspian Sea and merges with the deserts of Kazakhstan. The climate is temperate continental. The amount of precipitation is about 300 mm. Winter temperatures are negative -5˚-10˚C. The snow cover is thin, but it lasts up to 60 days. Soils freeze up to 80 cm. Summers are hot and long, average temperatures are + 23˚ + 25˚C. The Volga flows through the zone, forming a vast delta. There are many lakes, but almost all of them are salty. The soils are light chestnut, in places brown desert. The humus content does not exceed 1%. Salt marshes and salt licks are widespread. The vegetation is dominated by white and black wormwood, fescue, fine-legged, xerophytic feather grass; to the south, the number of hodgepodge increases, a tamarisk bush appears; tulips, buttercups, rhubarb bloom in spring. In the floodplain of the Volga - willow, white poplar, carp, oak, aspen, etc. The fauna is represented mainly by rodents: jerboas, ground squirrels, gerbils, many reptiles - snakes and lizards. Of the predators, the steppe ferret, the fox - the corsac, weasel are typical. There are many birds in the Volga delta, especially during the migratory seasons. All natural zones of the Russian Plain have experienced anthropogenic impacts. The zones of forest-steppes and steppes, as well as mixed and broad-leaved forests, are especially strongly modified by man.

On the mainland of Eurasia, the East European Plain occupies a large territory. Her second name Russian plain happened due to the fact that most of it lies on the territory of our Motherland. It is the second largest in the world, with an area of ​​almost 3 million square kilometers. The first is the Amazonian Plain, located in the northwestern part of South America.

Geographical position

From the north The East European Plain is washed by two seas of the Arctic Ocean, Barents and Bely. In the east its border runs along Ural mountains, southeastern ranks Caucasus... WITH south it is washed by three seas - Azovskoe, Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Northwestern the border of the plain runs along Scandinavian mountains, a Sudetes it is limited to southwest. Western her the border runs along Vistula river.

The East European Plain is considered low, its maximum height is 1191m, on the Yudichvumchorr mountain in Khibiny Kola Peninsula. The average heights are about 170 m. And the minimum height has a negative value, minus 27 meters, on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

On the territory of the plain, 12 countries are both partially and completely located:

• Russia;
• Kazakhstan;
• Estonia;
• Romania;
• Belarus;
• Ukraine;
• Bulgaria;
• Lithuania;
• Finland;
• Latvia;
• Moldova;
• Poland.

Peculiarities

The East European Plain is calm in terms of seismological activity. This is due to the fact that the plain is located on the East European platform and practically repeats its outline. That's why relief here it is gentle.

Russian plain due to its great length from north to south, more 2,5 thousand kilometers, varied natural areas... Starting from the zone tundra on the Kola Peninsula and reaching deserts and semi-desert in the Caspian lowland. This also explains the richness and diversity of flora and fauna.

On the territory of the East European Plain, a large number of rivers and lakes. And here the most long river Europe - Volga... In addition, the Russian Plain is rich in various useful fossils... There are deposits of iron ores, chemical raw materials such as phosphorites, oil, gas, peat, rock salts, a large amount of construction materials are mined.