Prevailing heights of Eurasia. Mountains of Eurasia. The highest mountains in Europe

The topography of the world's largest continent is very diverse. This became possible due to the large area of the continent and the peculiarities of tectonic processes that occurred millions of years ago. The main reliefs of Eurasia are represented by huge plains and the world's highest mountain systems formed inside the continent.

Mountains of Eurasia

Eurasia is not only the largest continent on the planet, but also the highest. Its average height is 830 m, and the highest mountain systems in the world were formed on a vast territory many thousands of years ago. They occupy about 65% of the total area of the continent.

The main feature of the mountainous terrain of Eurasia is that the hills are located inland. On all other continents, mountains are located not in the center, but on the outskirts.

The mountain systems of Eurasia run across the continent in the form of two largest belts: the Alpine-Himalayan and the Pacific.

In the southern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Alpine-Himalayan belt. It includes the youngest and highest mountains of the continent: the Caucasus, Himalayas, Apennines, Carpathians, Pyrenees, Pamirs. They are distinguished by pointed peaks and great height. The Iranian Plateau is located here - one of the largest on the mainland.

Rice. 1. Pamir.

Pacific belt stretches across almost the entire eastern part of the continent from north to south. It includes the oldest mountains of the continent - the Scandinavian ones, as well as other old mountains, whose age is about 300 million years. These include the Ural and Altai mountains, Tien Shan. For many thousands of years, these mountains experienced the destructive forces of water and wind, gradually decreasing in size and acquiring flatter slopes.

The highest mountain range in Eurasia is the Himalayas. Their length exceeds 2.3 thousand km, and their width is about 350 km. It is here that the highest point not only in Eurasia, but also in the whole world is located - Mount Chomolungma, better known as Everest. Its absolute height is 8848 m.

Rice. 2. Everest.

Plains of Eurasia

The lowlands and plateaus of Eurasia are striking in their scale: they stretch on land for thousands of kilometers. The continent's giant plains are located in its peripheral regions.

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the East European Plain . Located in the east of Europe, most of it belongs to the territory of Russia. The boundaries of this plain are the coastal zones of the Caspian, Azov, Black, White, Baltic and Barents seas, as well as the chain of the Ural Mountains. This is the largest plain in Eurasia, the area of which reaches 4 million square meters. km.

Rice. 3. East European Plain

West Siberian Plain . Occupies the northern part of Asia, stretching from the Ural mountain system to the Central Siberian Plateau. The largest rivers of Russia flow here: Ob, Yenisei, Irtysh. It has a rather harsh climate. The area of the plain is 2.6 million square meters. km.
Turanian Lowland . It lies on the territory of Central Asia and Southern Kazakhstan. The climate of this region is sharply continental, which changes to subtropical in the south. Area - approximately 2 million square meters. km.
Indo-Gangetic Plain . Its territory includes countries such as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. This is where the oldest centers of world civilization are located.
Great Chinese Plain . It lies in East Asia, along the East China and Yellow Seas. The climate is monsoonal, subtropical. Total area - 320 thousand square meters. km.

Eurasia is incredibly rich in mineral resources, the deposits of which are located regardless of the type of relief. On the plains, in the mountains, in the shelf zone, ores, fossil fuels, precious stones and other natural raw materials are being actively developed.

What have we learned?

When studying the topic “Relief of Eurasia” in the 7th grade geography program, we found out how diverse the relief of the largest continent in the world is. We learned what lowlands and hills this continent is represented by, what their main features are.

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Eurasia is the largest continent on Earth, with an area of 53.893 million km², which is 36% of the land area. Population - more than 4.947 billion (2010), which is about 3/4 of the population of the entire planet.

Origin of the name of the continent

Initially, various names were given to the largest continent in the world. Alexander Humboldt used the name "Asia" for all of Eurasia. Carl Gustav Reuschle used the term "Doppelerdtheil Asien-Europa" in his book "Handbuch der Geographie" in 1858. The term "Eurasia" was first used by geologist Eduard Suess in the 1880s.

Geographical location of the mainland

The continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere between approximately 9° W. Longitude and 169°W etc., while some of the islands of Eurasia are located in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of continental Eurasia lies in the Eastern Hemisphere, although the extreme western and eastern ends of the continent are in the Western Hemisphere.

Contains two parts of the world: Europe and Asia. The border line between Europe and Asia is most often drawn along the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Emba River, the northwestern coast of the Caspian Sea, the Kuma River, the Kuma-Manych depression, the Manych River, the eastern coast of the Black Sea, the southern coast of the Black Sea, the strait Bosphorus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, Strait of Gibraltar. This division has developed historically. Naturally, there is no sharp border between Europe and Asia. The continent is united by the continuity of land, the current tectonic consolidation and the unity of numerous climatic processes.

Eurasia stretches from west to east for 16 thousand km, from north to south - for 8 thousand km, with an area of ≈ 54 million km². This is more than a third of the entire land area of the planet. The area of the Eurasian islands is approaching 2.75 million km².

Extreme points of Eurasia

Mainland points

Cape Chelyuskin (Russia), 77°43′ N. w. - the northernmost continental point.
Cape Piai (Malaysia) 1°16′ N. w. - the southernmost continental point.
Cape Roca (Portugal), 9º31′ W. d. - the westernmost continental point.
Cape Dezhnev (Russia), 169°42′ W. d. - the extreme eastern continental point.

Island points

Cape Fligeli (Russia), 81°52′ N. w. - the extreme northern point of the island (However, according to the topographic map of Rudolf Island, the coast stretching in the latitudinal direction to the west of Cape Fligeli lies several hundred meters north of the cape at coordinates 81°51′28.8″ N 58°52′00″ E. d. (G) (O)).
South Island (Cocos Islands) 12°4′ S w. - the southernmost point of the island.
Rock of Monchique (Azores) 31º16′ W. d. - the westernmost point of the island.
Ratmanov Island (Russia) 169°0′ W. d. - the easternmost point of the island.

Largest peninsulas

Arabian Peninsula
Peninsula of Asia Minor
Balkan Peninsula
Apennine Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula
Scandinavian Peninsula
Taimyr Peninsula
Chukotka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
Indochina Peninsula
Hindustan Peninsula
Malacca Peninsula
Yamal Peninsula
Kola Peninsula
Peninsula Korea

Geological characteristics of the continent

Geological structure of Eurasia

The geological structure of Eurasia is qualitatively different from the structures of other continents. Eurasia is composed of several platforms and plates. The continent was formed in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras and is the youngest in geological terms. This distinguishes it from other continents, which are hills of ancient platforms formed billions of years ago.

The northern part of Eurasia is a series of plates and platforms formed during the Archean, Proterozoic and Paleozoic periods: the East European platform with the Baltic and Ukrainian shields, the Siberian platform with the Aldan shield, the West Siberian plate. The eastern part of the continent includes two platforms (Chinese-Korean and South China), some plates and areas of Mesozoic and Alpine folding. The southeastern part of the continent represents areas of Mesozoic and Cenozoic folding. The southern regions of the continent are represented by the Indian and Arabian platforms, the Iranian plate, as well as areas of Alpine and Mesozoic folding, which prevail in southern Europe. The territory of Western Europe includes zones of predominantly Hercynian folding and plates of Paleozoic platforms. The central regions of the continent include zones of Paleozoic folding and plates of the Paleozoic platform.

In Eurasia there are many large faults and cracks, which are found in Siberia (Western and Lake Baikal), Tibet and some other areas.

Story

The period of formation of the continent covers a huge period of time and continues today. The process of formation of the ancient platforms that make up the continent of Eurasia began in the Precambrian era. Then three ancient platforms were formed: Chinese, Siberian and East European, separated by ancient seas and oceans. At the end of the Proterozoic and in the Paleozoic, processes of closing the oceans that separated the land masses took place. At this time, the process of land growth around these and other platforms and their grouping took place, which ultimately led to the formation of the supercontinent Pangea by the beginning of the Mesozoic era.

In the Proterozoic, the process of formation of the ancient platforms of Eurasia - Siberian, Chinese and East European - took place. At the end of the era, the land area south of the Siberian Platform increased. In the Silurian, extensive mountain building occurred as a result of the connection of the European and North American platforms, forming the large North Atlantic continent. In the east, the Siberian Platform and a number of mountain systems united, forming a new continent - Angaris. At this time, the process of formation of ore deposits took place.

During the Carboniferous period, a new tectonic cycle began. Intense movements led to the formation of mountainous areas connecting Siberia and Europe. Similar mountainous regions also formed in the southern regions of modern Eurasia. Before the start of the Triassic period, all the ancient platforms were grouped and formed the continent of Pangea. This cycle was long and divided into phases. In the initial phase, mountain building took place in the southern territories of what is now Western Europe and in the regions of central Asia. During the Permian period, new major mountain-building processes took place, in parallel with the general uplift of the land. As a result, by the end of the period, the Eurasian part of Pangea was a region with major folding. At this time, the process of destruction of old mountains and the formation of thick sedimentary deposits took place. In the Triassic period, geological activity was weak, but during this period the Tethys Ocean gradually opened in the east of Pangea, which later in the Jurassic divided Pangea into two parts: Laurasia and Gondwana. In the Jurassic period, the process of orogenesis begins, the peak of which, however, occurred in the Cenozoic era.

The next stage in the formation of the continent began in the Cretaceous period, when the Atlantic Ocean began to open. The continent of Laurasia finally divided in the Cenozoic.

At the beginning of the Cenozoic era, northern Eurasia represented a huge landmass that made up ancient platforms connected by the Baikal, Hercynian and Caledonian folds. In the east and southeast, this massif is adjacent to areas of Mesozoic folding. In the west, Eurasia was already separated from North America by the narrow Atlantic Ocean. From the south, this huge massif was supported by the Tethys Ocean, which had shrunk in size. In the Cenozoic, there was a reduction in the area of the Tethys Ocean and intense mountain building in the south of the continent. By the end of the Tertiary period, the continent took on its modern shape.

Physical characteristics of the continent

Relief of Eurasia

The relief of Eurasia is extremely diverse; it contains some of the largest plains and mountain systems in the world, the East European Plain, the West Siberian Plain, and the Tibetan Plateau. Eurasia is the highest continent on Earth, its average height is about 830 meters (the average height of Antarctica is higher due to the ice sheet, but if its height is considered to be the height of the bedrock, then the continent will be the lowest). In Eurasia there are the highest mountains on Earth - the Himalayas (ind. Abode of Snows), and the Eurasian mountain systems of the Himalayas, Tibet, Hindu Kush, Pamir, Tien Shan, etc. form the largest mountain region on Earth.

The modern relief of the continent is caused by intense tectonic movements during the Neogene and Anthropocene periods. The East Asian and Alpine-Himalayan geosynclinal belts are characterized by the greatest mobility. A wide band of structures of different ages from Gissar-Alai to Chukotka is also characterized by powerful neotectonic movements. High seismicity is inherent in many areas of Middle, Central and East Asia and the Malay Archipelago. Active volcanoes in Eurasia are located in Kamchatka, the islands of East and Southeast Asia, Iceland and the Mediterranean.

The average height of the continent is 830 m, mountains and plateaus occupy about 65% of its territory.

The main mountain systems of Eurasia:

Himalayas
Alps
Hindu Kush
Karakoram
Tien Shan
Kunlun
Altai
Mountains of Southern Siberia
Mountains of North-Eastern Siberia
Western Asian highlands
Pamir-Alai
Tibetan plateau
Sayano-Tuva Plateau
Deccan plateau
Central Siberian Plateau
Carpathians
Ural Mountains

The main plains and lowlands of Eurasia

the East European Plain
West Siberian Plain
Turanian Lowland
Great Chinese Plain
Indo-Gangetic Plain

The relief of the northern and some mountainous regions of the continent was influenced by ancient glaciation. Modern glaciers remain on the Arctic islands, Iceland and in the highlands. About 11 million km² (mainly in Siberia) is occupied by permafrost.

Geographical records of the mainland

In Eurasia there is the highest mountain on Earth - Chomolungma (Everest), the largest lake - the Caspian Sea and the deepest - Baikal, the largest mountain system by area - Tibet, the largest peninsula - the Arabian, the largest geographical area - Siberia, the lowest point sushi - Dead Sea Depression. The cold pole of the northern hemisphere, Oymyakon, is also located on the continent. Eurasia also contains the largest natural region on Earth - Siberia.

Historical and geographical zoning

Eurasia is the homeland of the ancient civilizations of Sumer and China, and the place where almost all the ancient civilizations of the Earth were formed. Eurasia is conventionally divided into two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. The latter, due to its size, is divided into smaller regions - Siberia, the Far East, the Amur region, Primorye, Manchuria, China, India, Tibet, Uighuria (East Turkestan, now Xinjiang within the People's Republic of China), Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Persia, Indochina, Arabia and some others. Other, less well-known regions of Eurasia - Tarkhtaria (Tartaria), Hyperborea today are almost forgotten and not recognized.

Climate of continent Eurasia

All climatic zones and climatic zones are represented in Eurasia. In the north, polar and subpolar climate zones predominate, then a wide strip of Eurasia is crossed by the temperate zone, followed by the subtropical zone. The tropical belt in Eurasia is interrupted, stretching across the continent from the Mediterranean and Red Seas to India. The subequatorial belt projects northward, covering India and Indochina, as well as the extreme south of China, while the equatorial belt covers mainly the islands of southeast Asia. Maritime climate zones are found predominantly in the west of the continent in Europe, as well as on the islands. Monsoon climate zones predominate in the eastern and southern regions. As you move deeper into the land, the continental climate increases, this is especially noticeable in the temperate zone when moving from west to east. The most continental climate zones are located in Eastern Siberia (see Sharply continental climate).

Nature on the continent

Natural areas

All natural zones are represented in Eurasia. This is due to the large size of the continent and its length from north to south.

The northern islands and high mountains are partially covered by glaciers. The polar desert zone extends mainly along the northern coast and a large part of the Taimyr Peninsula. Next comes a wide belt of tundra and forest-tundra, occupying the most extensive areas in Eastern Siberia (Yakutia) and the Far East.

Almost all of Siberia, a significant part of the Far East and Europe (northern and northeastern), is covered by coniferous forest - taiga. In the south of Western Siberia and on the Russian Plain (central and western parts), as well as in Scandinavia and Scotland, mixed forests are located. There are also areas of such forests in the Far East: in Manchuria, Primorye, Northern China, Korea and the Japanese Islands. Deciduous forests predominate mainly in the western part of Europe. Small areas of these forests are found in eastern Asia (China). In the southeast of Eurasia, there are tracts of moist equatorial forests.

The central and southwestern regions are occupied mainly by semi-deserts and deserts. In Hindustan and Southeast Asia there are areas of open forests and variable-humid and monsoon forests. Subtropical and tropical forests of the monsoon type also predominate in eastern China, and their temperate counterparts in Manchuria, the Amur region and Primorye. In the south of the western part of the continent (mainly the Mediterranean and on the Black Sea coast) there are zones of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs (Mediterranean-type forests). Large areas are occupied by steppes and forest-steppes, occupying the southern part of the Russian Plain and the south of Western Siberia. Steppes and forest-steppes are also found in Transbaikalia and the Amur region; there are vast areas of them in Mongolia and northern and northeastern China and Manchuria.

Areas of high altitude zones are widespread in Eurasia.

Fauna, animal world

The large, northern part of Eurasia belongs to the Holarctic zoogeographic region; the smaller, southern one - to the Indo-Malayan and Ethiopian regions. The Indo-Malayan region includes the Hindustan and Indochina peninsulas together with the adjacent part of the mainland, the islands of Taiwan, the Philippine and Sunda, the south of Arabia, together with most of Africa, is included in the Ethiopian region. Some southeastern islands of the Malay Archipelago are classified by most zoogeographers as belonging to the Australian zoogeographic region. This division reflects the peculiarities of the development of the Eurasian fauna in the process of changing natural conditions during the end of the Mesozoic and the entire Cenozoic, as well as connections with other continents. To characterize modern natural conditions, ancient extinct fauna known only in fossil form, fauna that disappeared in historical times as a result of human activity, and modern fauna are of interest.

At the end of the Mesozoic, a diverse fauna formed in Eurasia, consisting of monotremes and marsupial mammals, snakes, turtles, etc. With the advent of placental mammals, especially predators, lower mammals retreated south to Africa and Australia. They were replaced by proboscideans, camels, horses, and rhinoceroses, which inhabited most of Eurasia in the Cenozoic. The cooling of the climate at the end of the Cenozoic led to the extinction of many of them or their retreat to the south. Proboscideans, rhinoceroses, etc. in northern Eurasia are known only in fossil form, and now they live only in South and Southeast Asia. Camels and wild horses were until recently widespread in the arid interior of Eurasia.

The cooling of the climate led to the settlement of Eurasia by animals adapted to harsh climatic conditions (mammoth, aurochs, etc.). This northern fauna, the center of formation of which was located in the Bering Sea region and was common with North America, gradually pushed the thermophilic fauna to the south. Many of its representatives have become extinct, some have survived as part of the modern fauna of tundras and taiga forests. The drying up of the climate in the interior of the continent was accompanied by the spread of steppe and desert fauna, which survived mainly in the steppes and deserts of Asia, and partially became extinct in Europe.

In the eastern part of Asia, where climatic conditions did not undergo significant changes during the Cenozoic, many animals of pre-glacial times found refuge. In addition, through East Asia there was an exchange of animals between the Holarctic and Indo-Malayan regions. Within its borders, tropical forms such as the tiger, Japanese macaque, and others penetrate far to the north.

The distribution of modern wild fauna across the territory of Eurasia reflects both the history of its development, as well as the characteristics of natural conditions and the results of human activity.

On the northern islands and in the far north of the mainland, the composition of the fauna remains almost unchanged from west to east. The fauna of tundras and taiga forests has minor internal differences. The further south you go, the differences in latitude within the Holarctic become more and more significant. The fauna of the extreme south of Eurasia is already so specific and so different from the tropical fauna of Africa and even Arabia that they are classified as different zoogeographic regions.

The tundra fauna is especially uniform throughout Eurasia (as well as North America).

The most common large mammal of the tundra is the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). It is almost never found in the wild in Europe; This is the most common and valuable domestic animal in the north of Eurasia. The tundra is characterized by arctic fox, lemming and mountain hare.

Eurasian countries

The list below includes not only states located on the Eurasian mainland, but also states located on islands classified as Europe or Asia (for example, Japan).

Abkhazia
Austria
Albania
Andorra
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bulgaria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brunei
Butane
Vatican
Great Britain
Hungary
East Timor
Vietnam
Germany
Greece
Georgia
Denmark
Egypt (partially)
Israel
India
Indonesia (partially)
Jordan
Ireland
Iceland
Spain
Italy
Yemen
Kazakhstan
Cambodia
Qatar
Kyrgyzstan
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Lithuania
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
Netherlands
Norway
Pakistan
State
Palestine
Poland
Portugal
The Republic of Korea
Republic
Kosovo
Macedonia
Russia
Romania
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Syria
Slovakia
Slovenia
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Türkiye
Uzbekistan
Ukraine
Philippines
Finland
France
Croatia
Montenegro
Czech
Switzerland
Sweden
Sri Lanka
Estonia
South Ossetia
Japan

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The greatest continent on Earth. It occupies 1/3 of the entire landmass. The area of Eurasia is 53.4 million km2. It is formed by two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. The conventional border between them is usually drawn along the Ural Mountains; the maritime border runs along the Black and Azov Seas, as well as along the straits connecting the Black and Mediterranean Seas. 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 - the designation of one of the provinces to the east of the Aegean Sea, this was the name of the Scythian tribes before the Caspian Sea (Asians, Asians).

The coastline is very indented and forms a large number of peninsulas and bays. The largest peninsulas are the Arabian and Hindustan. The continent is washed by the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic and Indian oceans. 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. Przhevalsky.

Relief of Eurasia complex. The mainland is significantly higher than the others. The highest mountain in the world is located in the Himalayan Mountains - Chomolungma (Everest) with a height of 8848 m. 14 peaks of Eurasia exceed the highest peaks of other continents. The plains of Eurasia are enormous in size and stretch for thousands of kilometers, the largest of which are: East European, West Siberian, Central Siberian Plateau, Indo-Gangetic, East Chinese. Unlike other continents, the central regions of Eurasia are occupied by mountains, while the plains are occupied by coastal areas. Eurasia also has the deepest land basin: the shores of the Dead Sea are located 395 meters below sea level. This diversity of relief can only be explained by the historical development of the continent, which is based on the Eurasian lithospheric plate. It contains more ancient sections of the earth's crust - platforms to which the plains are confined, and folding zones that connected these platforms, expanding the area of the continent.

On the southern borders of the Eurasian plate, where it meets other lithospheric plates, powerful mountain-building processes have occurred and are occurring, leading to the emergence of the highest mountain systems. This is accompanied by intense volcanic activity and earthquakes. One of them in 1923 destroyed the capital of Japan, Tokyo. More than 100 thousand people died.

The continent was also influenced by the ancient glaciation that captured the north of the continent. It changed the surface of the earth, smoothed out the peaks, and left numerous moraines. Eurasia is exceptionally rich in mineral resources of both sedimentary and igneous origin.

Eurasia is a continent of great contrasts. This is the only continent where all climatic zones are represented: from the Arctic to the equatorial. Over 1/4 of the territory in the north of the continent is occupied by permafrost, and about the same amount is sultry deserts and semi-deserts. The pole of cold is located in Eurasia - in the northeast of the continent, on the Oymyakon Highlands. Here the air is cooled to -70°C. At the same time, in the deserts of India, the temperature in summer rises to +53°C. On the territory of Eurasia there is also one of the wettest places on earth - Cherrapunji. Many rivers flow through the territory of Eurasia, the length of many of them is about 5 thousand kilometers. These are the Yangtze, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur, Yellow River, Mekong. The largest lake in the world - the Caspian Sea - is also located on the mainland. The deepest lake, Baikal, is also located here. It contains 20% of the fresh water on Earth. Continental ice is an important reservoir of fresh water.

Eurasia is more diverse than other continents of the globe: from arctic deserts to equatorial forests.

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, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles, Czechs, Bulgarians, Serbs, 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 sq. km.

Extreme points of Eurasia:

The northernmost point of the island is Cape Fligeli, 81°51` N. sh.;

The northernmost continental point is Cape Chelyuskin, 77°43` N. sh.;

The easternmost point of the island is Ratmanov Island, 169°0` W. d.;

The easternmost 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: Arctic, subarctic, temperate, subtropical, Mediterranean, tropical, subequatorial, equatorial.

Geology of Eurasia: On the territory of Eurasia there are the East European, Siberian, Chinese-Korean, South Chinese, and Indian platforms.

Relief of Eurasia: the average height of the continent is 830 m; on the territory of Eurasia there are mountain systems: the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, Tien Shan, Altai, Alps, Caucasus, Karakorum, Kun-Lun, Tibet, Ural Mountains, Pamir, Carpathians, mountains of Southern Siberia, mountains North-Eastern Siberia; Sayano-Tuva Plateau, Deccan Plateau, Central Siberian Plateau; plains: East European, West Siberian, Great Chinese, Indo-Gangetic; Turanian lowland.

Additional information on Eurasia: Eurasia is washed by the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans; the length of the continent from west to east is 16 thousand km, from north to south – 8 thousand km; More than 4.3 billion people live in Eurasia.

Countries of Europe
Asian countries
Geography of Eurasia.
.Relief, history of development.
Climate of Eurasia.
Inland waters of Eurasia.
Natural zones of Eurasia.
Rivers of Europe
Rivers of Asia
Map of Eurasia
Geographical location, size of territory and nature of the coastline of Eurasia
Brief information from the history of the discovery and exploration of the Eurasian continent
Relief and geological structure, minerals of Eurasia
Report - climate of Eurasia
Report – Inland waters of Eurasia
Report – Natural areas of Eurasia
Physico-geographical zoning of Eurasia
Population and political map of Eurasia

The surface of Eurasia has a complex structure. Vast plains and mountain belts are located differently than on other continents, where mountains are located on the outskirts of the continents. The mountains in Eurasia are also located in the interior of the continent; they seem to connect two huge mountain belts.
One (Pacific) stretches from north to south to the east of the continent. It is formed at the boundaries of lithospheric plates, where intense movements of the earth's crust occur. Another mountain belt (Albian-Himalayan) is located in the south and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

The mountains of Eurasia arose during different eras of mountain building, and therefore have different heights and surface shapes. The planet's longest belt of young folded mountains stretches across the entire continent from west to east - the Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Carpathians, Crimea, Caucasus, Himalayas, and the Tibet highlands. They were formed during the last Alpine era of mountain building, therefore, as a rule, they are high and powerful, with steep slopes and sharp peaks.

Continent Eurasia is significantly higher than others. The highest mountain in the world is located in the Himalayan Mountains - Chomolungma (Everest) with a height of 8848 m. 14 peaks of Eurasia exceed the highest peaks of other continents.

According to absolute height, it is customary to divide mountains into three groups: low - up to 1000 m (Middle Urals, etc.), medium-altitude - 1000-3000 m (Carpathians, etc.), high - more than 3000 m (Tian Shan, etc. .)

Low mountains are usually characterized by rounded peaks, gentle slopes, and relatively wide river valleys. High mountains are characterized by pointed peaks, usually covered with snow and glaciers, steep slopes, and narrow valleys. Medium-altitude mountains have transitional external features. However, the specific appearance of mountains depends not only on height, but also on their origin, tectonic structure, material composition of rocks, various slope processes, location in the climatic zone, and other factors. The highest mountains are the Himalayas with the peak Everest (Qomolungma) - 8848 m, etc., the Karakoram with three peaks - eight-thousanders, the mountainous country of Pamir.

The Alps are the largest and highest mountain system in Europe. Their sharp ridges rise to a height of more than 4,000 m, and the highest peak, Mont Blanc, reaches 4,807 m. The Pyrenees stretch in several parallel high ridges with snow-capped peaks on the Iberian Peninsula. The mid-high Apennines cross the entire Apennine Peninsula. They are composed of different rocks, so they have both pointed and rounded tops. The Carpathians are also medium-high mountains. They are composed of rocks that are not very resistant to destruction (sandstones, shales, limestones), so their peaks have rounded outlines, and their slopes are cut by river valleys. The ridges of the Crimean Mountains stretch in three parallel ridges along the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula.

The Caucasus Mountains are located between the Black and Caspian Seas. Among their ridges rise the cones of extinct volcanoes - Elbrus and Kazbek. The majestic and inaccessible Himalayas are the highest mountain system on earth. Their highest peak is Mount Chomolungma. To the north lies the Tibet plateau - a combination of high flat plains (5,000 m high) and very high (up to 7,000 m) mountain ranges. It rose along with the Himalayas and reached a record height for the highlands.

Old mountains located in areas of ancient folding are less well preserved. They are usually short and have rounded tops. Thus, the flat-topped, medium-high Scandinavian mountains are severely destroyed. The Ural Mountains, stretching in a long belt from north to south, are also destroyed and low.
The Tien Shan Mountains are also old and have been destroyed over time. However, gradually they rose again. Now they are very high, their slopes are steep and their tops are flat. Such mountains are called reborn.

Block mountains arose on the site of ancient platforms and Baikal folded structures. As a result of repeated reactivation and denudation over a long geological history, their ancient folded structure turned out to be cut to great depths and is practically not expressed in the modern relief. These mountains were reborn by raising blocks to different heights, they are called reborn. These are usually medium-altitude short ridges with smooth peaks and steep slopes caused by fault tectonics. For example, Western and Eastern Ghats in India; Eastern Sayan - on the Baikalides.

The sublatitudinal belt of the Eurasian mountains was formed on folded structures of different ages, from Precambrian to Alpine, within two contiguous inland mobile belts: the epigeosynclinal Alpine-Himalayan and the epiplatform Central Asian.

The Alpine-Himalayan belt of young mountains, which is mainly in the orogenic stage of development, includes the Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Carpathians, Caucasus, Hindu Kush, Western Pamir, Himalayas and other mountains. They are characterized by a folded and vaulted-folded structure, large height, and significant vertical dissection. Due to their high altitude, they are characterized by widespread development of mountain glaciation and nival-glacial morphosculpture.
Within the belt of young mountains there are also highly elevated highlands. They usually correspond to the middle massifs that were involved in the general uplift. These are the Asia Minor, Iranian, southern part of the Tibetan, volcanic Armenian and other highlands.

The names of mountains translated from different languages have approximately the same meaning. Compare: Alps - high mountains, Tien Shan - heavenly mountains, Pyrenees - peak, Carpathians - rock, Ural - hill; The Caucasus is a snow-white mountain, the Himalayas are the home of snow. The highest mountain on the planet - the peak of the Himalayas, is located on the border of Nepal and China, the Nepalese call it Sagarmatha - Possessor of the sky, and the Tibetans call it Chomolungma - the Mother Goddess of the world. Interestingly, the locals adored this peak, not even knowing that it was the highest on Earth. Humanity learned about this only in 1852, when workers from the Indian Topographical Service determined its height. They gave it the name Everest in honor of George Everest, who headed the topographic department.

The complex geological structure of the continent has led to a significant diversity of its minerals. The vast territory of Eurasia contains all types of minerals that exist in nature. However, they are located unevenly. Their occurrence shows the same pattern as on other continents - a connection with the relief and the conditions of its formation. Thus, deposits of various ores associated with igneous rocks are therefore located in places where they reach the earth’s surface (on shields). The ores of various metals are rich and mountainous.

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”.