The North Caucasus is a huge territory that starts from the Lower Don. It occupies part of the Russian platform and ends with the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range. Minerals, mineral waters, developed agriculture - the North Caucasus is beautiful and diverse. Thanks to the seas and expressive landscape, nature is unique. The abundance of light, heat, the alternation of arid and humid areas provides a variety of flora and fauna.
Landscape of the North Caucasus
On the territory of the North Caucasus are the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, the Rostov Region and Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia and Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia. Majestic mountains, boundless steppes, semi-deserts, forests make this region so interesting for tourism.
The whole system of mountain ranges is the North Caucasus. Nature it varies with altitude. The landscape of the territory is divided into 3 zones:
- Mountain.
- Piedmont.
- Steppe (plain).
The northern borders of the region extend between the Kuban and Terek rivers. There is a steppe zone. To the south begins the foothill region, which ends with multiple ridges.
The climate is affected by the abundance of mountains and the proximity of the seas - the Black, Azov, and Caspian. The thermal waters that can be found in the North Caucasus contain bromine, radium, iodine, and potassium.
Mountains of the North Caucasus
From the icy northern regions to the hot southern regions, the nature of Russia stretches . Caucasus - the highest mountains of the country. They formed during the alpine folding.
The system of the Caucasus Mountains is considered a young mountain structure, just like the Apennines, Carpathians, Alps, Pyrenees, Himalayas. Alpine folding is the last era of tectogenesis. It led to numerous mountain structures. It is named after the Alps, where the process took on the most typical manifestation.
The territory of the North Caucasus is represented by the mountains Elbrus, Kazbek, the Rocky and Pasture Range, the Cross Pass. And this is only the small, most famous part of the slopes and hills.
The highest peaks of the North Caucasus are Kazbek, whose highest point is at around 5033 m. And the extinct volcano Elbrus - 5642 m.
Due to the difficult geological development, the territory and nature of the mountains of the Caucasus so rich in gas and oil fields. There is the extraction of minerals - mercury, copper, tungsten, polymetallic ores.
Features of the nature of the North Caucasus
The accumulation of mineral springs, different in their chemical composition and temperature, can be found in this territory. The extraordinary usefulness of the waters led to the question of creating resort areas. Essentuki, Mineralnye Vody, Zheleznovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk are widely known for their sources and sanatoriums.
The nature of the North Caucasus is divided into humid and arid areas. The main source of rainfall is the Atlantic Ocean. That is why the foothill areas of the western part are quite moist. While the eastern region is subject to black (dusty) storms, dry winds, drought.
Features of the nature of the North Caucasus consist in a variety of air masses. In all seasons, a cold dry stream of the Arctic, wet - of the Atlantic, tropical - of the Mediterranean can penetrate the territory. Air masses, replacing each other, carry a variety of weather conditions.
On the territory of the North Caucasus there is also a local wind - foehn. Cold mountain air, falling down, gradually heats up. A hot stream reaches the earth. This forms a wind dryer.
Often, cold air masses penetrate the Caucasian ridge and bend around it from the east and west. Then a cyclone reigns in the territory, destructive for the heat-loving flora.
Climate
The North Caucasus is located at the very border of the temperate and subtropical zones. This gives the climate softness and warmth. A short winter, which lasts about two months, a long summer - up to 5.5 months. The abundance of sunlight in this area is due to the same distance from the equator and the pole. Therefore, the nature of the Caucasus is different riot and brightness of colors.
There is a lot of rainfall in the mountains. This is due to the fact that the air masses, lingering on the slopes and rising upwards, are cooled, give off moisture. Therefore, the climate of the mountainous regions differs from the foothills and plains. During the winter, a layer of snow accumulates up to 5 cm. On the northern slopes, the border of eternal ice begins.
At an altitude of 4000 m, even in the hottest summer, there are practically no positive temperatures. In winter, avalanches can occur due to any harsh sound or unsuccessful movement.
Mountain rivers, stormy and cold, originate during the melting of snows and glaciers. Therefore, floods are so intense in the spring and almost dry in the fall, when the temperature is low. Snowmelt ceases in winter, and stormy mountain streams become shallow.
The two largest rivers of the North Caucasus - the Terek and the Kuban - give the territory numerous tributaries. Thanks to them, fertile black soil is rich in crops.
Orchards, vineyards, tea plantations, berry plants smoothly pass into the arid zone. These are the features of the nature of the Caucasus. The cold of the mountains gives way to the warmth of the plains and foothills, chernozem passes into chestnut soils.
Mineral water
You should be aware that the features of the North Caucasus are a whole complex of factors. These include the distance from the seas, oceans. The nature of the terrain. The distance from the equator and the pole. The direction of the air masses, the abundance of precipitation.
It so happened that the nature of the Caucasus diverse. There are fertile lands and arid areas. Mountain meadows and pine forests. Dry steppes and full rivers. The richness of natural resources, the presence of mineral waters makes this area attractive for industry and tourism.
Description of the nature of the Caucasus Remarkably, more than 70 healing springs can be found on its territory. These are cold, warm, hot mineral waters. They are different in composition, which helps in the prevention and treatment of diseases:
- gastrointestinal tract;
- skin
- circulatory system;
- nervous system.
The most famous hydrogen sulfide waters are in the city of Sochi. Iron sources - in Zheleznovodsk. Hydrogen sulfide, radon - in Pyatigorsk. Carbon dioxide - in Kislovodsk, Essentuki.
Flora
The vegetation cover of the territory is as diverse as the wild nature of Russia. The Caucasus is divided into mountain, foothill, lowland zones. Depending on this, the vegetation cover of the region also changes. It is caused by climatic conditions, soil, precipitation.
Mountain meadows - lush alpine, grasslands. Rhododendron thickets give colorfulness to herbs. There you can find juniper, creeping shrub, which are adapted to the snowy lifestyle. Broad-leaved forests, where oak, beech, chestnut, and hornbeam grow, are hurrying to replace them.
Meadow-bog vegetation alternates with arid semi-arid areas. They are filled with artificial plantations - poppies, irises, tulips, groves of white acacia and oak.
Aronia is represented by extensive berry fields, vineyards. The nature of the Caucasus favorable for fruit trees, shrubs - pears, cherry plum, hawthorn, thorns, dogwood.
Fauna
The steppes are inhabited by such animals as gopher, jerboa, brown hare, steppe ferret, fox, wolf. They are rich in the wild nature of Russia. The Caucasus, its semi-desert regions, are favorable for an eared hedgehog, gerbil comb and midday, earthen bunny and fox-corsacus. Saigas (steppe antelopes) are found. Roe deer, brown bear, and bison live in the forests.
The nature of the Caucasus is characterized by a large number of reptiles. A humid and warm climate is an excellent condition for their survival, reproduction. This is a steppe viper and a boa constrictor, snake and lizards.
In the reed thickets you can find a wild boar, reed cat, jackals. There are water birds, as well as an eagle, a kite, kestrel, lark, bustard, harrier, crane.
Minerals
The nature of the Caucasus is rich in large deposits of oil and gas. Deposits of coal and brown coal, copper and manganese ores, asbestos, rock salt are of industrial importance.
Soil studies have shown that all the metals necessary for the national economy can be found in the North Caucasus. These are the deposits:
- zinc;
- copper;
- chromium;
- aluminum;
- arsenic;
- lead
- gland.
Recently, the development of building stone has gained wide popularity. Strong tuff lava and roofing slate are especially appreciated. For the construction of buildings used local Neogene limestone. The North Caucasus is famous for its deposits of granite, marble, basalt. Gold and silver deposits have been identified.
Conclusion
The main features of the nature of the North Caucasus are its diversity. The combination of glacial mountains with aronia lowlands, alpine meadows with semi-deserts. Heavy rainfall in the western territory passes into the dry winds of the eastern regions.
Cyclones, warm and cold air fronts form a feature of the North Caucasus. Streams from the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea carry humidity. Dry air masses from Central Asia and Iran are surrounded by a hot wind.
Clean, clear air saturated with ultraviolet light gives longevity to its multinational inhabitants. Warm, short winters, a high level of the agricultural sector attracts travelers. Healing springs, deposits of natural resources make this area attractive for the healthcare system and industry.
Multilevel landscape, numerous rivers - the natural beauty of the region is striking in its splendor. Historical and cultural attractions give an energy impulse to this fertile territory.