The Russian plain, otherwise the East European - the second longest plain in the world, not much inferior in the territory of the Amazon. From west to east, it extends for more than 2500 kilometers, and from north to south - about 1000. Its western borders border on such states as Ukraine and Belarus, and then its territory stretches all the way to the Urals. The base of the plain is an ancient platform, mainly covered with a cover of sedimentary rocks. Only in two places, in Karelia and on the Kola Peninsula, does this prehistoric platform come to the surface, forming the so-called Baltic Shield.
The climate of the Russian plain is mostly temperate, and only closer to the extreme north it goes into the subarctic. The continental climate line extends east and southeast. Rainfall is year-round, usually associated with westerly winds that blow from the Atlantic. Here they fall more than in other lowland areas of the Russian Federation. The most humidified can be considered the sources of the largest rivers - the Northern Dvina and the Volga. And in the north-west of the plains, such are the areas of Ladoga, Onega, Peipsi, Ilmensky lakes with adjacent shallow reservoirs, most of which are glacial in origin.
If we consider the climate of the Russian plain of the southern outskirts, then there is much less rainfall, dry summers and dry winds are frequent, causing significant damage to the national economy.
Water resources of the Russian plain are replenished due to snow and rainfall, melting of snow and ice, spring floods. Naturally, groundwater also plays an important role in this process. But this does not apply to the southern rivers, which are not so full of water, and their nutrition due to groundwater is limited.
Climatic and relief originality led to a clear division of the entire territory of the plain into natural zones. Moreover, it is here that about 40 percent of all hayfields of the country and 12 percent of pasture lands are located. As for the population, it is on the territory of the East European Plain that almost fifty percent of the inhabitants of the Russian Federation live.
The Russian plain is generously endowed with natural resources. A big plus in their development and use is the dense population of this territory by people.
Types of resources:
As already noted, a large number of large and small rivers flow through the territory of the Russian plain.
The largest waterway is the Volga. It is difficult to overestimate its economic significance, since the river connects various economic regions of the country, irrigates more than two and a half million hectares of land, and is an important shipping center. In terms of fishing, the Volga also plays an important role.
Following the Volga goes Don, also the largest water resource in Russia. Fishing, shipping, and other economic and economic needs, satisfied thanks to the Don, indicate the great importance of this river.
The Russian plain is washed by the White and Black, Baltic and Caspian seas. The production of seafood, oil and gas, sea resorts with recreation facilities, boarding houses and sanatoriums, ports of international and regional significance - all this makes each marine resource in its own way unique and extremely important for the country.
- mineral resources and natural resources of the Russian plain
These include, for example, iron ore: in the Kursk region, in unique deposits, up to 50% of all their reserves in the country are contained. Belgorod region is famous for bauxite with alumina. Phosphorites, potassium and rock salts are supplied to the country by the Moscow and Bryansk regions. These chemicals are actively mined and find the widest range of applications. Deposits of building materials - chalk, quartz sand, kaolin clay, etc., have been found and have been actively developed for many years in the same areas, as well as in Tula and Belgorod.
The Russian plain provides itself and the neighboring regions with energy resources - gas, oil, peat, coal. Their deposits are located in the Middle Volga region, Ivanovo, Kostroma regions.
- animal and plant resources
The territory of the West European Plain has the most favorable conditions for the development of such agricultural sectors as crop production and animal husbandry. Forest wealth in the form of wood and hunting resources is an important source of income in the Russian economy.