What belongs to the mainland Eurasia. The largest river. Geological characteristics of the continent

Territory size and geographic location

This is the largest continent of the Earth. It is almost 7 times larger than Australia, 2 times larger than Africa, and more than Antarctica, North and South America combined. Eurasia is 1/3 of the planet's land mass - about 53.4 million km2.

The continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere and stretches from north to south for 8 thousand km through all belts - from the Arctic to the equatorial. Its length along the parallel is 16 thousand km. This is more than a hemisphere (almost 200 °): the mainland occupies the entire Eastern Hemisphere, and its extreme western and eastern points are in the Western.

The sheer size of Eurasia determine the diversity and uniqueness of its nature. No other continent has so many natural complexes changing from north to south and with distance from the coast.

The outline of the shores of Eurasia

The mainland massif is so large that it separates all the oceans of the Earth. Its shores are washed by the waters of all four oceans of the planet. The coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, washing the western coast, is heavily indented by peninsulas and bays. There are many islands and seas near the mainland. The seas, which go deep into the land, separate parts of the world (Europe and Asia) and continents (Eurasia and Africa).

TO northern edge of Eurasia adjacent to the wide shelf of the Arctic Ocean. Its coastline is smoother.
It is dissected into peninsulas by narrow bays and the White Sea. The Norwegian, Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian marginal seas separate large islands and archipelagos from the mainland.

Pacific coastline weakly dissected. The marginal seas are cut into the eastern coast of the mainland in wide contours. They are separated from the ocean by arcs and chains of volcanic islands and peninsulas. The southern coast of Eurasia, washed by the Indian Ocean, stretches in a broken line: large peninsulas protrude into the ocean - Arabian (the largest on the planet), Hindustan and Malacca. There are only two seas near the southern edge of the mainland - Red and Arabian.

The configuration of the coastline determines the possibilities and degree of participation of oceanic air in the formation of the continental climate.

On nature of Eurasia influenced by the surrounding continents. Eurasia has two close neighbors. In the southwest - Africa, separated by the Suez Canal, and in the east - North America, separated by the Bering Strait. The "bridge" with a length of more than 3 thousand km - the greatest island region of the planet - the Big and Small Sunda Islands (Malay Archipelago), the Philippine Islands - connects Eurasia with Australia. The farthest, separated from Eurasia by oceans, are South America and Antarctica.

Composition of the territory of Eurasia

Mainland Eurasia includes two parts of the world - Europe and Asia... The border between them is conditional. It is carried out along the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains, downstream of the Ural River to the Caspian Sea, along the northern foot of the Caucasus, the Black Sea, the Bosphorus Strait, the Sea of ​​Marmara, and the Dardanelles Strait. The division of Eurasia into two parts of the world has developed historically - as a result of the settlement and development of its territory (by different peoples from different sides). But it also has a natural scientific basis. The continent was formed as a result of the unification of lithospheric blocks that had previously developed in different conditions. After unification for millions of years, it develops as one natural-territorial complex. Therefore the mainland is a unique geographic system: large, complex, but at the same time integral.

Regions of Europe and Asia

The territory of Eurasia is very vast. In this vast territory, not only nature has significant differences, but also the population, as well as its economic activities. In order to better study this diversity, to understand its causes and patterns, regionalization is carried out: as part of a large continent, less extensive territories are distinguished - regions. One region unites countries that have common features of geographic location, as well as similarities in historical and modern socio-economic development. As part of the European part of the continent, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Europe are distinguished. The countries of Eastern Europe that occupy a neighboring position in relation to our Motherland - Belarus - are united into an independent region of the Belarusian borderland. This region also includes Russia - the largest state on the mainland, located in both Eurasian parts of the world. The Asian part of the mainland is subdivided into Central, East, South-East, South and South-West Asia. Borders between regions are drawn along the state borders of their member countries.

Geographical discoveries and exploration of Eurasia. Since ancient times, the territory of Eurasia has been inhabited by different peoples. Each of them spent the development and study of the continent, guided by their goals and needs, gradually expanding the range of territories known to him.

Eurasia is the largest continent, occupying 1/3 of the entire land mass. The area of ​​Eurasia is 53.4 million km2. Extreme points of Eurasia:

North: Cape Chelyuskin (78 ° N, 104 ° E);

South: Cape Piai (1 ° N, 103 ° E);

Western: Cape Roca (39 ° N, 9 ° W);

Eastern: Cape Dezhnev (67 ° N, 169 ° W).

The southern coast of Eurasia is less indented, large geographic objects prevail here: the huge Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal almost as large as it.

The border between Europe and Asia is drawn rather conditionally: it is considered to be a line running from the Arctic Ocean along the Ural Mountains, then along the Ural River, the northern coast of the Caspian Sea, and the Kumo-Manych depression. Further Europe and Asia are divided by the seas: Black and Mediterranean.

On the Mediterranean coast there are large reserves of non-ferrous metal ores, bauxite, in northern Asia (the territory of Russia) there are large reserves of gold and copper-nickel ores. The "tin belt" runs along the coast - a number of tin ore deposits. In the north and on there are deposits of diamonds, other precious stones are mined - emeralds, rubies, turquoise.

Eurasia is rich in rivers and lakes, rivers flow into all four oceans, and there are also large areas of internal flow. Pechora, Yenisei, carry their waters to the Arctic Ocean. The largest of them - the Ob, Yenisei, Lena - originate in the mountains and plateaus, they are quite full-flowing, as they feed on the melting of glaciers and precipitation, in addition, all the rivers of the Arctic Ocean have a spring flood, since in these the regions have rather snowy winters - melting, the snow feeds the rivers. These rivers have a huge number of large and small tributaries, the West Siberian Plain, which is located between the Ob and, is very swampy

Rivers of the Pacific Ocean Basin,. They originate in mountainous areas, but mostly flow along the plain, because of this the rivers are quite full-flowing. The Yellow River and the Yangtze overflow heavily, forming sediments The Yellow River is not in vain called the "yellow river" - its waters carry a huge amount of sand and small particles of soil. This is especially noticeable at the place where it flows into the sea - the Yellow River water is noticeably different in color from the sea.

The largest rivers of the Indian Ocean are Indus, Ganges, Tigris,. These rivers flow through an area with quite hot, and if the Indus and Ganges valleys are highly humid thanks to the Himalayas, then the Tigris and Euphrates flow through arid areas. Due to the fact that the sources of these rivers are located on heights, they are the main reason for soil fertility, a lot of water is used for irrigation.

Other large lakes: and, are connected by natural and artificial channels with each other, as well as on the one hand and on the other. Thus, they are an important element of the transport route from Europe to the Arctic Ocean.

The sheer size of the continent affects its climatic conditions. Due to the large extent from north to south, Eurasia is located in all, the difference in climate in the northern and southern regions of the continent is very large. Due to the huge extent from west to east, the influence of the ocean is weakened, a sharply continental type of climate is formed, therefore, not only sublatitudinal, but also submeridional climate change is characteristic of Eurasia.

Another specificity of the climate of Eurasia is that the mountains in the south and east of the country block the way from the Pacific and, especially, from the warm Indian Ocean. On the contrary, the air masses that form over the Atlantic and have a significant impact on the climate of the continent. Warm winds blow from the Atlantic Ocean, thanks to which it is quite soft. But from the Arctic Ocean to the north and the center of the continent, cold winds penetrate almost unhindered.

All this leads to an uneven distribution of temperature on the mainland during the winter months. The isotherms of January do not pass sublatitudinal, but practically repeat the outlines of the coastline, especially in the west, gradually smoothing out to the east. In the north of the Asian part of the continent, there is a cold pole of the northern hemisphere: Oymyakon, -71 ° С.

Precipitation is also very unevenly distributed. The central part of the continent, remote from all oceans, is quite arid, deserts are formed here, including the largest desert of Eurasia - the Gobi. Little precipitation also falls in the north of the Asian part. The coasts of the Atlantic, Pacific and, with rare exceptions (the Arabian Peninsula), are fairly well moistened. As we move inland, the average annual precipitation decreases sharply in the south (mountains block the path of humid air) and gradually in the east and west.

The northern coast of Eurasia is located within the arctic climatic zone. These territories are located beyond the Arctic Circle, in winter the polar night reigns here - the sun does not rise over the horizon. Accordingly, the territories of the Arctic belt receive very little solar energy. During the summer months, the day becomes quite long, but most of the energy is reflected from the surface of the earth, covered with snow. Therefore, the average temperatures in the summer months are also low. Little precipitation falls here, since the cold air cannot be humid, and moist sea masses are not formed over the Arctic Ocean.

To the south, a strip of the subarctic climatic zone stretches, rather narrow in the west of the mainland and expanding to the east. This territory is characterized by large temperature differences in summer and winter, and also sharp changes in weather are possible under the influence of cold air from the ocean. In the western part, the climate is mitigated by the influence of the warmer Atlantic Ocean.

The temperate climatic zone runs in a wide strip. It starts north of 40 ° north latitude, in the western part of the mainland it reaches the Arctic Circle.

The coast of Europe is in a maritime temperate climate with mild winters, temperatures rarely drop below zero, and warm summers. There is a lot of precipitation on the coast (up to 1000 mm), the weather is very changeable.

The European part of Eurasia is located in the temperate continental climate zone. From the west, moist air masses come from the Atlantic Ocean, which soften the climate, thanks to them the average amount of precipitation falls here (500-600 mm). Nevertheless, the temperature difference between winter and summer is quite high.

The central part of Eurasia is occupied by a sharply continental temperate climate. It is characterized by sharp temperature changes, not only seasonal, but also during the day. Winters are very cold and dry, with little precipitation in summer (200 mm).

The east coast is influenced by a temperate monsoon climate. In winter, it is cold and clear here, without thaws, little precipitation. In summer, on the contrary, it is very humid and rather cool, the sky is often overcast.

South of Europe, the Middle East, the Pamirs and the south of China are located in the subtropical climate zone. In the west, the climate is softened by the proximity of the seas, here a Mediterranean type of climate is formed: summers are hot and dry, winters are quite warm and humid. Moving eastward, inland, a zone of continental subtropical climate begins with hot summers, warm winters and very little precipitation (100-150 mm). The Pacific coast is dominated by a monsoon subtropical climate: winters are warm and dry, summers are hot and humid.

The tropical climate is typical for the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf coast. It is dry, very hot in summer and rather cool (up to 0 ° C) in winter. Deserts are formed in this zone.

The subequatorial climate is characteristic of the Indian subcontinent and the south: it is warm here both in summer and in winter. Winters and springs are dry; in summer, a wet monsoon prevails, bringing abundant continuous downpours from the Indian Ocean.

The equatorial type of climate is observed mainly on the islands located along the equator. There are no serious temperature fluctuations, it is always warm and there is a lot of precipitation.

All natural zones exist in Eurasia, the boundaries between them are very clear.

The zone of arctic deserts and semi-deserts occupies the islands of the Arctic Ocean. Most of the territory is covered with ice, the soil freezes many meters deep. It is home to marine animals - seals, seals and numerous sea birds.

To the south, there is a zone of tundra and forest-tundra. Mosses and lichens, dwarf trees grow here. Birches and alder appear in the southern part of the forest-tundra. The fauna is very limited: there are lemmings, reindeer, polar foxes.

In the temperate climate zone, a large forest belt is formed, consisting of two natural zones: mixed and deciduous forests. Taiga occupies almost the entire Scandinavian and northern parts of the East European and West Siberian plains, as well as the Central Siberian plateau. Taiga is a dense, sometimes swampy coniferous forest, mainly fir, cedar grow, podzolic soils are formed. The animals are inhabited by martens, chipmunks, hares, moose, brown bears. There are many birds, both insectivorous and carnivorous. The zone of mixed and deciduous forests is formed mainly in the European part of the continent. Pines, spruces, oaks, chestnut and brown forest soils grow here. This natural zone is very densely populated by humans, there is little natural fauna left, mostly small ones - squirrels, chipmunks, hares.

Forests in the south gradually turn into forest-steppe, and then into steppe. Many rodents live in these zones: marmots, ground squirrels, mice, a variety of herbs grow. In the steppe zone, the most fertile soil is formed - black soil, therefore cereals are grown in abundance here.

Deserts and semi-deserts are located in the center of the mainland. There is very little rainfall in this zone, and the winters are quite cold. The fauna is practically absent, wormwood and saxaul prevail among the plants.

A zone of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs has been formed on the Mediterranean coast. Palm trees, thermophilic conifers, oil trees, citrus trees grow.

On the opposite, eastern, side of the mainland, there is a zone of variable humid (monsoon) forests. Here grow beech, oak, magnolias, bamboo - plants that tolerate dry, cool winters well and begin to grow actively in the warm season. There are many fairly large animals: monkeys, leopards, the Himalayan bear, in the forests of India - antelopes, crocodiles, tigers, jackals. There are a lot of snakes - about 200 species.

The savannah zone has formed on the Indian subcontinent. Many herbs grow here, as well as drought-resistant trees: bamboo, acacia. There are also many large animals here: elephants, buffaloes.

The zone of humid equatorial forests is formed on the southern islands of Eurasia. A variety of palms, ficuses, and lianas grow here. The fauna is diverse: there are many large and small monkeys, there are wild boars, buffaloes, rhinos, crocodiles, lizards and snakes.

In Eurasia, there are many areas of altitudinal zonality, where natural zones change with height.

EURASIA, the largest continent of the Earth, in the Northern Hemisphere (some of the islands are in the Southern Hemisphere). The area is 53.6 million km 2 (over 1/3 of the land area of ​​the Earth), including 2.75 million km 2 - the area of ​​the islands. Population 4.57 billion (2006). Extreme continental points: western - Cape Roca (9 ° 34 'west longitude) on the Iberian Peninsula; eastern - Cape Dezhnev (169 ° 40 'West longitude) on the Chukchi Peninsula; northern - Cape Chelyuskin (77 ° 43 'east longitude) on the Taimyr Peninsula; southern - Cape Piai (1 ° 16 'north latitude) on the Malacca Peninsula. The length from north to south is up to 8 thousand km, from west to east - up to 16 thousand km. It is washed by the Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific and Indian oceans and their marginal seas. Eurasia includes the Big and Small Sunda, Japanese, Philippine Islands, the Spitsbergen archipelagos, Novaya Zemlya, etc. The average height is 800 m, the maximum is 8848 m (Mount Chomolungma, the highest point of the Earth). About 2/3 of the territory is characterized by mountainous relief, the predominance of high and extended mountain systems (Himalayas, Karakorum, Hindu Kush, Kunlun, Tien Shan, Greater Caucasus, Alps, Altai, etc.), vast highlands (Pamir, Tibetan plateau, Western Asia highlands) and plateaus (Deccan, Central Siberian plateau). The largest plains: East European Plain, West Siberian Plain, Turan Lowland, Great China Plain, etc. The climate varies from arctic in the north to equatorial in the south. In the northeast of Eurasia, there is the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere (the absolute minimum temperature is -68 ° С, Oymyakon). There are significant contrasts of humidification: the average annual precipitation ranges from 150 mm in the deserts of Central Asia to 13,000 mm and more in the northeastern part of India, where the absolute maximum precipitation on Earth is recorded (Cherrapunji, 22,900 mm). The annual runoff from the territory of Eurasia is over 16 thousand km 3 (about 1/2 of the Earth's annual runoff). The main rivers (over 4000 km long): Yangtze (the largest in Eurasia in length), Ob (the largest in terms of basin area), Yenisei (the deepest in Eurasia), Yellow River, Mekong, Amur, Lena. Over 30% of the area of ​​Eurasia belongs to the basin of internal flow. The largest closed lake in the world - the Caspian Sea and the deepest lake in the world - Baikal are located on this continent. The geographical position, the gigantic size of the continent, the variety of climate types determine the great complexity of the landscape structure. All geographic zones and zones of the Northern Hemisphere are represented in Eurasia, the sectoral differentiation of landscapes is most clearly expressed. The remoteness of the inner parts of Eurasia from the oceans and the barrier role of the highest mountain systems along the southern and eastern periphery of the continent have led to the abnormally wide development of temperate deserts on the mainland.

Within Eurasia, two parts of the world are traditionally distinguished - Europe and Asia, the border between which is a conditional border.

Lit .: Isachenko A. G., Shlyapnikov A. A. Landscapes. M., 1989; Vlasova T.V., Arshinova M.A., Kovaleva T.A. Physical geography of continents and oceans. M., 2005.

Which are within it. The generalized name of the continent was first used in the first half of the XIX v. famous geographer Alexander Humboldt.

Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. - M: AST... Pospelov E.M. 2001.

EURASIA

the largest continent, area - 53.44 million km2. It takes up a third of all land. Traditionally divided into parts of the world: Europe and Asia. The border is drawn along the east. the foot of the Urals, r. Embe, sowing. the coast of the Caspian Sea, the Kumo-Manych depression north of the Caucasus, along the Azov, Black and Marmara Seas, the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. Lies in the sowing. hemisphere. The mainland is crossed by the tropic and the arctic circle. Washed by all the oceans. The banks are heavily indented. Geological structure and relief. Unlike other continents, Egypt consists of several platforms connected by foldable mobile belts. The main cores are the European, Siberian, and Chinese platforms. They were joined by the fragments of Gondwana - the Arabian Peninsula and Hindustan. A flat relief is widespread within the platforms, sometimes disturbed by later uplifts (the Aldan Highlands, the ridges of China). Most of the mountain systems are confined to mobile folded belts, the main of which is the Alpine-Himalayan (Alps, Caucasus, Himalayas). Mountain systems of different ages. Along the east. the coast of the continent stretches the second fold belt - the Pacific, where the process of mountain building is not completed. Tectonic movements (volcanism and earthquakes) continue in the folded belts. The movements of the earth's crust occur along faults in ancient fold belts, where rejuvenated mountains are located (Tien Shan, Karakorum, Kun-Lun, Altai). Earthquakes, extinct volcanoes, many thermal and mineral springs are characteristic. The most powerful exogenous factor that shaped the modern relief of Eurasia was the ancient glaciation. In addition, sowing. part of the continent experienced long-term marine transgressions, which led to the emergence of a thick stratum of sedimentary rocks on the ancient platforms. The complex structure of the earth's crust leads to an exceptional variety of minerals. Ore deposits are confined to the outcrops of crystalline foundations, in intermontane troughs, on sea shelves and ancient plains, oil and gas reserves, ancient destroyed mountains are famous for gems (Ural, Deccan), rivers have deposited gold-bearing sands, there are diamond deposits. Climate. All types of climate have formed on the territory of the mainland, in almost every belt there are regions, the originality of which is determined by the position relative to the sea. Arctic and subarctic belt. In 3. - a maritime climate with warm mild winters and cool rainy summers, in the east - a continental climate with very cold winters. Temperate zone. Zap. coast of Europe - maritime climate influenced by the west. winds and warm currents of the Gulf Stream. With distance from the ocean, the amplitude of winter and summer 1 increases; precipitation in summer is greater than in winter. This is an area of ​​moderate continental climate, it is typical for the Center, and Vost. Europe. Beyond the Urals, an area of ​​sharply continental climate is formed with very cold and dry winters and humid hot summers. East. the coast of the mainland has a monsoon climate with warm, humid summers and cold, dry winters. Subtropical belt. All year 1; positive. There are three areas: 3. - Mediterranean (in summer dry tropical air prevails, in winter - sea air of temperate latitudes); In the region of the Near East uplands, the climate is subtropical continental (with very dry and hot summers and relatively cold winters (1; below 0 ° are possible); in the east, there is a monsoon climate with a summer maximum precipitation. The tropical belt is expressed only on the Arabian Peninsula , in Mesopotamia, in the south of the Iranian highlands and in the basin of the lower Indus.Tropical air masses, very dry and hot, dominate throughout the year. and the very south of China.The equivalent belt occupies the peninsula of Malacca and the islands of the Malay archipelago. the largest rivers of Russia: Northern Dvina, Pechora, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Kolyma, etc. The Atlantic basin includes the rivers of Western, Southern and partly Eastern Europe (Seine, Vistula, Odra, Elbe, Rhine, Danube , Dniester). The rivers of the Pacific Ocean begin in the mountains (Amur, Anadyr). The origins of the Yellow River, Yangtze and Mekong are in Tibet. The Indian Ocean basin includes rivers: the Indus, Brahmalutra and Ganges begin in the Himalayas, the Tigris and Euphrates in the Armenian Highlands. In the center, in the regions of Egypt, there are districts of internal flow (Volga, Amu Darya, and Syr Darya). There are many lakes of various origins - the largest Caspian and Aral seas, the deepest Baikal, Ladoga, glacial lakes in northern Europe, picturesque mountain lakes. Natural areas. Stretched out in latitudinal strips, and because of the peculiarities of the relief and climate "sometimes do not have continuous distribution. The largest areas are occupied by the temperate and subtropical belts. Arctic deserts, tundra and forest-tundra are stretched in a narrow strip along the Arctic coast of Europe and Asia, gradually expanding when moving to the east. and have a lot in common with American ones. Lichen and shrub tundras dominate, inhabited by lemmings, arctic foxes, reindeer, and wolves. Waterfowl are abundant in summer. Coniferous forests occupy vast areas. Typical podzolic soils are formed, heat and moisture are sufficient for the growth of woody plants. In Europe, spruce and pine prevail, in Asia - cedar and larch. The zone in Siberia has a greater extent to the south than in Europe. The taiga is characterized by fur-bearing animals (sable, Siberian weasel, ermine, fox). Ungulates are found (elk, red deer, musk deer); predators (bear, wolf, wolverine), birds such as wood grouse, hazel grouse, crossbill, nutcrackers also gravitate towards the taiga. Mixed forests grow on sod-podzolic soils, do not form a continuous strip, they are common only in Europe and Vost. Asia. Broad-leaved forests grow on brown and gray forest soils. In Zap. Europe is dominated by beech trees with hornbeam and elm, to the east they are replaced by oak trees with maples and linden trees. In the herbaceous layer, drip, ferns, lily of the valley, lungwort. In eastern Eurasia, these forests have survived only in the mountains. Here, southern (bamboo, lianas) are added to the usual species, there are many relict forms. The fauna of mixed and deciduous forests is close to taiga (hares, foxes, squirrels, red deer, roe deer, wild boars). Monkeys and a tiger are added to the east. In the center, areas of the mainland, forests to the south are replaced by forest-steppe and steppe with a predominance of herbaceous vegetation on chernozem soils. In the European steppes, almost no natural fauna has been preserved, since they are plowed up everywhere. Only gophers, marmots, birds of prey have survived. In the east. parts of the mainland real steppes give way to dry steppes (Gobi) with sparse vegetation on chestnut soils. To the Center, and Wed. There are semi-deserts and deserts in Asia. The soils are brown and gray-brown. in some places highly saline. Animals are represented by rodents (jerboas, gerbils), reptiles (lizards, snakes - efa, gyurza, cobra, arrow, turtles, monitor lizards). All are characterized by a period of winter dormancy; in summer, activity is predominantly night and twilight. In some places, kulans, gazelles, saigas have been preserved. There are also predators - caracal, wolf, fox, jackal. The tropical deserts of Mesopotamia and Arabia are similar to the African ones and share common plant and animal species. In the subtropical zone, which does not have continuous distribution, there are zones of subtropical forests. The European Mediterranean forests are peculiar, which gave the name to the type of vegetation. Fertile brown soils are common, and the plants have a fluffy or waxy coating to protect them from the summer heat. Natural vegetation (oaks, myrtle, strawberry tree, wild olive, laurel) has been preserved in small areas, since these districts have long been developed. There are few wild animals, most of them live only in protected areas (wild goats and rams, reptiles, birds of prey, rodents). In the east of the mainland there is a monsoon climate with a summer maximum precipitation; very rich tropical-type forests have survived on red and yellow soils with magnolias, camphor laurel, camellias, and bamboo. Deciduous and coniferous trees are mixed with them: oak, hornbeam, cypresses, pines, many lianas. Wild animals have survived in the mountains (black Himalayan bear, bamboo panda bear, macaque monkeys, leopards; from birds - pheasants, parrots). Wet eq. forests occupy the islands and the Yuzh peninsula. and South-East. Asia. Some endemic animal species (orangutans, some reptiles) live here, palms and bamboos are especially diverse. Huge areas of the mainland are occupied by areas of high-altitude zonation, confined to the highest mountain systems. In the conditions of high mountains, a peculiar climate is formed with large amplitudes of t, which leads to the formation of high mountain deserts with undersized pillow-like plants, burrowing animals. Yaks live in Tibet, there are several types of antelopes, mountain rams, special types of martens, foxes, bears, rodents are common. In foreign Egypt, seven large natural complexes are distinguished - North, Wed, South. Europe; South Hall. " Center., East. and Yuzh. Asia. Population. The most ancient civilizations of the earth developed in Egypt. 3.5 billion people live on the mainland, the population density in some places reaches 700-1000 people / km2, but there are also deserted districts. The population is diverse in racial composition. There are more than 60 states on the continent with different systems of organization and level of development.

Concise Geographical Dictionary... EdwART. 2008.

Eurasia

the largest continent of the Earth, historically divided into two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, not having a pronounced nature among themselves. borders. The name of the continent was proposed in the 19th century. A. Humboldt. Washed in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, in the north - by the North. Arctic, in the east - the Pacific, in the south - the Indian Ocean. It stretches 16,000 km from west to east, and 8,000 km from north to south. Area approx. 53.4 million km², which is more than 1/3 of the entire land.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

Eurasia

the largest continent of the Earth; comprises Europe and Asia that do not have a pronounced natural border among themselves. The division has arisen historically; the generalized name of the continent was first used in the 1st floor. 19th century the famous German geographer Alexander Humboldt. Washed in the west by the Atlantic Ocean, in the north - by the North. Arctic, in the east - the Pacific, in the south - the Indian oceans and their marginal seas. It extends 16,000 km from west to east, and 8,000 km from north to south. Pl. OK. 53.4 million km², which is St. 1 / 3 land surface; pl. islands approx. 2.75 million km². Eurasia is based on ancient platforms: East European with the Baltic and Ukrainian crystalline shields, Sino-Korean, South China, Indian. East and south. the outskirts of the mainland are two mobile geosynclinal belts: East Asian and Alpine-Himalayan. For many districts Wed, Center, East. Asia and the Malay Archipelago are characterized by high seismicity. In Iceland, the Mediterranean, Kamchatka, Vost. and South-East. Asia has many active volcanoes.
2 / 3 of its area. Main mountain systems: Himalayas, Scandinavian mountains, Alps, Caucasus, Hindu Kush, Karakorum, Pamir-Alai, Tien Shan, Kunlun, Ural, Altai, South mountains. and North-East. Siberia; highlands: Western Asia, Tibet, Sayano-Tuva; plateaus: Deccan, Central Siberian. The most significant lowlands: East European (Russian), West Siberian, Turanian, Great Chinese, Indo-Gangetic. On the islands of the Arctic, Iceland and in the highlands of many mountain systems - extensive modern glaciation of the total area. 228.8 thousand km².
The climate varies widely - from arctic in the north to equatorial in the south. In the marginal regions the oceanic climate prevails (in the south and east the monsoon), in the inner regions - continental and sharply continental. On S.-V. mainland (in the region of Verkhoyansk and Oymyakon) - North Pole of cold. hemispheres; The Arabian Peninsula is one of the hottest places on Earth. The contrasts of humidification are enormous: to the center. part of the mainland is a vast area of ​​deserts, where less than 200 mm of precipitation falls per year, and in the East. India (the place of Cherrapunji) has the largest amount of precipitation on Earth - up to 12 thousand mm. Main rivers: Yangtze, Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur, Yellow River, Mekong, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus, Tigris, Euphrates, Volga, Danube. In Eurasia - the most extensive area of ​​internal flow on the globe, to which the bass belongs. Caspian and Aral seas, lakes Balkhash and Lop Nor. The deepest lake in the world is located here. Baikal.
In Eurasia, all geographical zones of the North are represented. hemisphere. In the arctic zone there is a zone of arctic deserts, in the subarctic - zones of tundra and forest-tundra, in the temperate and in the tropics, huge areas are occupied by forests, in the South-West. and Center. Asia - deserts and semi-deserts. In the high mountains, the altitudinal zonation is well expressed. More than half of Eurasia (its northern part) belongs to the Holarctic in floristic and faunistic terms; South Eurasia is occupied by the flora of the Paleotropic region and the fauna of the Indo-Malay region. Map on pages 176-177.

Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M .: Rosman. Edited by prof. A.P. Gorkina. 2006 .

Eurasia

the name of the continent, which includes two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. This is the largest continent of the Earth. Its area is 53 893 thousand square meters. km.

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

Synonyms:

Eurasia is the largest continent on Earth, with an area of ​​53.893 million km², which is 36% of the land area. The population is 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 the whole of Eurasia. Carl Gustav Reuschle used the term "Doppelerdtheil Asien-Europa" in his Handbuch der Geographie in 1858. The term "Eurasia" was first used by the geologist Eduard Suess in the 1880s.

Geographical position of the mainland

The continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere between approximately 9 ° W. d. and 169 ° W while part 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 Kumo-Manych depression, the Manych River, the eastern coast of the Black Sea, the southern coast of the Black Sea, the strait The Bosphorus, the Sea of ​​Marmara, the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, the 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 the land, currently formed by 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 NS. - the extreme northern mainland point.
• Cape Piai (Malaysia) 1 ° 16 ′ N NS. - the extreme southern mainland point.
• Cape Roca (Portugal), 9º31 ′ W d. is the westernmost mainland point.
• Cape Dezhnev (Russia), 169 ° 42 ′ W d. is the extreme eastern mainland point.

Island points

• Cape Fligeli (Russia), 81 ° 52 ′ N NS. - the northernmost island point (However, according to the topographic map of Rudolf Island, the coastline 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. (G) (O)).
• South Island (Cocos Islands) 12 ° 4 ′ S NS. - extreme southern island point.
• Rock of Monchique (Azores) 31º16 ′ W d. is the westernmost island point.
• Ratmanov Island (Russia) 169 ° 0 ′ W d. is the easternmost island point.

Largest peninsulas

• Arabian Peninsula
• Peninsula Asia Minor
• Balkan Peninsula
• Apennine peninsula
• The Iberian Peninsula
• Scandinavian peninsula
• Taimyr Peninsula
• Chukotka Peninsula
• Peninsula Kamchatka
• 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 the hills of ancient platforms that 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, and the West Siberian plate. The eastern part of the mainland includes two platforms (Sino-Korean and South China), some plates and areas of Mesozoic and Alpine folding. The southeastern part of the continent is an area of ​​Mesozoic and Cenozoic folding. The southern regions of the mainland are represented by the Indian and Arabian platforms, the Iranian plate, as well as areas of the Alpine and Mesozoic folding, which also prevail in southern Europe. The territory of western Europe includes zones of predominantly Hercynian folding and plates of the Paleozoic platforms. The central regions of the continent include zones of Paleozoic folding and plates of the Paleozoic platform.

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

History

The formation period of the mainland covers a huge period of time and continues today. The beginning of the formation of the ancient platforms that make up the continent of Eurasia took place 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, the processes of closing the oceans separating the land massifs 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 Pangea supercontinent by the beginning of the Mesozoic era.

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

In the Carboniferous period, a new tectonic cycle began. Intense traffic led to the formation of mountainous areas connecting Siberia and Europe. Similar mountainous regions have also formed on the territory of the southern regions of modern Eurasia. Before the beginning of the Triassic period, all the ancient platforms grouped together 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 present-day western Europe and in the regions of central Asia. In the Permian period, new large mountain-forming 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 large folds. At this time, the process of destruction of old mountains and the formation of powerful sedimentary deposits took place. In the Triassic period, geological activity was weak, but in this period, the Tethys Ocean gradually opened in the east of Pangea, later in the Jurassic dividing Pangea into two parts Laurasia and Gondwana. In the Jurassic period, the process of orogenesis begins, the peak of which, however, fell on the Cenozoic era.

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

At the beginning of the Cenozoic era, northern Eurasia represented a huge land mass, which formed ancient platforms, interconnected by areas of the Baikal, Hercynian and Caledonian folds. In the east and southeast, this massif was joined by 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 propped up 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 present shape.

Physical characteristics of the mainland

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 Highlands. 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 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 and others form the largest mountainous region on Earth.

The modern relief of the continent is due to intense tectonic movements during the Neogene and Anthropogenic periods. The East Asian and Alpine-Himalayan geosynclinal belts are characterized by the greatest mobility. Powerful neotectonic movements are also characteristic of a wide band of structures of different ages from Gissar-Alai to Chukotka. High seismicity is inherent in many areas of Central, Central and East Asia, the Malay Archipelago. Active volcanoes of 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
• Karakorum
• Tien Shan
• Kunlun
• Altai
• Mountains of Southern Siberia
• Mountains of North-East Siberia
• Near Asian highlands
• Pamir-Alai
• Tibetan plateau
• Sayano-Tuva Upland
• Deccan plateau
• Central Siberian plateau
• Carpathians
• Ural mountains

Major plains and lowlands of Eurasia

• the East European Plain
• West Siberian Plain
• Turan lowland
• Great Plain of China
• Indo-Gangetic Plain

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

Geographic records of the mainland

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

Historical and geographical zoning

Eurasia is home to the most ancient civilizations of the Sumerian and Chinese, and the place where almost all the ancient civilizations of the Earth were formed. Eurasia is conditionally 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, Amur Region, Primorye, Manchuria, China, India, Tibet, Uyguria (East Turkestan, now Xinjiang as part of the PRC), Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Persia, Indochina, Arabia and some others. Other, less known areas of Eurasia - Tarkhtaria (Tartaria), Hyperborea are almost forgotten and not recognized today.

The climate of the mainland Eurasia

All climatic zones and climatic zones are represented in Eurasia. In the north, the polar and subpolar climatic zones prevail, then a wide strip of Eurasia crosses the temperate belt, followed by the subtropical belt. The tropical belt in Eurasia is interrupted, stretching across the continent from the Mediterranean and Red Seas to India. The subequatorial belt protrudes northward, covering India and Indochina, as well as the extreme south of China, while the equatorial belt mainly covers the islands of southeast Asia. The climatic zones of the maritime climate are located mainly in the west of the continent in Europe, as well as in the islands. Monsoon zones prevail in the eastern and southern regions. With the deepening inland, the continentality of the climate grows, this is especially noticeable in the temperate zone when moving from west to east. Zones of the most continental climate are in Eastern Siberia (see Harsh continental climate).

Nature on the continent

Natural areas

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

The northern islands and high mountains are partially covered with glaciers. The polar desert zone extends mainly along the northern coast and a significant part of the Taimyr Peninsula. Further there is a wide belt of tundra and forest-tundra, which occupy 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 a 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, there are mixed forests. Plots of such forests are also found in the Far East: in Manchuria, Primorye, North China, Korea and the Japanese islands. Deciduous forests predominate mainly in the west of the mainland in Europe. Small areas of these forests are found in eastern Asia (China). In the southeast of Eurasia, there are tracts of humid equatorial forests.

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

In Eurasia, high-altitude zones are widespread.

Fauna, animal world

The large, northern part of Eurasia belongs to the Holarctic zoogeographic region; the smaller, southern, - to the Indo-Malay and Ethiopian regions The Indo-Malay region includes the Indian subcontinent and Indo-China along with the adjoining part of the mainland, the islands of Taiwan, the Philippine and Sunda islands, the South of Arabia, together with most of Africa, is part of the Ethiopian region. Some of the southeastern islands of the Malay Archipelago are attributed by most zoogeographers to the Australian zoogeographic area. 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. The ancient extinct fauna known only in a fossil state, the fauna that disappeared in historical time as a result of human activity, and the modern fauna are of interest for characterizing modern natural conditions.

At the end of the Mesozoic, a diverse fauna was formed on the territory of Eurasia, consisting of monotremes and marsupial mammals, snakes, turtles, etc. With the appearance of placental mammals, especially predators, lower mammals retreated south, to Africa and Australia. They were replaced by proboscis, camels, horses, rhinos, 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 retreat to the south. Proboscis, rhinos, etc. in the north of Eurasia are known only in a fossil state, and now they live only in South and Southeast Asia. Until recently, camels and wild horses were widespread in the inner arid parts of Eurasia.

The cooling of the climate led to the settlement of Eurasia by animals adapted to the harsh climatic conditions (mammoth, tur, etc.). This northern fauna, whose center of formation was in the Bering Sea region and was common with North America, gradually pushed the thermophilic fauna to the south. Many of its representatives became extinct, some survived as part of the modern fauna of the tundra and taiga forests. The drying up of the climate in the interior regions 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 died out in Europe.

In the eastern part of Asia, where climatic conditions did not undergo significant changes during the Cenozoic, many preglacial animals found refuge. In addition, an exchange of animals took place through East Asia between the Holarctic and Indo-Malay regions. Within its limits, such tropical forms as the tiger, Japanese macaque, and others penetrate far to the north.

The distribution of modern wild fauna over the territory of Eurasia reflects both the history of its development and the peculiarities of natural conditions and the results of human activity.

On the northern islands and in the extreme north of the mainland, the composition of the fauna almost does not change from west to east. The fauna of the tundra and taiga forests has minor internal differences. The further to the south, the more and more significant the differences in latitude within the Holarctic. 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 referred to different zoogeographic regions.

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

The most common large mammal in the tundra is the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). It almost never occurs in the wild in Europe; it is the most widespread and valuable pet in the north of Eurasia. Arctic fox, lemming and white hare are typical for the tundra.

Countries of Eurasia

The list below includes not only the states located on the mainland of Eurasia, but also the states located on the islands reckoned to Europe or Asia (for example, Japan).

• Abkhazia
• Austria
• Albania
• Andorra
• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Byelorussia
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Brunei
• Butane
• Vatican
• United Kingdom
• 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
• Moldavia
• 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
• Turkey
• Uzbekistan
• Ukraine
• Philippines
• Finland
• France
• Croatia
• Montenegro
• Czech
• Switzerland
• Sweden
• Sri Lanka
• Estonia
• South Ossetia
• Japan

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