Distinctive features of the East European Plain. East European Plain: main characteristics

The article contains information that gives a complete picture of the East European Plain, its topography and mineral resources. Indicates the states that are located in this territory. Allows you to accurately determine the geographical position of the plain and indicates the factors that influenced climatic features.

The East European Plain

The East European Plain is one of the largest territorial units on the planet. Its area exceeds 4 million km. sq.

The following states are located entirely or partially on the flat plane:

• Russian Federation;
• Finland;
• Estonia;
• Latvia;
• Lithuania;
• Republic of Belarus;
• Poland;
• Germany;
• Ukraine;
• Moldova;
• Kazakhstan.

Rice. 1. East European Plain on the map.

The type of geological structure of the platform was formed under the influence of shields and fold belts.

It occupies second position in the ranking of sizes after the Amazonian Plain. The plain is located in the eastern part of Europe. Due to the fact that its main part is localized within the borders of Russia, the East European Plain is also called Russian. The Russian Plain is washed by the waters of the seas:

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• White;
• Barentsev;
• Black;
• Azovsky;
• Caspian.

The geographical position of the East European Plain is such that its length from north to south is more than 2.5 thousand kilometers, and from west to east - 1 thousand kilometers.

The geographical position of the plain determines the influence of the seas of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans on the specific nature of its nature. There is a full range of natural areas here - from tundra to deserts.

The features of the geological structure of the East European Platform are determined by the age of the rocks that make up the territory, among which the ancient Karelian folded crystalline basement is distinguished. Its age is over 1600 million years.

The minimum altitude of the territory is located on the coast of the Caspian Sea and is 26 m below sea level.

The predominant relief in this area is a gently sloping landscape.

Zoning of soils and flora is provincial in nature and is distributed in the direction from west to east.

The majority of Russia's population and the bulk of large settlements are concentrated on the flat territory. Interesting: It was here that the Russian state arose many centuries ago, which became the largest country in the world in terms of its territory.

On the East European Plain there are almost all types of natural zones that are characteristic of Russia.

Rice. 2. Natural areas of the East European Plain on the map.

Minerals of the East European Plain

There is a significant accumulation of Russian mineral resources here.

Natural resources that lie in the depths of the East European Plain:

• iron ore;
• coal;
• Uranus;
• non-ferrous metal ores;
• oil;

Natural monuments are protected areas containing unique objects of living or inanimate nature.

The main monuments of the East European Plain: Lake Seliger, Kivach Waterfall, Kizhi Museum-Reserve.

Rice. 3. Kizhi Museum-Reserve on the map.

A considerable part of the territory is allocated for agricultural land. Russian regions on the plain are actively using its potential and maximizing the exploitation of water and land resources. However, this is not always a good thing. The territory is highly urbanized and significantly altered by humans.

The level of pollution in many rivers and lakes has reached a critical level. This is especially noticeable in the center and south of the plain.

Protective measures are caused by uncontrolled human economic activity, which is today the main source of environmental problems.

The plain almost absolutely corresponds to the boundaries of the East European Platform.

This explains the flat appearance of the relief. Small hill-like formations within the East European Plain arose as a result of faults and other tectonic processes. This suggests that the plain has a tectonic structure.

Glaciation made its contribution to the formation of the flat relief.

The waterways of the plain are fed by snow, which occurs during the spring flood period. The high-water northern rivers flow into the White, Barents, and Baltic seas, and occupy 37.5% of the entire area of ​​the plain. Inland water flow is determined by the seasonal nature of distribution, which occurs relatively evenly. During the summer season, rivers do not experience sudden shallowing.

What have we learned?

We found out what the total area of ​​the East European Plain is. We found out which areas have the greatest water pollution as a result of human activity. We found out what natural monuments are located on the plain. We got an idea of ​​the zonation of soils.

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1. Geographical location.

2. Geological structure and relief.

3. Climate.

4. Inland waters.

5. Soils, flora and fauna.

6. Natural areas and their anthropogenic changes.

Geographical position

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

Geological structure and relief

The East European Plain has a typical platform topography, which is predetermined by platform tectonics. At its base lies the Russian plate with a Precambrian foundation and in the south the northern edge of the Scythian plate with a Paleozoic foundation. At the same time, the boundary between the plates is not expressed in the relief. On the uneven surface of the Precambrian basement lie strata of Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks. Their power is not the same and is due to the unevenness of the foundation. These include syneclises (areas of deep foundation) - Moscow, Pechersk, Caspian and anticlises (protrusions of the foundation) - Voronezh, Volga-Ural, as well as aulacogens (deep tectonic ditches, in place of which syneclises arose) and the Baikal ledge - Timan. In general, the plain consists of hills with heights of 200-300m and lowlands. The average height of the Russian Plain is 170 m, and the highest, almost 480 m, is on the Bugulma-Belebeevskaya Upland in the Ural part. In the north of the plain there are the Northern Uvals, the Valdai and Smolensk-Moscow stratal uplands, and the Timan Ridge (Baikal folding). In the center are the elevations: Central Russian, Privolzhskaya (stratal-tiered, stepped), Bugulminsko-Belebeevskaya, General Syrt and lowlands: Oksko-Donskaya and Zavolzhskaya (stratal). In the south lies the accumulative Caspian Lowland. The formation of the plain's topography was also influenced by glaciation. There are three glaciations: Oka, Dnieper with the Moscow stage, Valdai. Glaciers and fluvioglacial waters created moraine landforms and outwash plains. In the periglacial (pre-glacial) zone, cryogenic forms were formed (due to permafrost processes). The southern border of the maximum Dnieper glaciation crossed the Central Russian Upland in the Tula region, then descended along the Don valley to the mouth of the Khopra and Medveditsa rivers, crossed the Volga Upland, the Volga near the mouth of the Sura, then the upper reaches of the Vyatka and Kama and the Ural in the region of 60°N. Iron ore deposits (IOR) are concentrated in the foundation of the platform. The sedimentary cover is associated with reserves of coal (eastern part of Donbass, Pechersk and Moscow region basins), oil and gas (Ural-Volga and Timan-Pechersk basins), oil shale (northwestern and Middle Volga region), building materials (widespread), bauxite (Kola Peninsula), phosphorite (in a number of areas), salts (Caspian region).

Climate

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

Inland waters

Surface waters are closely related to climate, topography, and geology. The direction of rivers (river flow) is predetermined by orography and geostructures. The flow from the Russian Plain occurs into the basins of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans and into the Caspian basin. The main watershed passes through the Northern Uvals, Valdai, Central Russian and Volga Uplands. The largest is the Volga River (it is the largest in Europe), its length is more than 3530 km, and its basin area is 1360 thousand sq. km. The source lies on the Valdai Hills. After the confluence of the Selizharovka River (from Lake Seliger), the valley widens noticeably. From the mouth of the Oka to Volgograd, the Volga flows with sharply asymmetrical slopes. In the Caspian lowland, the Akhtuba branches are separated from the Volga and a wide strip of floodplain is formed. The Volga Delta begins 170 km from the Caspian coast. The main supply of the Volga is snow, so high water is observed from the beginning of April to the end of May. The height of the water rise is 5-10 m. 9 nature reserves have been created on the territory of the Volga basin. The Don has a length of 1870 km, the basin area is 422 thousand sq. km. The source is from a ravine on the Central Russian Upland. It flows into the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of ​​Azov. The food is mixed: 60% snow, more than 30% groundwater and almost 10% rain. Pechora has a length of 1810 km, begins in the Northern Urals and flows into the Barents Sea. The basin area is 322 thousand km2. The nature of the flow in the upper reaches is mountainous, the channel is rapid. In the middle and low reaches, the river flows through a moraine lowland and forms a wide floodplain, and at the mouth a sandy delta. The diet is mixed: up to 55% comes from melted snow water, 25% from rainwater and 20% from groundwater. The Northern Dvina has a length of about 750 km, formed from the confluence of the Sukhona, Yuga and Vychegda rivers. Flows into the Dvina Bay. The basin area is almost 360 thousand sq. km. The floodplain is wide. At its confluence, the river forms a delta. Mixed food. The lakes on the Russian Plain differ primarily in the origin of the lake basins: 1) moraine lakes are distributed in the north of the plain in areas of glacial accumulation; 2) karst - in the basins of the Northern Dvina and Upper Volga rivers; 3) thermokarst - in the extreme northeast, in the permafrost zone; 4) floodplains (oxbow lakes) - in the floodplains of large and medium-sized rivers; 5) estuary lakes - in the Caspian lowland. Groundwater is distributed throughout the Russian Plain. There are three artesian basins of the first order: Central Russian, East Russian and Caspian. Within their boundaries there are artesian basins of the second order: Moscow, Volga-Kama, Pre-Ural, etc. With depth, the chemical composition of water and the temperature of the water changes. Fresh waters lie at depths of no more than 250 m. Salinity and temperature increase with depth. At a depth of 2-3 km, the water temperature can reach 70˚C.

Soils, flora and fauna

Soils, like vegetation on the Russian Plain, have a zonal distribution. In the north of the plain there are tundra coarse humus gley soils, there are peat-gley soils, etc. To the south, podzolic soils lie under forests. In the northern taiga they are gley-podzolic, in the middle - typical podzolic, and in the southern - soddy-podzolic soils, which are also typical for mixed forests. Gray forest soils form under broad-leaved forests and forest-steppe. In the steppes, the soils are chernozem (podzolized, typical, etc.). In the Caspian lowland, the soils are chestnut and brown desert, there are solonetzes and solonchaks.

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

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

Natural areas

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

The taiga extends south of the forest-tundra, its southern border runs along the line St. Petersburg - Yaroslavl - Nizhny Novgorod - Kazan. In the west and in the center, the taiga merges with mixed forests, and in the east with forest-steppe. The climate of the European taiga is moderate continental. Precipitation on the plains is about 600 mm, on the hills up to 800 mm. Excessive moisture. The growing season lasts from 2 months in the north and almost 4 months in the south of the zone. The depth of soil freezing is from 120 cm in the north to 30-60 cm in the south. The soils are podzolic, in the north of the zone they are peat-gley. There are many rivers, lakes, and swamps in the taiga. The European taiga is characterized by dark coniferous taiga of European and Siberian spruce. To the east fir is added, closer to the Urals cedar and larch. Pine forests form in swamps and sands. In clearings and burnt areas there are birch and aspen, along the river valleys there is alder and willow. Typical animals are elk, reindeer, brown bear, wolverine, wolf, lynx, fox, mountain hare, squirrel, mink, otter, chipmunk. There are many birds: capercaillie, hazel grouse, owls, in swamps and reservoirs ptarmigan, snipe, woodcock, lapwing, geese, ducks, etc. Woodpeckers are common, especially three-toed and black, bullfinch, waxwing, bee-eater, kuksha, tits, crossbills, kinglets and others. Of reptiles and amphibians - viper, lizards, newts, toads. In summer there are many blood-sucking insects. Mixed and, to the south, broad-leaved forests are located in the western part of the plain between the taiga and forest-steppe. The climate is moderate continental, but, unlike the taiga, softer and warmer. Winters are noticeably shorter and summers longer. The soils are soddy-podzolic and gray forest. Many rivers begin here: the Volga, Dnieper, Western Dvina, etc. There are many lakes, swamps and meadows. The boundary between forests is poorly defined. As you move east and north in mixed forests, the role of spruce and even fir increases, and the role of broad-leaved species decreases. There is linden and oak. Towards the southwest, maple, elm, and ash appear, and conifers disappear. Pine forests are found only on poor soils. In these forests there is a well-developed undergrowth (hazel, honeysuckle, euonymus, etc.) and a herbaceous cover of honeysuckle, hoofed grass, chickweed, some grasses, and where conifers grow, there is sorrel, oxalis, ferns, mosses, etc. Due to the economic development of these forests, the fauna has sharply declined. Elk and wild boar are found, red deer and roe deer have become very rare, and bison are found only in nature reserves. The bear and lynx have practically disappeared. Foxes, squirrels, dormouse, polecats, beavers, badgers, hedgehogs, and moles are still common; preserved marten, mink, forest cat, muskrat; muskrat, raccoon dog, and American mink are acclimatized. Reptiles and amphibians include snakes, vipers, lizards, frogs, and toads. There are many birds, both resident and migratory. Woodpeckers, tits, nuthatch, blackbirds, jays, and owls are typical; finches, warblers, flycatchers, warblers, buntings, and waterfowl arrive in the summer. Black grouse, partridges, golden eagles, white-tailed eagle, etc. have become rare. Compared to the taiga, the number of invertebrates in the soil increases significantly. The forest-steppe zone extends south of the forests and reaches the Voronezh-Saratov-Samara line. The climate is temperate continental with an increasing degree of continentality to the east, which affects the more depleted floristic composition in the east of the zone. Winter temperatures vary from -5˚C in the west to -15˚C in the east. The annual amount of precipitation decreases in the same direction. Summer is very warm everywhere +20˚+22˚C. The moisture coefficient in the forest-steppe is about 1. Sometimes, especially in recent years, droughts occur in the summer. The relief of the zone is characterized by erosional dissection, which creates a certain diversity of soil cover. The most typical gray forest soils are on loess-like loams. Leached chernozems are developed along the river terraces. The further south you go, the more leached and podzolized chernozems, and gray forest soils disappear. Little natural vegetation has been preserved. Forests here are found only in small islands, mainly oak forests, where you can find maple, elm, and ash. Pine forests have been preserved on poor soils. Meadow herbs were preserved only on lands that were not suitable for plowing. The fauna consists of forest and steppe fauna, but recently, due to human economic activity, the steppe fauna has become predominant. The steppe zone extends from the southern border of the forest-steppe to the Kuma-Manych depression and the Caspian lowland in the south. The climate is moderate continental, but with a significant degree of continentalism. Summer is hot, average temperatures +22˚+23˚C. Winter temperatures vary from -4˚C in the Azov steppes, to -15˚C in the Volga steppes. Annual precipitation decreases from 500 mm in the west to 400 mm in the east. The humidification coefficient is less than 1, and droughts and hot winds are frequent in summer. The northern steppes are less warm, but more humid than the southern ones. Therefore, the northern steppes have forbs and feather grasses on chernozem soils. The southern steppes are dry on chestnut soils. They are characterized by solonetzity. In the floodplains of large rivers (Don, etc.) floodplain forests of poplar, willow, alder, oak, elm, etc. grow. Among the animals, rodents predominate: gophers, shrews, hamsters, field mice, etc. Predators include ferrets, foxes, and weasels. Birds include larks, steppe eagle, harrier, corncrake, falcons, bustards, etc. There are snakes and lizards. Most of the northern steppes are now plowed. The semi-desert and desert zone within Russia is located in the southwestern part of the Caspian lowland. This zone adjoins the Caspian coast and borders the deserts of Kazakhstan. The climate is continental temperate. Precipitation is about 300 mm. Winter temperatures are negative -5˚-10˚C. The snow cover is thin, but remains for up to 60 days. The soil freezes up to 80 cm. Summer is hot and long, average temperatures are +23˚+25˚C. The Volga flows through the zone, forming a vast delta. There are many lakes, but almost all of them are salty. The soils are light chestnut, in some places desert brown. The humus content does not exceed 1%. Salt marshes and solonetzes are widespread. The vegetation cover is dominated by white and black wormwood, fescue, thin-legged grass, and xerophytic feather grass; to the south the number of saltworts increases, tamarisk bushes appear; In spring, tulips, buttercups, and rhubarb bloom. In the floodplain of the Volga - willow, white poplar, sedge, oak, aspen, etc. The fauna is represented mainly by rodents: jerboas, gophers, gerbils, many reptiles - snakes and lizards. Typical predators are the steppe ferret, corsac fox, and weasel. There are many birds in the Volga delta, especially during migration seasons. All natural zones of the Russian Plain have experienced anthropogenic impacts. The zones of forest-steppes and steppes, as well as mixed and deciduous forests, are especially strongly modified by humans.

In the West - . From the east the plain is bordered by mountains.

At the base of the plain lie large tectonic structures - the Russian and Scythian plates. In most of the territory, their foundation is deeply buried under thick sedimentary strata of different ages, lying horizontally. Therefore, flat terrain predominates on the platforms. In a number of places the foundation of the platform is raised. Large hills are located in these areas. The Dnieper Upland is located within. The Baltic shield corresponds to relatively elevated plains and, as well as low mountains. The raised foundation of the Voronezh anticlise serves as the core. The same rise of the foundation is found at the base of the highlands of the High Trans-Volga region. A special case is the Volga Upland, where the foundation lies at great depth. Here, throughout the Mesozoic and Paleogene, subsidence and accumulation of thick layers of sedimentary rocks occurred. Then, during the Neogene and Quaternary times, this section of the earth’s crust rose, which led to the formation of the Volga Upland.

A number of large hills were formed as a result of repeated Quaternary glaciations and the accumulation of material - morainic loams and sands. These are the Valdai, Smolensk-Moscow, Klinsko-Dmitrovskaya, Northern Uvaly hills.

Between the large hills there are lowlands in which the valleys of large rivers - the Dnieper, Don, etc.

Such high-water but relatively short rivers as the Onega carry their water to the north, and the Neva and Neman to the west.

The headwaters and beds of many rivers are often located close to each other, which in flat conditions facilitates their connection by canals. These are channels named after. Moscow, Volgo-, Volgo-Don, White Sea-Baltic. Thanks to the canals, ships from Moscow can sail along rivers, lakes and to the Black, Baltic and seas. That's why Moscow is called the port of five seas.

In winter, all rivers of the East European Plain freeze. In the spring, when the snow melts, floods occur in most parts. To retain and use spring water, numerous reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations have been built on rivers. The Volga and Dnieper turned into a cascade, used both for generating electricity and for shipping, irrigation, water supply to cities, etc.

A characteristic feature of the East European Plain is a clear manifestation of latitudinal variation. It is expressed more fully and clearly than on other plains of the globe. It is no coincidence that the law of zoning, formulated by the famous Russian scientist, was primarily based on his study of this particular territory.

The flatness of the territory, the abundance of minerals, a relatively mild climate, sufficient precipitation, a variety of natural conditions favorable for various industries - all this contributed to the intensive economic development of the East European Plain. Economically, this is the most important part of Russia. More than 50% of the country's population lives on it and two-thirds of the total number of cities and workers' settlements are located there. The densest network of highways and railways is located on the plain. Most of them - the Volga, Dnieper, Don, Dniester, Western Dvina, Kama - have been regulated and converted into a cascade of reservoirs. Over vast areas, forests have been cut down and landscapes have become a combination of forests and fields. Many forest areas are now secondary forests, where coniferous and broad-leaved species have been replaced by small-leaved trees - birch and aspen. The territory of the East European Plain contains half of the country's entire arable land, about 40% of hayfields, and 12% of pastures. Of all the large parts, the East European Plain is the most developed and changed by human activity.

Geographical location of the East European Plain

The physical and geographical name of the Russian Plain is East European. The plain occupies about $4$ million sq. km. and is the second largest in the world after the Amazonian lowland. Within Russia, the plain stretches from the Baltic Sea coast in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east. In the north, its border begins from the shores of the Barents and White Seas to the shores of the Azov and Caspian Seas in the south. The Russian Plain is bordered in the northwest by the Scandinavian Mountains, in the west and southwest by the mountains of Central Europe and the Carpathians, in the south by the Caucasus Mountains and in the east by the Ural Mountains. Within Crimea, the border of the Russian Plain runs along the northern foot of the Crimean Mountains.

The following characteristics determined the plain to be a physical-geographical country:

1. The location of a slightly elevated plain on the plate of the ancient East European Platform;
2. Moderate and insufficiently humid climate, which is largely formed under the influence of the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean;
3. The flatness of the relief influenced the clearly defined natural zonation.

Within the plain there are two unequal parts:

1. Basement-denudation plain on the Baltic crystalline shield;
2. The East European Plain itself with layered erosion-denudation and accumulative relief on the Russian and Scythian plates.

Relief crystal shield is the result of prolonged continental denudation. Tectonic movements of recent times have already had a direct impact on the relief. In the Quaternary period, the territory occupied by the Baltic crystalline shield was the center of glaciation, so fresh forms of glacial relief are common here.

A thick cover of platform sediments within actually East European Plain, lies almost horizontally. As a result, accumulative and stratal-denudation lowlands and hills were formed. The folded foundation protruding to the surface in some places formed basement-denudation hills and ridges - the Timan Ridge, the Donetsk Ridge, etc.

The East European Plain has an average altitude of about $170$ m above sea level. On the coast of the Caspian Sea, the heights will be the smallest, because the level of the Caspian Sea itself is $27.6$ m below the level of the World Ocean. Elevations rise $300$-$350$ m above sea level, for example, the Podolsk Upland, whose height is $471$ m.

Settlement of the East European Plain

The Eastern Slavs, according to some opinions, were the first to populate Eastern Europe, but this opinion, others believe, is erroneous. In this territory for the first time in the $30$ millennium BC. Cro-Magnons appeared. To some extent, they were similar to modern representatives of the Caucasian race, and over time, their appearance became closer to the characteristic features of a person. These events took place in harsh winter conditions. By the $X$ millennium, the climate in Eastern Europe was no longer so harsh, and the first Indo-Europeans gradually began to appear in South-Eastern Europe. No one can say exactly where they were before this moment, but it is known that they were firmly established in eastern Europe in the $6th millennium BC. e. and occupied a significant part of it.

Note 1

The settlement of Eastern Europe by the Slavs occurred much later than the appearance of ancient people there.

The peak of the settlement of the Slavs in Europe is considered to be $V$-$VI$ centuries. new era and under the pressure of migration in the same period, they are divided into eastern, southern and western.

Southern Slavs settled in the Balkans and nearby areas. The clan community ceases to exist, and the first semblances of states appear.

At the same time, resettlement occurs Western Slavs, which had a northwestern direction from the Vistula to the Elbe. Some of them, according to archaeological data, ended up in the Baltic states. On the territory of modern Czech Republic in the $7th century. the first state appeared.

IN Eastern Europe The settlement of the Slavs took place without major problems. In ancient times they had a primitive communal system, and later a tribal system. Due to the small population, there was enough land for everyone. Within Eastern Europe, the Slavs assimilated with the Finno-Ugric tribes and began to create tribal unions. These were the first state formations. Due to climate warming, agriculture, cattle breeding, hunting and fishing are developing. Nature itself came to meet the Slavs. East Slavs gradually became the largest group of Slavic peoples - Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians. The East European Plain began to be populated by the Slavs in the early Middle Ages, and by the $8th century. they already dominated it. Along the plain, the Eastern Slavs settled in proximity to other peoples, which had both positive and negative features. The colonization of the East European Plain by the Slavs took place over half a millennium and was very uneven. At the initial stage, land development took place along the route, which is called “ from the Varangians to the Greeks" In a later period, the Slavs advanced to the east, west and southwest.

Colonization of the East European Plain by the Slavs had its own characteristics:

1. The process was slow due to the severity of the climate;
2. Different population densities in colonized territories. The reason is the same - natural climatic conditions, soil fertility. Naturally, there were few people in the north of the plain, but in the south of the plain, where conditions were favorable, there were much more settlers;
3. Since there was a lot of land, there were no confrontations with other peoples during settlement;
4. The Slavs imposed tribute on the neighboring tribes;
5. Small nations “merged” with the Slavs, adopting their culture, language, customs, morals, and way of life.

Note 2

In the life of the Slavic people, settling across the territory of the East European Plain, a new stage began, associated with the rapid development of the economy, changes in the system of life and way of life, and the emergence of prerequisites for the formation of statehood.

Modern exploration of the East European Plain

After the settlement and resettlement of the East European Plain by the Eastern Slavs, with the beginning of the development of the economy, the question of its study arose. Outstanding scientists of the country took part in the study of the plain, among whom the name of mineralogist V. M. Severgin can be mentioned.

Studying Baltics in the spring of $1803$ V.M. Severgin drew attention to the fact that to the southwest of Lake Peipus the nature of the area becomes very hilly. To test his thoughts, he walked along the $24$ meridian from the mouth of the Gauja River to the Neman River and reached the Bug River, again noticing many hills and sandy upland fields. Similar “fields” were discovered in the upper reaches of the Ptich and Svisloch rivers. As a result of these works, in the west of the East European Plain, for the first time, the alternation of low-lying spaces and elevated “fields” was noted with the correct indication of their directions - from southwest to northeast.

Detailed Study Polesie was caused by a reduction in meadow spaces due to the plowing of land on the right bank of the Dnieper. For this purpose, in $1873, the Western Expedition to Drain the Swamps was created. The head of this expedition was the military topographer I.I. Zhilinsky. Researchers covered about $100$ thousand sq. km for a $25$ summer period. territory of Polesie, $600$ of height measurements were made, a map of the region was compiled. Based on the collected materials I.I. Zhilinsky’s work was continued by A.A. Tillo. The hypsometric map he created showed that Polesie is a vast plain with raised edges. The results of the expedition were mapped $300$ lakes and $500$ rivers of Polesie with a total length of $9$ thousand km. A great contribution to the study of Polesie was made by the geographer G.I. Tanfilyev, who concluded that draining the Polesie swamps will not lead to shallowing of the Dnieper and P.A. Tutkovsky. He identified and mapped hills in the wetlands of Polesie, including the Ovruchsky ridge, from which the right tributaries of the lower Pripyat originate.

Studying Donetsk Ridge was carried out by the young engineer of the Lugansk foundry E.P. Kovalevsky, who found out that this ridge is geologically a huge basin. Kovalevsky became the discoverer of Donbass and its first researcher who compiled a geological map of this basin. It was he who recommended searching and exploring ore deposits here.

In $1840, master of field geology R. Murchison was invited to Russia to study the natural resources of the country. The site was examined together with Russian scientists southern coast of the White Sea. In the course of the work carried out, rivers and hills in the central part of the East European Plain were explored, hypsometric and geological maps of the area were compiled, on which the structural features of the Russian Platform were clearly visible.

On south of the East European Plain The founder of scientific soil science, V.V., carried out his work. Dokuchaev. In 1883, while studying chernozem, he came to the conclusion that there was a special chernozem steppe zone on the territory of Eastern Europe. On the map compiled in $1900 by V.V. Dokuchaev identifies $5$ the main natural zones on the territory of the plain.

In subsequent years, numerous scientific studies were carried out on the territory of the East European Plain, new scientific discoveries were made, and new maps were drawn up.

Sections: Geography

Class: 8

Lesson objectives.

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

2. Develop research skills.

3. Develop a moral and aesthetic attitude towards nature.

Lesson objectives.

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

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

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

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

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

Lesson type:

for didactic purposes - learning new material;

according to teaching methods - role-playing game.

Lesson Plan

1. Organization of the lesson.

2. Updating students' knowledge. Setting educational objectives. Studying a new topic.

3. Students work in groups. Student answers. Relaxation.

4. Lesson summary. Evaluating student responses. Achieving the goal.

5. Test solutions when using laptops. Practical part, completing tasks in contour maps.

6. Homework.

1. Stage - organizational.

Greetings. Ready for the lesson. Mark those absent in the log.

2. Stage - updating students' knowledge.

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

Question No. 1. Name and show all these areas on the physical map of Russia.

Lesson topic. Russian (East European) Plain. Geographical location and natural features.

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

To solve the problems, you need to explore the following questions.

1. Geographical location and relief of the Russian Plain.

2. Climate and inland waters.

3. Natural areas of the Russian Plain.

4. Natural resources and their use.

5. Environmental problems of the Russian (East European) Plain.

We begin our study of the Russian Plain by determining the geographical location of the area, as it determines the characteristics of the PTC.

Give a definition of the concept “geographical location”.

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

Updating knowledge

Question No. 2. What underlies the division of Russia into regions or physical-geographical areas?

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

Question No. 3. The first PTC (physiographic region) that we will get acquainted with is the Russian Plain, or as it is also called the East European Plain.

Why do you think this plain has such names?

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

Question No. 4. Why Eastern European?

Answer. The plain is located in eastern Europe.

3. Stage. Work in groups.

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

Students are divided into groups of 4-5 people, consultants are assigned, cards with research tasks are distributed (as the students work, they draw up an outline of their answer on separate sheets of paper), and they receive evaluation sheets.

Evaluation paper

No.	Last name, first name	Score for answers	Score for test	Final mark

Student Research.

Group No. 1

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

1. The seas washing the territory of the Russian Plain.

2. Which ocean basin do they belong to?

3. Which ocean has the greatest influence on the natural features of the plain?

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

Conclusion. The plain occupies the western part of Russia. The area is about 3 million sq. km. The Arctic and Atlantic oceans influence the characteristics of nature.

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

The geographical position of the plain is associated with the influence on the characteristics of its nature by the seas of the Atlantic and the less severe seas of the Arctic oceans. The Russian Plain has the most complete set of natural zones (from tundra to temperate deserts). In most of its territory, natural conditions are quite favorable for the life and economic activities of the population.

Group No. 2

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

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

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

2. Which territories have the highest and lowest absolute altitudes?

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

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

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

The cover smoothes out the unevenness of the foundation, but still, as in an x-ray, they “shine through” through the thickness of sedimentary rocks and predetermine the location of the largest hills and lowlands. The Khibiny Mountains on the Kola Peninsula have the highest height, they are located on the shield, the lowest is the Caspian Lowland - 28 m, i.e. 28 m below sea level.

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

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

The northern part of the Russian Plain was formed by ancient glaciers. The Kola Peninsula and Karelia are located where the destructive activity of the glacier was intense. Here, strong bedrock with traces of glacial processing often comes to the surface. To the south, where the accumulation of material brought by the glacier took place, moraine ridges and hilly moraine relief were formed. Moraine hills alternate with depressions occupied by lakes or wetlands.

Along the southern edge of the glaciation, glacial meltwater deposited masses of sandy material. Flat or slightly concave sandy plains arose here. Currently, they are crossed by weakly incised river valleys.

To the south, large hills and lowlands alternate. The Central Russian, Volga Uplands and General Syrt are separated by lowlands along which the Don and Volga flow. Erosive terrain is common here. The hills are especially densely and deeply dissected by ravines and gullies.

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

Relaxation. The guys look at slides with natural landscapes and musical accompaniment.

Group No. 3

Problematic question: Why did a temperate continental climate form on the Russian Plain?

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

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

3. What kind of weather do cyclones bring?

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

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

The climate of the Russian Plain is temperate continental. Continentality increases to the east and especially to the southeast. The nature of the relief ensures free penetration of Atlantic air masses to the eastern edges of the plain, and Arctic air masses far to the south. During transition periods, the advance of arctic air causes a sharp drop in temperature and frost, and in summer – drought.

The Russian Plain receives the most precipitation compared to other large plains in our country. It is influenced by the westerly transport of air masses and cyclones moving from the Atlantic. This influence is especially strong in the northern and middle parts of the Russian Plain. The passage of cyclones is associated with precipitation. The moisture here is abundant and sufficient, so there are many rivers, lakes and swamps. In the zone of maximum quantity there are the sources of the largest rivers of the Russian Plain: the Volga, Northern Dvina. The northwest of the plain is one of the lake regions of the country. Along with large lakes - Ladoga, Onega, Chudskoye, Ilmen - there are many small ones located in depressions between moraine hills.

In the southern part of the plain, where cyclones rarely pass, there is less precipitation than can evaporate. Insufficient hydration. In summer there are often droughts and hot winds. The climate becomes increasingly dry to the southeast.

Group No. 4

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

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

2. Why do rivers flow in different directions?

3. Climate affects rivers. What does it mean?

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

Conclusion. The rivers have spring floods, and the food supply is mixed.

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

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

In the southern part of the plain, where moisture is insufficient, the rivers have low water. The share of rain and groundwater in their nutrition is sharply reduced, so the overwhelming majority of the runoff occurs during a short period of spring floods.

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

The Volga is one of the main riches and decorations of the Russian Plain. Starting from a small swamp on the Valdai Hills, the river carries its waters to the Caspian Sea. It has absorbed the waters of hundreds of rivers and streams flowing from the Ural Mountains and emerging on the plain. The main sources of nutrition for the Volga are snow (60%) and groundwater (30%). In winter the river freezes.

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

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

Of the lakes on the Russian Plain, Lake Ladoga is the largest. Its area is 18,100 km. The lake stretches from north to south for 219 km with a maximum width of 124 km. The average depth is 51 m. The lake reaches its greatest depths (203 m) in its northern part. The northern shore of Lake Ladoga is rocky, indented by long, narrow bays. The remaining banks are low and flat. There are many islands on the lake (about 650), most of which are located near the northern shore.

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

On Lake Ladoga there are hours of fog making navigation difficult. Strong, prolonged storms often occur, with waves reaching a height of 3 meters. According to navigation conditions, Ladoga is equated to the seas. The lake is connected via the Neva to the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea; through the Svir River, Lake Onega and the White Sea - Baltic Canal - with the White and Barents Seas; through the Volga-Baltic Canal - with the Volga and Caspian Sea. In recent years, there has been severe pollution of the water of Lake Ladoga by industrial activities in its basin. The problem of maintaining the cleanliness of the lake is acute, since the city of St. Petersburg receives water from Ladoga. In 1988, a special resolution was adopted to protect Lake Ladoga.

4. Stage. Lesson summary. Evaluating student responses.

Conclusion on the topic studied

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

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

M.Yu. Lermontov, reflected in the paintings of I.I. Levitan, I.I. Shishkina, V.D. Polenova. People passed on the skills of decorative and applied arts from generation to generation, using natural resources and the very spirit of Russian culture.

5. Stage. Practical part of the lesson. To consolidate and assimilate the educational material, the children perform a test on laptops (exercises with eyes); at the teacher’s command, press the “result” key.

Summing up, preparing evaluation sheets.

Practical part in workbooks p. 49 (task No. 2).

Giving grades in diaries.

6. Stage. Homework: paragraph 27, workbook page 49 (task No. 1).

Self-analysis of a geography lesson

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

Students have analytical thinking skills.

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

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

Improve the ability to work with atlas maps, textbook text, a computer, and draw up logical support diagrams;

Ensure the development of abilities for evaluative actions and express judgments;

Develop research skills;

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

Develop a moral and aesthetic attitude towards nature.

To achieve these goals, various methods training:

1. By sources of transmission and perception of information:

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

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

- practical- work with atlas maps, textbooks, workbooks, using laptops.

2. By the nature of cognitive activity:

- reproductive- the student worked with terms;

- research- identified features, established cause and effect;

- compared, explained, analyzed problematic issues.

The following were used in the lesson forms of organization educational activities:

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

2. Pairs - discussions, mutual control.

3. Group - creative work.

When developing the lesson, I adhered to principles:

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

2. The principle of a conscious learning process.

3. The principle of collectivism.

Used techniques mental thinking activity:

1. Method of comparison - favorable and unfavorable conditions.

2. Technique of analysis and synthesis - determining the features of the placement of natural resources.

3. The technique of generalization when formulating conclusions and summing up.

Lesson steps

Stage 1 – organizational.

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

Stage 2 – updating of background knowledge.

At this stage, the teacher ensures the reproduction of the knowledge and skills on the basis of which new content will be built. Implementation of goals, formation of skills to determine goals, plan one’s educational activities.

Stage 3 – learning new material, working in groups.

The objectives of the stage are to ensure perception and understanding of the concepts acquired by students, creating conditions for students to master knowledge in the form of activity.

1. Creating problematic situations.

2. Using the research method of teaching to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

3. Improving skills in text analysis and diagramming.

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

5. The creative task is aimed at strengthening the ability to analyze atlas maps, as well as at developing mental thinking activity. development of logic.

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

The task of the stage is to ensure an increase in the level of comprehension of the studied material. Improving assessment activities.

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

Stage 6 – information about homework.

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