Names of plains on a physical map. Plains: characteristics and types

One of the main landforms of our planet are plains. They occupy two to three surfaces of planet Earth and are found even at the bottom of the oceans. A review of the longest of them, stretching across four continents, will help determine which plain is the largest in the world.

Plain-giant of Eurasia

The East European Plain tops the ranking of the longest on the Eurasian continent. It extends on the East European Platform, covering an area starting from the coast of the Baltic Sea and reaching the foot of the Ural Mountains. The area received another name - “Russian” - due to the fact that most of it is located within Russia.

On four sides, the area is limited by five seas: from the south – the Azov and Black, and from the north – the White, Caspian and Barents. The total area of ​​the territory reaches 4 million km².

Along its entire length, the predominantly flat, flat terrain prevails, in which the following successfully coexist and harmoniously alternate:

• elevations - individual points reach a height of 300 meters above sea level;
• lowlands act as a basin of “water arteries”.

These structural features and elevation changes are the result of faults. They are characterized by tectonic origin.

The territory is conditionally divided into three stripes:

1. Northern - includes the Valdai and Smolensk-Moscow uplands, as well as the northern Uvaly.
2. Central - represented by alternating Bugulma-Belebeevskaya, Volga and Central Russian uplands, separated by the Low Trans-Volga region and the Oka-Don lowland.
3. Southern - includes the Stavropol Upland and Ergeni, separated by the Caspian and Black Sea lowlands.

A key influence on the appearance of the northern part of the Russian Plain was the large-scale icing that occurred during the last ice age. During this period, dozens of lakes appeared in the area, for example, Beloe, Pskovskoye, Chudskoye.

The large cities of Russia are concentrated within the flat terrain and most of the country's population lives. The plain is famous for being a storehouse of minerals. The most popular and largest deposit is the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly.

Long plateau in Africa

The East African Plateau is located in the southeast of the continent. It is the most mobile and tectonically active part of the continent. Due to this, the terrain is highly dissected: the deepest depressions of the great rift system are adjacent to mountain peaks. The total length of tectonic disturbances is 6000 km.

The main features of the relief terrain of this continent include:

• greatest rift system;
• the largest Lake Victoria;
• volcanoes Meru and Kilimanjaro.

The most typical and widespread form of continental relief is calderas. They are basins of volcanic origin. The largest caldera in diameter, called Ngorongoro, is considered the giant of the planet. Volcanic activity on the continent remains intense to this day. Moreover, many volcanoes are now active.

On the plateau are the sources and watersheds of the continent's largest rivers flowing into the Indian Ocean: the Congo, Nile and Zambezi. Large masses of water from tributaries of rivers and lakes affect the climate and vegetation of the extended plateau. The vegetation cover is dominated by savannas, at the foot of the mountain ranges there are tropical forests, and at an altitude of 1200 meters and above there is a park landscape.

The fauna is no less diverse. On the plateau you can find both herbivores and predators, including the “king of beasts”. Drier areas are rife with poisonous snakes and lizards.

The Great Plains are a piedmont plateau with an area of ​​1.2 million km². Their territory includes 10 American states and 3 Canadian provinces.

The characteristic landscape of the area is separate areas divided into vast plateaus by table-shaped ledges, the height of which reaches 300 meters:

• Missouri;
• Llano Estacado;
• Eduard.

The full-flowing Missouri and Mississippi rivers flow through the plain. Over the centuries of their existence, they managed to cut through the area with canyons, forming an extensive network of ravines. A feature of the landscape are numerous hilly areas alternating with deep ravines and depressions - badlands. Due to the abundance of precipitation and regular weathering, their relief is extremely unstable.

Tornadoes are the main scourge of the Great Plains. The American part of the plain even falls into the “tornado alley” zone, where tornadoes are most often recorded. In the prairie region of the Great Plains, the Chi-Nook wind dominates in winter. This natural phenomenon is interesting because it is accompanied by a sudden jump in air temperature, which is accompanied by melting snow. For this reason, the Indians living on the prairies deified the Shi-Nook.

One of the most numerous inhabitants of the Great Plains are the folded-lipped bats. Their number in some caves is in the millions.

Permanent leader of South America

The Amazon Lowland is rightfully considered the largest plain on the globe. Its length is 5 million km². It was formed as a result of the flood of the full-flowing Amazon River under the influence of the accumulation of loose rocks.

The lowland lies in the Amazon River basin, which extends to the territory of Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Guinea and Colombia. The Amazon River, which originates in the Andes and carries its waters to the Atlantic Ocean, is the silver leader in terms of length and depth in the world. Its waters make up about 20% of the total amount of water flowing from all rivers into the oceans.

Lowland occupies almost 40% of the continent. It is covered with tropical rainforests called the Amazon. It is conventionally divided into two parts: western and eastern.

It is a flat, wide plain with a length of 1600 km. The largest tributary of the Maider, located on its lands, under the influence of tidal waves of the water giant - the Atlantic Ocean, during periods of flood, almost completely floods the surface, forming one large expanse of water.

For this reason, the vegetation of the western Amazon is sparse and consists mainly of palms and cocoa trees. Of the animals, the most common are those that are adapted to life in trees: sloths, monkeys, and small anteaters.

The territory located east of the mouths of Tapajos and Rio Negro is divided into a series of hills reaching a height of 350 m. The rivers here are cut deeper and do not flood the valleys during periods of high water. In this part of the Amazon, an arid subequatorial climate prevails in the summer. The vegetation is rich and includes both evergreen and deciduous trees. The fauna is represented by species found in open spaces: armadillos, mazama deer, rodents.

Despite its length, dense forests make the Amazon lowland a sparsely populated part of the continent. Only a few small settlements can be found on the plain. The indigenous people live in cities along the main river of the continent.

Large areas of the Amazon forest have now been cleared by local people and used for ranching and soybean farming. Massive deforestation is gradually leading to the fact that huge concentrations of the Amazon rainforest are turning into arid savannah, upsetting the fragile ecological balance of not only the continent, but the entire planet.

Now many experts are studying the largest plains in the world. These plains delight with their extraordinary beauty. Not many people know where the largest plains on Earth are located. But every Russian cannot name the largest plains in Russia.

A plain is a type of terrain that is most often characterized by slight fluctuations in height. Plains can be divided into lowlands, hills and plateaus. The lowland plain is located at a distance of up to 200 meters above sea level. Highlands are located at a distance of more than 500 meters above sea level, and the plains that are between these two distances will be called plateaus.

The largest plain in area is the Amazon Lowland. It has an area of ​​more than 5 million square kilometers and this plain is located 10-100 meters above sea level. The Amazon Lowland is located in South America and stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the largest river, the Amazon. The entire area of ​​this largest plain in the world grows moist equatorial forests.

The second longest plain on Earth is the Gobi. The Gobi Desert is located in Central Asia and is a plateau, as there are mountain ranges on all sides. On the territory of this plain there are rocky surfaces, as well as surfaces where plants grow. These plants can only be found here. And all because the desert has a harsh climate. This plain is located at an altitude of about 1000 meters above sea level.

Another largest plain in the world is the Sahara Desert. The desert has an area of ​​8 million square kilometers and there are several plains on its territory. This desert can cover the entire continent of Australia. The plains in the desert are intersected by river beds. In Africa, the largest plain is the East African Plateau. It is 17,000 kilometers long.

The largest plain in Russia is considered to be the West Siberian Lowland. This is the former basin of the Arctic Ocean, so there are a large number of rivers and lakes on its territory. The plain is at a level of 10-12 meters. It is worth noting that all the most famous oil and gas fields that exist in Russia are located on this plain. The list of the largest plains in Russia goes on. Another plain is the East European Plain, which also has the name “Russian”. The plain is located near the Ural Mountains. It also has the richest mineral deposits on its territory. The largest of them is the Kursk magnetic anomaly.

The largest plains exist on almost all continents. They all deserve the attention of researchers. Many of them attract tourists with their beauty who want to see the majestic plains of the world for themselves. Therefore, tourist routes are laid through many famous plains.

There are many places on our planet that are of interest not only to researchers and scientists, but also to ordinary travelers. These are high mountains, stormy rivers. But in this article we will introduce you to the great plains of the world. Do not think that these vast territories are not very interesting to study. After reading our article, you will understand that this opinion is wrong.

Where are the Great Plains?

Boundless high plateaus are located between the Cordilleras in the west and the Central Plains in the east. The researchers gave the name to this territory - the Great Plains. Continent North America is also famous for its Central Plains, but the Great Plains are distinguished by their absolute heights, dry climate and thickness of sedimentary rocks. Under the thickness of loess-like rocks and forests lie layers of Paleogene and Cretaceous rocks. Since predominantly steppe vegetation dominates here, the Great Plains are often called the Prairie Plateau.

The continental climate, position (rather high) above sea level, and easy erosion of soils became the reasons for the development of erosion processes in these territories. The most characteristic feature of the relief is ravines. Erosion sometimes reaches gigantic proportions - thousands of hectares of once fertile soil turn into badlands.

Great Plains: dimensions

This foothill plateau in Canada and the United States is located east of the Rocky Mountains. Its height is from 800 to 1,700 meters above sea level. Length - three thousand six hundred kilometers. Width - from five hundred to eight hundred kilometers. The map shows that this is a huge territory - the Great Plains. Their area is 1,300,000 square kilometers.

Relief

The plains stretch for 3600 km from north to south. They represent a heterogeneous territory. On Canadian soil (the Saskatchewan River basin) is their northern part - the Alberta Plateau. Moraine landforms predominate here. The plateau is distinguished by forest landscapes located on sod-podzolic soils. There are often individual aspen pegs.

In the Missouri basin (Missouri Plateau), there is an undulating moraine topography with strong erosional dissection, forest-steppe vegetation of aspen and birch coppices, separated by forb steppes. This landscape is typical for the Ishim steppe (Southern Siberia). In the middle part of the plateau there is a ridge of terminal moraines.

South of the Missouri Plateau is the High Plains Plateau. These areas are not affected by glaciation; the surface is dissected by rivers, slightly undulating. There is no forest vegetation here - this plateau is dominated by mixed-grass steppe, densely covered with ravines. This part of the Great Plains has been plowed up for a long time, and erosion is particularly progressing here.

Even further south is the Llano Estacado plateau. It has a more leveled relief, which in some places is diluted by karst sinkholes. The vegetation of this plateau is steppe; here you can find single yuccas and columnar cacti.

In the very south of the Great Plains there is the Edwards Plateau, which in its landscape appearance is reminiscent of neighboring areas of Mexico with its characteristic succulents (yuccas, cacti). This plateau is poorly dissected and is characterized by a predominance of chestnut soils.

Animal world

The Great Plains, whose area is huge, are distinguished by a fairly diverse fauna, which is directly related to the nature of the landscapes. In the northern part you can find steppe bison and pronghorn antelope; in the southern and central regions live the steppe fox, wolf, and prairie dogs. The most common birds are the steppe falcon and the meadow grouse.

Russian Plain

Experts more often call this territory the East European Plain. This is a real natural pantry of Russia. Judge for yourself: its foundation contains coal, iron ores, oil and natural gas, and other useful resources. Its fertile soils, according to experts, can easily feed Russians.

The Great Russian Plain ranks second in area in the world, second only to the Amazon Lowland. It is classified as low plains. From the north, this territory is washed by the White and Barents seas, and the Caspian, Azov and Black seas in the south.

Like many other great plains of the world, the Russian one is in the southwest and west and adjacent to the mountains - the Sudetes, the Carpathians, in the northwest it is limited by the Scandinavian Mountains, in the east by the Urals and Mugodzhary, and in the southeast by the Caucasus and Crimean Mountains .

Dimensions

The Russian Plain stretches from east to west for 2.5 thousand kilometers. From south to north - 2750 kilometers. The total area of ​​the territory is five and a half million square kilometers. The maximum height was recorded on Mount Yudychvumchorr (Kola Peninsula - 1191 meters). The lowest point is located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, it is characterized by a minus value of -27 meters.

The following countries are partially or completely located on the territory of the Russian Plain:

• Kazakhstan.
• Belarus.
• Lithuania.
• Latvia.
• Poland.
• Moldova.
• Russia.
• Estonia.
• Ukraine.

Relief

The relief of the Russian Plain is dominated by planes. This geographical location is characterized by rare earthquakes, as well as volcanic activity.

Hydrography

The main part of the waters of the Russian Plain has access to the ocean. The southern and western northern regions flow into the Arctic Ocean. The northern rivers include the Onega, Mezen, and Northern Dvina Pechora. Southern and western rivers carry their waters to the Vistula, Neman, Neva, etc. The Dniester and Dnieper, the Southern Bug flow into the Black Sea, and the Don into the Azov Sea.

Climate

The Russian Plain has a temperate continental climate. Average summer temperatures can range from -12 degrees (in the Barents Sea region) to +25 degrees (in the Caspian Lowland). Maximum winter temperatures are recorded in the west. In these areas the air temperature does not drop below -3 degrees. In Komi this figure reaches -20 degrees.

Precipitation in the southeast falls up to 400 mm (during the year), in the west their amount doubles. change from semi-desert in the south to tundra in the north.

Chinese plain

Many people have probably heard about this plain, but perhaps not everyone knows where the Great Chinese Plain is located. One of the largest plains in Asia. In the east it is washed by the Yanshan Mountains in the north, and in the west by the Taihangshan Range. Its eastern slopes have steep ledges more than a thousand meters high. In the southwest are the Dabeshan and Tongboshan ranges. The total area of ​​the plain is more than 325 thousand square kilometers.

In the foothill, western part, which is made up of ancient alluvial cones, the plain reaches a height of one hundred meters. Closer to the sea it drops less than fifty meters.

Relief

On the sea coast the plain is almost flat, only slight slopes are noticeable. There are swampy depressions occupied by small lakes. Within the plain are the Shandong Mountains.

Rivers

In addition to the largest river, the Yellow River, the Huaihe and Haihe rivers flow here. They are characterized by rather sharp fluctuations in flow and monsoon regime.

The maximum summer flow often exceeds the spring minimum by almost a hundred times.

Climatic conditions

The Chinese Plain has a monsoon subtropical climate. In winter, dry and cold air dominates here, which comes from Asia. In January the average temperature is -2...-4 degrees.

In summer the air warms up to +25...+28 degrees. Up to 500 mm of precipitation falls annually in the north and up to 1000 mm in the south.

Vegetation

Today, the forests that previously grew here with an admixture of subtropical evergreens have not been preserved. There are groves of ash, thuja, poplar, and pine.

The soils are mainly alluvial, which have undergone significant changes during agricultural cultivation.

Amazonian lowland

This is the greatest plain in the world. It covers an area of ​​more than 5 million square kilometers. Its maximum height is 120 meters.

Vast areas of the lowlands are inextricably linked with the life of the Amazon River, the largest drainage area in the world. A huge part of its territory near the river floodplain is regularly flooded, resulting in the formation of swampy areas (marches).

A plain is one of the main forms of earth's relief. On the physical map of the world, plains are indicated by three colors: green, yellow and light brown. They occupy about 60% of the entire surface of our planet. The most extensive plains are confined to slabs and platforms.

Characteristics of the plains

A plain is an area of ​​land or seabed that has a slight fluctuation in elevation (up to 200 m) and a slight slope (up to 5º). They are found at different altitudes, including at the bottom of the oceans.

A distinctive feature of the plains is a clear, open horizon line, straight or wavy, depending on the surface topography.

Another feature is that the plains are the main territories inhabited by people.

Natural areas of the plains

Since the plains occupy a vast territory, almost all natural zones exist on them. For example, the East European Plain includes tundra, taiga, mixed and deciduous forests, steppes and semi-deserts. Most of the Amazonian lowland is occupied by jungles, and on the plains of Australia there are semi-deserts and savannas.

Types of plains

In geography, plains are divided according to several criteria.

1. By absolute height distinguish:

. low-lying . The height above sea level does not exceed 200m. A striking example is the West Siberian Plain.

. Exalted — with a height difference from 200 to 500 m above sea level. For example, the Central Russian Plain.

. Upland plains , whose level is measured at levels above 500 m. For example, the Iranian Plateau.

. depressions - the highest point is below sea level. Example - Caspian lowland.

Separately, underwater plains are distinguished, which include the bottom of basins, shelves and abyssal areas.

2. By origin plains are:

. Rechargeable (sea, river and continental) - formed as a result of the influence of rivers, ebbs and flows. Their surface is covered with alluvial deposits, and in the sea - with marine, river and glacial deposits. Of the sea, we can cite the West Siberian Lowland as an example, and of the river, the Amazon. Among continental plains, marginal lowlands that have a slight slope towards the sea are classified as accumulative plains.

. Abrasion - are formed as a result of the impact of surf on land. In areas where strong winds prevail, rough seas are frequent, and the coastline is formed of weak rocks, this type of plain is more often formed.

. Structural - the most complex in origin. In place of such plains, mountains once rose. As a result of volcanic activity and earthquakes, the mountains were destroyed. The magma flowing from cracks and splits bound the surface of the land like armor, hiding all the unevenness of the relief.

. Ozernye — are formed on the site of dry lakes. Such plains are usually small in area and are often bordered by coastal ramparts and ledges. An example of a lake plain is Jalanash and Kegen in Kazakhstan.

3. By type of relief plains are distinguished:

. flat or horizontal - Great Chinese and West Siberian Plains.

. wavy — are formed under the influence of water and water-glacial flows. For example, the Central Russian Upland

. hilly — the relief contains individual hills, hills, and ravines. Example - East European Plain.

. stepped - are formed under the influence of the internal forces of the Earth. Example - Central Siberian Plateau

. concave - These include the plains of intermountain depressions. For example, the Tsaidam Basin.

There are also ridge and ridge plains. But in nature, a mixed type is most often found. For example, the Pribelsky ridge-undulating plain in Bashkortostan.

Plains climate

The climate of the plains is formed depending on its geographical location, proximity to the ocean, the area of ​​the plain itself, its extent from north to south, as well as the climate zone. The free movement of cyclones ensures a clear change of seasons. Often the plains are replete with rivers and lakes, which contribute to the formation of climatic conditions.

Largest plains in the world

Plains are common on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. In Eurasia, the largest are the East European, West Siberian, Turanian, and East China Plains. In Africa - the East African Plateau, in North America - the Mississippian, Great, Mexican, in South America - the Amazonian Lowland (the largest in the world, its area is over 5 million sq. km) and the Guiana Plateau.

Plains and mountains are the main forms of the earth's surface. They were formed as a result of geological processes that have shaped the face of the Earth throughout geological history. Plains are vast spaces with calm, flat or hilly terrain and relatively small fluctuations in relative heights (no more than 200 m).

Plains are divided by absolute height. Plains with an absolute height of no more than 200 m are called lowlands, or lowlands (). Plains, which range from 200 to 500 m, are called elevated, or uplands (East European, or Russian). Plains whose height is over 500 m above sea level are called high or plateaus (Central Siberian).

Due to their considerable height, plateaus and hills usually have a more dissected surface and rugged terrain compared to lowlands. Elevated plains with flat surfaces are called plateaus.

The largest lowlands: Mississippian, Indo-Gangetic, German-Polish. represents an alternation of lowlands (Dnieper, Black Sea, Caspian, etc.) and uplands (Valdai, Central Russian, Volyn-Podolsk, Volga, etc.). Plateaus are most widespread in Asia (Central Siberian, Deccan, etc.), in (East African, South African, etc.), in (West Australian).

The plains are also divided by origin. The majority (64%) of the plains formed on platforms; They are composed of layers of sedimentary cover. Such plains are called stratal or platform plains. The Caspian lowland is the youngest plain, and is an ancient platform plain, its surface has been significantly modified by flowing waters and other external processes.

The plains that arose as a result of the removal of products of mountain destruction (denudation) from the destroyed base of the mountains (basement) are called denudation, or base, plains. Mountain destruction and transport usually occurs under the influence of water, ice and gravity. Gradually, the mountainous country smoothes out, levels out, turning into a hilly plain. Denudation plains are usually composed of hard rocks (small hills).

The main lowlands and plateaus of the world