The Urals or Ural Mountains are the heart of Eurasia. This is where Eastern Europe and Northern Asia are connected and divided by a chain of mountains stretching for 1,500 miles (2,400 km) north and south from the Arctic tundra to the deserts of the Caspian Sea. The polar section is covered by tundra, and the northern section, a rocky treeless range, has the highest peaks, Naroda and Telpos-Iz. The central Urals are also known as the Ore Urals and have many low passes. The southern section is known as the Mugodzar Hills, consists of several high, parallel ridges that rise to 5,377 feet (1,639 meters) in the Yaman-Tau. This region is drained by the Ural and Kama Rivers into the Caspian Sea.
The Urals is the second most populated area in the country and is made up primarily of Russians, with some Bashkirs, Tatars, Udmurts, and Komi-Permyaks. Known to medieval Russians as the Stone Belt, the Urals were reached in the early 12th century by colonists and fur traders from Novgorod. Colonization developed rapidly in the late 16th century. The first ironworks were established in the 1630s, and metallurgy was encouraged by Peter the Great. In the late 18th and early 19th century the Urals area was a major iron producer, but its relative importance declined in the late 19th century.
One of the unique features of the Urals is the spectrum of mineral resources found there. It proudly claims the existence of all known chemical elements on Earth. Iron ore is mined in the south, and there are rich deposits of coal, copper, gold. Oil fields and refineries along the Kama and Belaya rivers produce oil. Emeralds, chrysoberyl, topaz, and amethyst are mined, as are deposits of bauxite, zinc, lead, silver, platinum, nickel. The proximity and easy access to natural resources, combined with the impact of the massive evacuation during WWII of heavy industry from the war front to areas further east, led to today's dense industrial life with busy cities and hard-working people.
But even if you aren't interested in rocks and minerals, this area provides great opportunities to get out and enjoy nature by camping, hiking or rafting.
Train from Moscow: 48 Hours |
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Plane from Moscow: 4.5 Hours |
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