The continent of Eurasia has a rather complex structure. Its relief is boundless plains and huge mountain belts. It is this factor, or rather, the location feature, that distinguishes it from other continents. The mountains in Eurasia are located in the depths of the mainland, thereby forming a peculiar place of association of the two largest belts - the Pacific and Albian-Himalayan.
The relief of the mainland is quite diverse, since its formation took place over several eras. Therefore, studying mountains, one can distinguish significant differences in shape and height. The Himalayas, Caucasus, Crimean, Carpathians are considered relatively young. Mostly they have sharp peaks and steep slopes. Their height and power are striking in their splendor.
Meeting the mainland
Eurasia by area is the largest continent on planet Earth. It occupies about 54 million sq. Km. The continent is mainly located in the northern hemisphere, and only a few islands are in the southern. The mainland unites two significant parts of the world: Europe and Asia. The mountains of Eurasia, in particular the Ural Mountains , as well as the Ural, Emba, Manych, Kuma, the Black and Caspian Seas, are the border between them.
It is worth noting that this continent is the only one that is washed by all four oceans:
- North-Arctic in the north.
- Indian in the south.
- Quiet in the east.
- Atlantic in the west.
Relief features
Eurasia is a continent with a diverse relief. It has the world's largest mountains and plains. It is also worth noting that it is distinguished from other continents by a height of 850 m. Some scientists say that the ice cover of Antarctica is much larger. If we count the bedrock, then its indicators are the smallest.
On the territory of Eurasia there are several active volcanoes, they are located in the Kamchatka region, Southeast Asia, Iceland. The height of the continent is mainly due to the presence of mountain systems. They, stretching across the mainland, occupy 60% of its land.
The main and highest mountains of Eurasia
- Tien Shan, whose height is 3 thousand meters, in translation means "celestial body."
- The Hindu Kush is part of the Alpine-Himalayan system, the height of the peaks is from 4 thousand m to 6 thousand m.
- Karakoram, the main peak - Dapsang, reaches 8.5 thousand meters.
- The Caucasian mountain system in translation means "snow-white mountain", the highest peak is Elbrus, its height is 5.6 thousand meters.
- Alps - a large mountain belt, the city of Mont Blanc reaches almost 5 thousand meters.
- Himalayas, the highest point is Mount Jomolungma, or Everest (more than 8.8 thousand meters).
Himalayan mountain system: description
The Himalayas are recognized as the highest mountain belt on the entire planet Earth. These mountains on the continent of Eurasia are located between the Indo-Gan plain and the Tibetan plateau. Their peaks are always covered with snow. It is this factor that influenced the name of the mountain system, translated from the Scandinavian language, it means "abode of snow." The length of the Himalayas reaches 3 thousand km, and its width is about 400 km. The total area of the mountain system is 650 thousand km. Mostly peaks are 6 thousand meters high, but there are 10 ridges that exceed the mark of 8 thousand meters. It is to this system that the famous Mount Everest belongs, rising almost 9 thousand meters above sea level.
Climatic conditions
The southern slopes of the Himalayas are influenced by monsoon winds. But in the north, these mountains of Eurasia fall into the continental climatic zone, cold temperatures and low rainfall prevail here. Summertime in the southern part is the rainy season, they are quite plentiful. Snow in the Himalayas lies all year round, high in the mountains the temperature can vary from -25 to -40 0 . Here you can constantly observe heavy storms, the speed of which sometimes reaches 150 km / h. The possibility of a quick change of weather is not ruled out.
Flora
Vegetation in the Himalayas is distributed in tiers. Deciduous and coniferous forests and meadows are located here. The world of evergreen tropical plants is also quite widely represented. In the north, the flora is scarcer, semi-deserts and steppes prevail. At an altitude of 2 km you can find such trees as maples, oaks, chestnuts, and a little higher - cedars and pines. But already at around 4 km mosses and shrubs grow to a greater extent. The mountains of Eurasia at an altitude of 5 km do not have vegetation, since at this level begins the zone of eternal snow.
Fauna
In the meadows you can find Indian rhino and snow leopard. In the tropical zone, the animal world is quite diverse. These are mammals, and insects, and reptiles. Bears, antelopes, and musk deer are more common in the north. And also in the steppe zone you can see grazing wild sheep, horses, goats.
The largest continent on the planet is Eurasia. Mountains (the most significant), lakes, seas are located here. Many different climatic zones unite on the continent : from hot southern to cold northern lands. An interesting fact is that it is in Eurasia that the lowest point of land (the Dead Sea) and the pole of the northern hemisphere with a critically cold temperature are located.