Most likely, the term "isthmus" you heard, and more than once. Perhaps it even came across to you in several ways. Today we’ll talk about the meaning of geography.
Definition
An interesting science is geography. She studies the structure of our planet, both outside and inside. And for every little thing it finds its own definition. If you ask a geographer, he will answer that the isthmus is an elongated stretch of land that is washed on both sides by water and serves to connect the two parts of the land. It can connect continents, as is the case with the Isthmus of Panama. It can serve as a connection between the mainland and the peninsula or to separate nearby water bodies.
And you can also say that the “isthmus” is a term opposite to the term “strait”. Since the strait, on the contrary, is located between land areas and connects large water bodies.
A vivid example is the Isthmus in Panama
Man drew attention to these narrow patches of land, since here it was possible to find the most convenient places for water channels. As you know, the canal is easiest to dig in a place where the distance between the water bodies is minimal. The isthmus - this is such a place. Building canals on such land has proved to be a very profitable occupation, since they simplify maritime communication and reduce travel time. So, the Panama Canal, opened in June 1920 through the Panama Isthmus, is still considered the largest and most complex construction project. This narrow strip of land connects Central America with South. On the one hand, it is bounded by the Caribbean Sea, on the other - by the Pacific Ocean. A narrow plot of land formed between the continents gave a significant impetus to the enrichment of the flora and fauna of the continents through the interpenetration of species. In fact, any isthmus is a natural bridge that allows animals to migrate, for example, to another continent.
Isthmus Karelian
The Karelian Isthmus is a narrow land area separating the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. Its border from the south is the Neva River, and from the north is a conditional strip drawn from Vyborg along the border of the Leningrad Region to Karelia.
Here is just a unique natural area. Many lakes, islands and peninsulas, overgrown with dense forests or consisting of piles of granite. Once, in the Archean and Proterozoic era, there was a mountainous area. Volcanoes erupted on the isthmus and earthquakes occurred. Then part of the land was flooded by the ancient seas, leaving behind sandstones and clay strata. Today in this territory there are many conservation areas (35 reserves and natural monuments).
Perekop Isthmus
This land area connects the Crimean peninsula with mainland Europe. And he shares the waters of the Azov and Black Seas. The isthmus is quite small. It is no more than 30 km in length, and its width is 7 km in the narrow part and 9 km in the wide. On the isthmus is the city of Armyansk and the village of Perekop.
Synonyms
But in the old days, canals could not be laid on isthmuses, therefore, to reduce the time of water caravans, ships were dragged through land areas by drag. “Wolf” and “isthmus” are synonymous words. The most ancient known drag can be considered the ancient Greek Diolk. Here, ships moved overland 6 km from the Aegean to the Ionian Sea or vice versa. Diolk was on the Isthmus of Corinth, now the Corinth Canal is built here .
Also obsolete synonyms for the word "isthmus" are the words: istm, pereyma, intercept and uzina. Of more modern words, synonyms can be given: interception, jumper or bow.
Another meaning of the word
The term "isthmus" is actively used in medicine. So denote the narrowed part of some organs. There is an isthmus in the thyroid gland, in the brain, in the uterus, and so on.