A beach is the surface of a shore of a body of water that is relatively flat. It is formed as a result of denudation. The latter is a complex of processes, consisting of the transfer and demolition of rock destruction products under the influence of water, wind, ice, gravity. These products are carried to low areas on the surface of the earth, where they accumulate. More about the fact that this is a “beach” in the proposed review.
Dictionary Interpretation
The dictionary contains two meanings of the word “beach”:
- The first of them is the sloping bank of the river, sea, pond, lake, which is convenient for swimming, individual and mass recreation, taking air and sun baths.
- The second is the shape of the relief, which has the form of a strip consisting of a solid, usually alluvial material located on the shore of a reservoir.
For a better understanding of the meaning of “beach” it will be useful to consider the origin of the word.
Etymology
According to linguists, the origin of the studied token is rooted in ancient times and is as follows. It is formed from the French noun plage, which, in turn, comes from the old French plaje, meaning "beach".
Further, the history of the word leads to Italian, where there is a noun piaggia. It is formed from the Latin plaga, whose meaning is “country”, “region”. It is believed that the latter is directly related to the pre-Indo-European adjective pelag in the meaning of “flat”, “flat”, “wide”.
Continuing to consider that this is a beach, it should be said about some of its views.
Varieties
Beaches vary in the composition of the surface layer. This is about:
- sand;
- sand and shell;
- pebble;
- boulder;
- gravel;
- coral.
At the sandy beach, the surface layer on land, and also partially in the water, is sand. In sand-shell this layer is made up of sand and small shells. It turned out as a result of the shells being destroyed by waves. An example is the beaches of the Kerch Peninsula, located in the Kazantip Bay. In the pebble variety, the surface layer is pebbles.
Using
As a rule, beaches are places of mass rest. Here they bathe, sunbathe, play. Often they are provided with the appropriate equipment - umbrellas, deck chairs, locker rooms, showers, toilets. They are called "cultural", in contrast to the "wild" beaches. In the latter, nature to some extent remains in its original form.
Sometimes “cultured” varieties have a first aid station, a rescue station. Since cleaning the beaches and maintaining them in good sanitary condition entails costs, entry to them is paid. Sometimes it is limited to a certain contingent of visitors.
Some of the beaches are a place where naturists relax, who prefer to stay naked, they are called nudist. There is also such a variety as “topless”. This is when women rest, having only the lower part of a swimsuit on them. There are also special beaches designed for people to relax with dogs.
Gradually increasing depth, easy access to water make it possible to use these places for household purposes. For example, for watering pets, taking water, washing clothes. Some sports are also specially adapted for practicing them on the beach - beach volleyball, soccer, handball, and there are also Asian Beach Games.
Environmental aspect
The beach, which was formed in a natural way, serves to protect the coast from further destruction. It weakens the strength of the breaking wave as it moves through the shallow water.
Therefore, the extraction of sand or gravel on the beach area is fraught with negative consequences. It leads to the destruction of coastal structures during storms, such as, for example, embankments. Such cases took place in the middle of the 20th century in Sochi.
When a wave moves in a direction that is not perpendicular to the coast, gravel or grains of sand drift along the coastline. In order to preserve the beaches, a system of malls is often created, they go to sea from the coastline.
Most famous
The most famous beaches are:
- Copacabana is the longest of the four-kilometer city dwellings in Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro.
- Bondi - located near Sydney, has a length of about one kilometer. One of the oldest in the world, exists since 1882. It is called the most extreme in the world. "Bondi" translated from the language of the indigenous Australians - "the noise of rumbling water." It is waves of great height that attract here surfing enthusiasts from around the world.
The line of beaches near Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh is the longest in the world. Its total length is 125 km. Local people like to relax here. However, for foreign tourists this place does not have much appeal. First of all, this is explained by the underdeveloped infrastructure and the presence of religious restrictions. Nevertheless, in 2009, the beaches were shortlisted for the contest entitled “Seven New Natural Wonders”.