Our planet has the most beautiful mountain system. It is located on, or to be more precise, between two seas - the Caspian and the Black. It bears a proud name - the Caucasus Mountains. It has coordinates: 42°30′ north latitude and 45°00′ east longitude. The length of the mountain system is more than one thousand kilometers. Geographically, it belongs to six countries: Russia and the states of the Caucasus region: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, etc.

Until now, it has not been clearly stated which part of the mainland the Caucasus Mountains belong to. Elbrus and Mont Blanc are fighting for the title of the most. The latter is in the Alps. The geographical position according to the plan is easy to describe. And this article will help you.

Borders

In the days of Ancient Greece, it was the Caucasus and the Bosphorus that separated 2 continents. But the map of the world was constantly changing, peoples migrated. In the Middle Ages, the Don River was considered the border. Much later, in the 17th century, a Swedish geographer led her through the Urals, down the river. Embe to the Caspian Sea. His idea was supported by the scientists of that time and the Russian Tsar. According to this definition, mountains belong to Asia. On the other hand, in the Great Encyclopedia of Larousse, the border is designated south of Kazbek and Elbrus. Thus, both mountains are in Europe.

It is somewhat difficult to describe the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains as accurately as possible. The opinion regarding territorial affiliation changed solely for political reasons. Europe was singled out as a special part of the world, linking this with the level of development of civilization. The border between the continents gradually shifted to the east. She became a moving line.

Some scientists, noting the differences in the geological structure of the massif, propose to draw a boundary along the main ridge of the Greater Caucasus. And this is not surprising. mountains allow it. Its northern slope will refer to Europe, and the southern slope to Asia. This issue is being actively discussed by scientists from all six states. The geographers of Azerbaijan and Armenia believe that the Caucasus belongs to Asia, and the scientists of Georgia - to Europe. Many well-known authoritative people believe that the entire massif belongs to Asia, so Elbrus will not be considered the highest point in Europe for a long time.

System Composition

This massif consists of 2 mountain systems: the Lesser and Greater Caucasus. Often the latter is presented as a single ridge, but this is not so. And if you study the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains on the map, you will notice that it does not belong to those. The Greater Caucasus stretches for more than a kilometer from Anapa and the Taman Peninsula almost to Baku itself. Conventionally, it consists of the following parts: Western, Eastern and Central Caucasus. The first zone stretches from the Black Sea to Elbrus, the middle zone - from the highest peak to Kazbek, the last - from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea.

The western chains originate from the Taman Peninsula. And at first they look more like hills. However, the farther to the east, the higher they become. Their peaks are covered with snow and glaciers. The ranges of Dagestan are located in the east of the Greater Caucasus. These are complex systems with river valleys forming canyons. About 1.5 thousand square meters. km of the territory of the Greater Caucasus is covered with glaciers. Most of them are in the central region. The Lesser Caucasus includes nine ranges: Adjaro-Imeretinsky, Karabakh, Bazum and others. The highest of them, located in the middle and eastern parts, are Murov-Dag, Pambaksky, etc.

Climate

Analyzing the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains, we see that they are located on the border of two climatic zones - subtropical and temperate. Transcaucasia belongs to the subtropics. The rest of the territory belongs to the temperate zone. The North Caucasus is a warm region. Summer there lasts almost 5 months, and in winter it never falls below -6 °C. It is short - 2-3 months. The climate is different in the highlands. There it is influenced by the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, so the weather is more humid.

Due to the complex relief in the Caucasus, there are many zones that differ from each other. This climate allows the cultivation of citrus fruits, tea, cotton and other exotic crops that are suited to the temperate nature of weather conditions. The geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains largely affects the formation of the temperature regime in the surrounding areas.

Himalayas and Caucasus mountains

Often at school, students are asked to compare the geographical location of the Himalayas and the similarity in only one thing: both systems are in Eurasia. However, they have many differences:

• The Caucasus Mountains are located on the Himalayas, but they belong only to Asia.
• The average height of the Caucasus Mountains is 4 thousand meters, the Himalayas - 5 thousand meters.
• Also, these mountain systems are located in different climatic zones. The Himalayas are mostly in the subequatorial, less - in the tropics, and the Caucasus - in the subtropical and temperate.

As you can see, these two systems are not identical. The geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains and the Himalayas is at some points similar, at others not. But both systems are quite large, beautiful, amazing.

Mountains occupy about 24% of all land. Most mountains in Asia - 64%, least of all in Africa - 3%. 10% of the world's population lives in mountains. And it is in the mountains that most of the rivers on our planet originate.

Characteristics of the mountains

By geographical location, mountains are combined into various communities, which should be distinguished.

. mountain belts- the largest formations, often stretching across several continents. For example, the Alpine-Himalayan belt runs through Europe and Asia, or the Andean-Cordillera, stretching through North and South America.
. mountain system- groups of mountains and ranges, similar in structure and age. For example, the Ural Mountains.

. mountain ranges- a group of mountains, elongated in a line (Sangre de Cristo in the USA).

. mountain groups- also a group of mountains, but not elongated in a line, but simply located nearby. For example, the Ber-Po Mountains in Montana.

. Solitary mountains- not related to others, often of volcanic origin (Table Mountain in South Africa).

Natural areas of mountains

Natural areas in the mountains are arranged in layers and change depending on the height. At the foot, most often there is a zone of meadows (in the highlands) and forests (in the middle and low mountains). The higher, the more severe the climate becomes.

The change of belts is influenced by climate, height, topography of mountains and their geographical position. For example, continental mountains do not have a belt of forests. From the foot to the top, natural areas change from deserts to grasslands.

Mountain views

There are several classifications of mountains according to various criteria: by structure, shape, origin, age, geographical location. Consider the most basic types:

1. By age distinguish old and young mountains.

old called mountain systems, whose age is hundreds of millions of years. The internal processes in them have subsided, and the external ones (wind, water) continue to destroy, gradually comparing them with the plains. The old mountains include the Ural, Scandinavian, Khibiny (on the Kola Peninsula).

2. Height distinguish between low, medium and high mountains.

Low mountains (up to 800 m) - with rounded or flat tops and gentle slopes. There are many rivers in these mountains. Examples: Northern Urals, Khibiny, spurs of the Tien Shan.

Medium mountains (800-3000 m). They are characterized by a change in landscape depending on the height. These are the Polar Urals, the Appalachians, the mountains of the Far East.

High mountains (over 3000 m). Basically, these are young mountains with steep slopes and sharp peaks. Natural areas change from forests to icy deserts. Examples: Pamir, Caucasus, Andes, Himalayas, Alps, Rocky Mountains.

3. By origin they distinguish volcanic (Fujiyama), tectonic (Altai Mountains) and denudation, or erosional (Vilyuysky, Ilimsky).

4. According to the shape of the top mountains are peak-shaped (Communism Peak, Kazbek), plateau-shaped and table-shaped (Amby in Ethiopia or Monument Valley in the USA), domed (Ayu-Dag, Mashuk).

Climate in the mountains

The mountain climate has a number of characteristic features that appear with height.

Decrease in temperature - the higher, the colder. It is no coincidence that the peaks of the highest mountains are covered with glaciers.

The atmospheric pressure drops. For example, at the top of Everest, the pressure is two times lower than at sea level. That is why water in the mountains boils faster - at 86-90ºC.

The intensity of solar radiation increases. In the mountains, sunlight contains more ultraviolet light.

The amount of precipitation is increasing.

High mountain ranges delay precipitation and affect the movement of cyclones. Therefore, the climate on different slopes of the same mountain may differ. On the windward side there is a lot of moisture, sun, on the leeward side it is always dry and cool. A striking example is the Alps, where subtropics are represented on one side of the slopes, and a temperate climate dominates on the other.

The highest mountains in the world

(Click on the picture to enlarge the scheme in full size)

There are seven highest peaks in the world, which all climbers dream of conquering. Those who succeeded become honorary members of the "Seven Peaks Club". These are mountains such as:

. Chomolungma, or Everest (8848 m). Located on the border of Nepal and Tibet. Belongs to the Himalayas. It has the shape of a trihedral pyramid. The first conquest of the mountain took place in 1953.

. aconcagua(6962 m). It is the highest mountain in the southern hemisphere, located in Argentina. Belongs to the Andes mountain system. The first ascent took place in 1897.

. McKinley- the highest peak in North America (6168 m). Located in Alaska. First conquered in 1913. It was considered the highest point in Russia until Alaska was sold to America.

. kilimanjaro- the highest mark in Africa (5891.8 m). Located in Tanzania. First conquered in 1889. This is the only mountain where all types of the Earth's belts are represented.

. Elbrus- the highest peak in Europe and Russia (5642 m). Located in the Caucasus. The first ascent took place in 1829.

. Vinson Massif- the highest mountain of Antarctica (4897 m). It is part of the Ellsworth Mountains. First conquered in 1966.

. Mont Blanc- the highest point in Europe (many attribute Elbrus to Asia). Height - 4810 m. Located on the border of France and Italy, belongs to the mountain system of the Alps. The first ascent in 1786, and a century later, in 1886, Theodore Roosevelt conquered the summit of Mont Blanc.

. Pyramid of Carstens- the highest mountain in Australia and Oceania (4884 m). Located on the island of New Guinea. The first conquest was in 1962.

A mountain road passes through a narrow valley called a gorge. The highway seems like a thin light ribbon against the background of the mountains. All the rest of the space, where the eye is enough, is occupied by huge mountains, their slopes and peaks. Above them is only the sky.

Closer to the road, the mountains are not sharp peaks, but rounded, as if oval. They are densely wooded. From a distance it may seem that these are the thick backs of huge furry bears, and their skins are green. But the hair on the backs of bears is centuries-old spruces and pines tens of meters high. When you drive on the track, the bearish backs almost close in front of the car.

The highest mountains are the guardians of glaciers, deposits of crystal clear frozen water. That is why some peaks never take off their white caps of snow and ice at all. From here, the glaciers seem to be just white caps, but if you climb the mountains, it becomes clear that they stretch for many kilometers. If you break off a "piece" from the glacier, it will weigh thousands of tons.

Peaks pile up one after another, and there is no end to them. Far on the horizon, the mountains themselves are no longer visible, but only their outlines. As if bluish ghosts stand one after another against the sky.

In the mountains, a person is closest to the sky. Indeed, on the slopes of the mountains you can even see lost clouds. They hang so low that it seems that you can jump up to them and reach out with your hand. Where else can you see how the sky becomes lower than the earth, if not in the mountains?

Mountains occupy about 40% of the Earth's surface* They are on every continent and large island * Even mountain ranges stretch along the bottom of the oceans, individual peaks of which rise above the water, forming islands or chains of islands * Australia has the smallest number of mountains, and most of the mountains of Antarctica are hidden under ice.

The youngest mountain system on our planet is the Himalayas, the longest is the Andes (about 7560 km long), and the oldest mountains are the mountains belonging to the Nuvvuagittuq mountain formation, located in the vicinity of Hudson Bay (about 4.28 billion years old). ).

Mountains are very diverse. Top shape peak-shaped, dome-shaped, plateau-shaped, and other mountains are distinguished. The mountains are different by origin: tectono-denudation, volcanic, etc. In the Sayans, Transbaikalia and the Far East, a special type of mountain - hills - prevails. The hills are distinguished by a conical shape and a rocky or flattened top.

In mountain formations are often distinguished individual peaks, rising high above the surrounding, even alpine, landscape. These peaks include the city of Chomolungma in the Himalayas, Elbrus in the Caucasus, Belukha in Altai.

The relief of mountainous regions is characterized by the presence mountain ranges- elongated mountain formations with a clearly defined axis, along which the highest mountains are located. This axis is often the watershed of the area.

In the case when the height of the mountain range is small, and the tops of the mountains are rounded, then such a chain of mountains is called mountain range. Mountain ranges, as a rule, are the remains of ancient destroyed mountains (in Russia - the Timan ridge, the Yenisei ridge, etc.)

The mountain range has two slope often dissimilar to one another. While one slope is gentle, the other can be steep (Ural Mountains).

The top part of the mountain ranges is called mountain ridge. The ridge crest can be pointed (near young mountains) or rounded and plateau-like (near old mountains).

Wide depressions with gentle slopes are called mountain passes.

Approximately the same in length and width, a mountain uplift, which is characterized by weak dissection, is called mountain range. (Putorana Plateau in Eastern Siberia, Russia).

The intersection of two mountain ranges is called mountain knot. Mountain knots consist of high hard-to-reach mountains (mountain knot Tabyk-Bogdo-Ola in Altai).

Mountain ranges that are identical in origin and located in the same order (linearly or radially) are called mountain systems. The outskirts of mountain systems, characterized by low altitudes, are called foothills.

Africa is characterized by a special kind of mountains called canteens. They are characterized by flat tops and stepped slopes. The formation of these mountains is associated with the action of the water of the rivers that cut through the formation valley.

The presence of mountains is characteristic not only for land. The bottom of the ocean is also replete with various kinds of mountain formations. Single mountains of volcanic origin are scattered here and there along the bottom of the oceans. Active volcanoes pour out lava, ash and rock fragments, have pointed peaks. The tops of extinct volcanoes are smoothed out by waves and currents. The tops of many underwater volcanoes form islands. Iceland is an example of such an island.

There are mountain ranges at the bottom of the oceans. The most important discovery in recent years in oceanology was the discovery mid-ocean ridges. They run almost in the middle of each ocean, forming a huge single chain. Read more about mid-ocean ridges

. Topic:Relief of the Earth. The mountains.

The purpose of the lesson: To form students' ideas about the mountains.

Lesson objectives:

1) Form the concept of "mountains";

2) Find out how mountains differ in height.

3) Learn to find mountains on the map, describe the mountains according to the plan.

Lesson type: lesson learning new material

Planned results:

Subject:

Know the definition of "mountain"

Explain the reasons for the change of mountains in time;

Name and show on the map the largest mountains and their peaks;

Be able to describe the mountains according to the plan.

Metasubject:

Form the concept of "mountains" using different sources of information.

Convert text to diagram;

Build statements;

Argument your point of view;

Formulate goals, monitor and evaluate learning activities.

Personal:

Recognize the need to learn;

Develop cognitive motivation;

Use adequate language means to express your thoughts;

The form of organization of educational activities used in the lesson: frontal, group, steam room, individual.

During the classes:

Lesson phase	Teacher activity	Student activities
Motivation for learning activities	Checking everything you need for the lesson. “A person who learns without desire is a bird without wings.” Do you agree with Newton? Why? And you came to me to study with a desire? You did a great job in the last lesson. I hope that in this lesson you will try.	Student responses	Personal: self-determination for learning activities, motivation
Knowledge update	I propose to show the plains from homework No. 1 p. 83 to each other on a physical map in the atlas Selective verification of the implementation of the description of the plain according to the plan. I propose to perform testing on the topic “The relief of the Earth. Plains.	The guys find these plains on their maps and observe the person in charge, mutually evaluate. One of the students reads his work, the rest check the accuracy of the practical work. Pupils take a test, conduct a self-assessment according to the standard.	Subject: the ability to show the plains on the map, describe the plains Regulatory: self-assessment, mutual control
goal setting Identification of the place and cause of the difficulty	Look at the screen and formulate the topic of our lesson. (The image of different mountains is on the screen.) What do you know about mountains? - “Better mountains can only be mountains that you have not yet visited” (V. Vysotsky) - What is your goal at the lesson today?	Answers of students, the topic is recorded in a notebook. Work with 1 line of the table (+ or -) Students' answers to problem areas of the table.	Regulatory: self-esteem, goal setting
Building a project to get out of trouble	What do you need to do to reach your goal? Organization of work in groups	Student responses: get to know the information; Work with the map.
Implementation of the constructed project	1. What are mountains?	They work with different sources of information, find the definition of the concept of "mountains" and read out. The conclusion is written in a notebook.
2. Types of mountains by height. “The Ural, Scandinavian mountains and the Alps argued among themselves. Ural says: “I am higher than all the mountains, because I am already old, covered with forest!”. “No,” the Alps answer, “we are above all. We wear snow caps, our slopes are steep and snow avalanches slide down! “Do not argue,” the Scandinavian mountains intervened, “we rise above all above sea level!” Who is right? What do you need to know to answer this question? Distribute the mountains in height: Cordillera, Andes, Greater Caucasus, Appalachians, Tien Shan, Altai, Sayans, Sikhote-Alin.	They work with the textbook, build schemes-clusters, defend the work.
Inclusion in the knowledge system	Description of the mountains according to the plan: Working with the Step by Step plan page 87.: What do you need to know to describe mountains? What do you still not know about describing mountains? Who can describe the mountains on their own according to this plan? Who needs help? (distribute the standard)	Students become familiar with the plan; Answer questions, evaluate their capabilities.
	Have all goals been achieved? What have you learned well? What didn't you understand? What should you pay attention to when performing a d / z? What will be discussed in the next lesson?	Work with the table, then answer the questions.

Applications

Assessment sheets ___________________________________________

3 points - no mistakes, 2 points - 1-2 mistakes, 1 point - many mistakes. "5" - 10-12 points, "4" - 7-9 points, "3" - 4-6 points.

Test:

1. Which of the statements about relief is true?

1) The largest landforms are mountains and plains.

2) The relief is formed only under the influence of the internal forces of the Earth.

a) only 1 is correct b) only 2 is correct c) both are correct d) both are incorrect

2. A plain is a part of the earth's surface:

a) with a combination of ridges and basins b) with height fluctuations of no more than 200 m c) high elevated above sea level.

3. Plateau is a view: a) plains b) mountains c) mountains and plains

4. Choose the wrong statement:

a) Plains occupy more than 60% of the Earth's area

b) According to the height, the plains are divided into lowlands, uplands and plateaus

c) Plains are formed on mobile parts of the earth's crust.

5. The process of destruction and change of land rocks under the influence of external factors is called:

a) weathering b) earthquake c) relief

Reference. Description of the Ural Mountains

Plan	Description
1. The name of the mountains. On what continent, in what part of it and in what country they are located.	Ural. They are located on the mainland of Eurasia, in the central part; serve as the border between Europe and Asia.
2. In what direction and for how many kilometers the mountains stretch, how they are located relative to other geographical objects (plains, rivers, seas).	Stretched from north to south for more than 2000 km; they border on the East European Plain in the west and the West Siberian Plain in the east.
3. The average absolute height of the mountains, the highest point, its height and coordinates	The average height is 500-1000 m, the highest point is Mount Narodnaya (1898 m); coordinates: 65º s. sh. 60º in. d.
4. In what direction (in the direction of the flow of rivers) does the relief decrease	The rivers flow from the southwest to the north and northwest.
5. What rivers originate in the mountains, are there large lakes.	R. Pechora, r. Belaya, r. Ural; there are no large lakes.

Types of mountains by height

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