Origin of the name Eurasia. Eurasia - continents - geography - a large schoolchild's reference book

16.10.2019

Being the largest continent on the planet, Eurasia is of particular importance for the economic activities of all mankind. For many millennia, people have been exploring the continent, studying its geography and taking advantage of all the advantages that its position provides. Ultimately, how the continent of Eurasia is located relative to others affects the lives of all people on the planet.

From Novaya Zemlya to the Caspian Sea

First of all, it is worth saying that the continent consists of two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, and the border between them is often very arbitrary. It has changed quite often over time. For several generations, researchers have sought to determine and record the exact coordinates of its main natural attractions. Eurasia is a continent whose map is of particular interest, since it is on this continent that the largest number of people live, as well as the largest centers of economic growth.

In modern geography, it is customary to draw a dividing line along the eastern border of the Ural Mountains, then along the Ural River and the northern shore of the Caspian Sea. These are the rules.

The greatest controversy is caused by the border passing through the Caucasus. Until now, not all scientists have agreed on exactly where in the mountain system it passes, but the most common point of view is that the dividing line runs along the watershed of the main ridge itself.

Further, the border runs along the water surface of the Bosphorus Strait, dividing into two parts not only Eurasia, but also Turkey, as well as the largest city of the Turkish Republic - Istanbul, the districts of which are located in different parts of the world. For many centuries, this city was an important trading center precisely because of its geographical location.

Natural areas of Eurasia

And finally. The way the Eurasian continent is located relative to others significantly influences the great diversity of landscapes, natural and climatic zones that can be found on the continent.

Vast territories in the north are covered by coniferous forests, occupying almost all of Siberia, the Far East and North, as well as the Northeast of the European part of Russia. Stretching over hundreds of kilometers, forests constitute, along with the South American jungle, the most ecologically important region of the planet, without which the reproduction of oxygen would become problematic.

The location of the Eurasian continent relative to other continents affects not only the climate, but also international trade. Its important routes run along the coast of the continent.

It is enormous in size, occupying about 1/3 of the land (54 thousand km 2). From north to south, the length of Eurasia is about 8 thousand km, from west to east it is approximately 16 thousand km. Like North America, Eurasia is widest in temperate latitudes.

The continent is most connected to North America in the northeast and Africa to the southwest. In these areas there was and is an active exchange of elements of the organic world. The Arabian Peninsula is part of Gondwana and, in terms of natural conditions, is practically no different from the Sahara in North Africa.

Eurasia is washed by four oceans. The influence of the oceans affects the natural features of vast areas within the continent, despite its enormous size. Internal seas that protrude deeply into the land and marginal seas off the northern and eastern coasts of the continent are of great importance for the formation of the nature of the continent.

Unlike all the continents of the Earth, several Precambrian and Epipaleozoic platforms, connected by folded belts of different geological ages, take part in the structure of Eurasia.

The relief of Eurasia is distinguished by great diversity and contrast. The mainland has vast lowlands and large mountainous countries and highlands. Only in Eurasia there are mountains that rise above 7 and 8 km. The highest point on Earth is located in the Himalayas (Everest - 8848 m). The lowest point of land is located in Eurasia - the shore of the Dead Sea (395 m below ocean level).

The mountains on the continent stretch from west to east and from north to south, forming a kind of “lattice”, in the cells of which there are platform plains. As a result, there are many large and small basins in Eurasia. This relief structure is important in shaping the climate and water network of the continent.

The large extent from north to south and from west to east, the enormous size of the continent, and the “lattice” structure of the relief determine the exceptional diversity of climates within its borders. The mainland has almost all climate zones and regions.

The proximity of a huge landmass and the surrounding oceans forms special features of the circulation of air masses over Eurasia. A peculiar monsoon circulation prevails on the northern, eastern and southern edges of the continent. Only in the west of Eurasia, both in summer and winter, the westerly transport of air masses predominates and cyclones pass through. In winter, over the basins of Central, South-West Asia, and Siberia, the Central Asian Maximum is formed, covering most of the continent. spreads from here towards all oceans except the Atlantic. Dry winter monsoons form on the eastern and southern edges of the continent, cold ones in the east, and hot ones in the south.

In most climatic zones, the climates of the western and eastern coasts and continental regions are distinguished.

The large area of Eurasia, the diversity of climates and topography determine the diversity of the continent’s internal waters. There are many very large rivers belonging to the basins of all the Earth's oceans. Numerous basins are often drainage areas. Most of them lie in arid regions, but there are exceptions, for example the upper and middle Volga basin. The rivers of the mainland belong to literally all types in terms of regime and power sources. There are many lakes of different origins in Eurasia. There are especially many of them in the area of ancient glaciation. Baikal has unique properties with the largest volume of fresh water of any body of water in the world. Eurasia is also home to one of the saltiest lakes on the planet - the Dead Sea.

The climatic features of Eurasia also determine the diversity of external forces shaping the continent's topography. Here the work of surface and underground waters and wind is manifested. Large areas are occupied by landforms created by ancient glaciation.

In Eurasia there are huge areas of permafrost. They occupy about 1/5 of the continent's area. These areas are characterized by a special cryogenic relief and vegetation adapted to environmental conditions.

The continent has almost all plant zones with their inherent soils - from arctic deserts and tundras to humid equatorial forests. The zonation structure differs in the oceanic sectors and in the central part of the continent. In Atlantic Western Europe and Pacific East Asia, except for the northernmost regions occupied by tundra, forests dominate. Their composition is different in the west and east, both due to modern climatic conditions and as a result of different histories of formation. In the central part of the continent, due to the high degree of continental climate, treeless zones are widely represented: steppes, etc. Large areas in the southwest of the continent are also occupied by desert formations.

The natural resources of Eurasia are abundant and varied.

Eurasia is rich in mineral resources. On the ledges of the platform foundation there are deposits of various ores, gold, and diamonds. Huge reserves of coal and gas formed in the sedimentary cover. The world's largest oil deposits are known in the Persian Gulf region. Large reserves of tin, zinc, and tungsten ores have been found in the mountainous countries in the east of the continent. The mountains of Paleozoic folding are rich in a variety of minerals: the Ural Mountains in our country, the Rudny Mountains in Europe and many others.

The continent's water resources are distributed very unevenly. Many areas of Europe, South and East Asia are well supplied with water, but there are areas in Central and South-West Asia that experience severe water shortages. The mainland has good agroclimatic and land resources. Within its borders there are large areas of cultivated land. The forests of Eurasia, especially large tracts of coniferous forests, have large reserves of wood with high technical qualities.

The continent has been inhabited for a long time. Some of its areas have exceptionally high population densities. The nature of these territories has been greatly modified by man; sometimes it is difficult to understand what was here in its natural state. These are the case in many areas of Western and Southern Europe, East and South Asia. However, there are areas where the population is very sparse or absent altogether (the Far North, arid regions of Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and other highlands). The continent is inhabited by representatives of all races, many peoples belong to transitional anthropological types.

In foreign Eurasia, a number of large natural regions are distinguished: Northern, Western and Central Europe, the Mediterranean, Southwestern, Central, Eastern, Southern and Southeast Asia.

Geography
General geography

Continents

Eurasia

Geographical location

Eurasia- the largest continent on the planet. It occupies 1/3 of the land (54.3 million km2). Eurasia is formed by two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, the conventional border between which is the Ural Mountains (Fig. 26). The continent is entirely located in the Northern Hemisphere. In the north it goes far beyond the Arctic Circle (Cape Chelyuskin), and in the south it almost reaches the equator (Cape Piai). Only the Greater Sunda Islands lie in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the continent is in the Eastern Hemisphere. Only the extreme western and eastern parts with a number of islands lie in the Western Hemisphere. The westernmost point is Cape Roka, and the easternmost point is Cape Dezhnev.

Rice. 26. Eurasia
Eurasia is the only continent that is washed by all oceans: in the north - the Arctic, in the south - the Indian, in the west - the Atlantic, in the east - the Pacific. It has a significant shelf zone, a very indented coastline and the largest number of islands and peninsulas.
Eurasia is closest to Africa, from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal. The Bering Strait separates Eurasia from North America. In the distant past, the southeastern part of Eurasia was connected by a land bridge to Australia. Now this connection has been lost. South America and Antarctica are located very far from Eurasia.

Relief features

Eurasia is significantly higher than other continents (except Antarctica); on its territory are located the highest mountain systems of the planet - the Himalayas, Kun-Lun, Hindu Kush, Pamir. The plains of Eurasia are large in size, there are much more of them than on other continents. Eurasia has the largest amplitude of heights (the city of Chomolungma, 8848 m - the Dead Sea depression, 395 m). Unlike other continents, mountains in Eurasia are located not only on the outskirts, but also in the center. There are two huge mountain belts: Pacific (most mobile) in the east and Alpine-Himalayan in the south and west.
The relief of Eurasia was formed within several ancient platforms, connected by folded belts of different ages. The Eurasian lithospheric plate includes ancient platforms: Siberian, Chinese, Eastern European, Arabian and Indian, on which great plains of varying heights are located (from lowlands to plateaus). Areas of folding arose between the ancient platforms, merged into huge mountain belts and connected the platforms into a single whole. Now active mining processes are occurring in the east of Eurasia, at the junction of the Pacific and Eurasian lithospheric plates. There are many volcanoes here, and earthquakes occur frequently, both on land and in the ocean.

Features of the climate of Eurasia

The climate of Eurasia is closely related to its large size. The continent is characterized by an exceptional diversity of climatic conditions, which is facilitated by a number of factors (Figure 6).
The climate of Eurasia is more diverse and contrasting than that of North America. Here the summers are warmer and the winters colder (the cold pole of the Northern Hemisphere is located in the Oymyakon depression, -71 °C). There is quite a lot of precipitation, especially along the outskirts (except for the coast of the Arctic Ocean). In the south is the wettest place on Earth - the town of Chepuranji (south-eastern slopes of the Himalayas), where over 10,000 mm of precipitation falls per year. However, the climate of Eurasia is generally drier than that of North America. In the mountains of Eurasia, as on other continents, climatic conditions change with altitude. They are most strict in high mountain areas, especially in the Pamirs and Tibet.

Due to its large size and geographic location, all climatic zones are represented in Eurasia, but also all known on Earth climate types. In the north there are arctic and subarctic climate zones with low average air temperatures and low precipitation. The largest area is occupied by the temperate zone, because it is in the temperate latitudes that Eurasia is most elongated from west to east. Here the climatic conditions are different, and one type of climate changes another. Thus, in the west the climate is maritime, in the east it changes to moderate continental, continental, sharply continental (in the center); on the east coast there is a monsoon climate with warm, humid summers and cold, dry winters. In the subtropical zone there are three climatic regions with Mediterranean, continental and monsoon climates.
Peculiar climatic conditions have formed near the Northern Tropic. Here in western Asia it is dry and hot all year round, which is explained by the influence of continental tropical air, and in the east a subequatorial climate type with monsoon atmospheric circulation has formed.

Inland waters

On the territory of Eurasia there are all types of land waters. There are deep rivers, deep lakes, powerful glaciers in mountainous and polar regions, large areas of swamps and permafrost, and significant groundwater reservoirs.
Large rivers Eurasia originates mainly in the interior regions of the continent. A characteristic feature of the continent is the presence of large areas of internal drainage basins; rivers do not reach the oceans, but flow into lakes (Volga, Syrdarya, etc.) or are lost in the sands of deserts.
The rivers of Eurasia belong to the basins of the Arctic (Ob, Yenisei, Lena, etc.), Pacific (Amur, Yellow River, Yangtze, Mekong), Indian (Indus, Gang, etc.), Atlantic (Danube, Dnieper, Rhine, Elbe, Vistula etc.) oceans.
Lakes Eurasians are unevenly distributed and have different basin origins. It is on the territory of Eurasia that the deepest lake in the world is located - Baikal (1620 m) and the largest lake on Earth by water surface area - the Caspian (371,000 km 2). In the north-west there are lakes that were formed as a result of the subsidence of the earth's crust and the influence of an ancient glacier (Ladoga, Onega, Venern, etc.). Tectonic lakes formed in the faults of the earth's crust - Lake Constance, Balaton, Dead Sea, Baikal. There are karst lakes.
Valuable natural resources are groundwater, especially large reserves of which lie under the Western Siberian Plain. Groundwater not only feeds rivers and lakes, it is also consumed by the population as drinking water.
Swamps distributed in the north of Eurasia, in the tundra and taiga regions.
Modern glaciation occupies significant areas on many islands (Iceland, Spitsbergen, Novaya Zemlya), as well as in the mountains (Alps, Himalayas, Tien Shan, Pamir). Mountain glaciers feed numerous rivers.
Environmental problems of the inland waters of Eurasia require constant attention, because the pollution of such large fresh water reservoirs as Lake Baikal, the rivers of Siberia, the Far East, China and India is dangerous for all organic life on the continent.

Natural areas

The diversity of natural zones in Eurasia is associated with large differences in climatic conditions (combination of heat and moisture) and structural features of the continent's surface. That is, the formation of natural zones is influenced by both zonal and azonal factors. Recently, the anthropogenic factor has become of particular importance, because the components of nature are increasingly changing under the influence of human economic activity.
Eurasia lies in all climatic zones of the Northern Hemisphere; All climate types of the Earth are represented on the continent, so there are all natural complexesour planet(Table 10) . The location of natural zones in Eurasia, as on other continents, is subject to the law of broad zonality, that is, they change from north to south with an increase in the amount of solar radiation. However, there are also significant differences, which is explained by the conditions of atmospheric circulation over the continent. In Eurasia, as in North America, some natural zones replace each other from west to east, because the eastern and western outskirts of the continent are the most humid, and the interior regions are much drier. So, the main reasons on which the location of natural zones in Eurasia depends are changes in temperature conditions, annual precipitation, and relief features.
Table 10
Locations of natural zones of Eurasia

The temperate climate zone contains the largest natural zones, and the largest area is occupied by the taiga zone.
Areas with altitudinal zones also occupy most of the continent's territory. The altitudinal zonation is especially clearly presented in the Himalayas, where all the natural zones of the Earth are located, and the upper limit of the distribution of vegetation passes at an altitude of 6218 m.
Natural zones of Eurasia are similar to those in North America. The vegetation and fauna in the northern part of these continents are very similar. However, there are significant differences. In Eurasia, natural zones are more diverse; the natural complexes of arctic deserts, tundra and forest-tundra do not extend as far south as in North America. Here, zones of taiga, mixed and deciduous forests, semi-deserts and deserts occupy a large area, and the areas of altitudinal zones are larger than in North America.

Population, political map and economy of Eurasia

Eurasia is the most populated continent; 2/3 of the planet's population lives here. Representatives of the Mongoloid and Caucasoid races live on the mainland, and representatives of the Australoid race live on the islands of Indonesia. Mongoloids live in eastern Asia, Caucasoids live in western and southern Asia, in Europe.
National composition The mainland's population is very complex. Europe is inhabited by Slavic peoples, Germans, French, Italians, Spaniards, Irish, English, and Norwegians, Swedes, and Finns live in the north of the region. Southwest Asia is inhabited by Arab peoples, as well as Turks, Kurds and Persians; Northern Asia - Russians; South - Hindustani, Bengalis, Pakistanis; Southeast - Vietnamese, Thais, Burmese, Malays. Tibetans, Uighurs, and Mongols live in Central Asia, and Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans live in Eastern Asia.
By linguistic composition Europe's population is quite diverse. In Europe there live peoples who speak Slavic languages, languages of the Romance and Germanic groups. In Asia, many peoples speak languages of the Altai language group, Indian and Sino-Tibetan languages. The peoples of South-West Asia communicate in Arabic and Iranian languages. In southeast Asia, peoples speak languages belonging to the Austronesian group.
The population is distributed unevenly across the continent. Here we can distinguish areas with a rural population density of more than 100 people/km 2 (South Asia, Eastern China). Western Europe is also densely populated (especially the Atlantic coast), but its population is predominantly urban. A significant part of the continent is very sparsely populated (less than 1 person/km2). These are the highlands of Tibet and Gobi, Central and Northern Asia, the Arabian Peninsula.
Political map Eurasia began to form a very long time ago, so now it is very colorful. There are more than 80 countries, including large ones (China, Russia, India) and very small ones (San Marino, Singapore, etc.). The political map of Western Europe is very diverse. A significant part of the countries has access to the sea, which contributes to their economic development. The continent's political map continues to change.
To the farm Eurasian countries are characterized by diversity. On the mainland there are economically developed states, countries with an average level of development, as well as many of the poorest countries in the world (Figure 7).
Scheme 7

Eurasia is the continent of Earth with the largest area, accounting for 36% of the land. The population living on this continent is 75% of the world's population. In absolute terms, the area of Eurasia is about 54 million square meters. km, population – about 5 billion people.

Eurasia is located in the Northern Hemisphere between 9° West longitude and 169° West longitude. Only some islands of Eurasia belong to the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the continent's territory is located in eastern hemisphere, and the western and eastern edges of the continent are in western hemisphere.

The continent unites two parts of the world: Europe and Asia. The conditional demarcation line between them runs along the eastern ridge of the Ural Mountains, the Ural and Emba rivers, the northwestern shore of the Caspian Sea, the eastern and southern shores of the Black Sea, the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, and the Strait of Gibraltar. This division is connected with the history of the countries of Europe and Asia; in nature there is no clear boundary. Asia occupies a larger area than Europe and is divided into smaller regions, such as the Far East, Siberia, Primorye, Manchuria, Amur Region, China, Tibet, India, Central Asia, Uighuria, Middle East, Persia, Arabia, Caucasus, Indochina, others .

The continent represents a single part of the land with tectonic consolidation and the similarity of many climatic processes. The natural landscape has been transformed over time, thanks to millennia of agricultural culture. In most of Eurasia, the modern cultural landscape is predominant.

This continent is washed by all four oceans: Arctic, Pacific, Indian, Atlantic. The extreme continental points are Cape Chelyuskin in the north, Cape Piai in the south, Cape Dezhnev in the east, and Cape Roka in the west. The largest peninsulas of Eurasia are the Arabian, Asia Minor, Balkan, Apennine, Scandinavian, Iberian, Chukotka, Taimyr, Indochina, Kamchatka, Yamal, Korea, Hindustan, Kola, Malacca.

Geologically, this continent is the youngest in comparison with other continents, as it was formed in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The structure of Eurasia includes several platforms and plates. The relief of Eurasia is varied. This continent contains the largest plains ( West Siberian and East European) and the largest mountain range on Earth (the Himalayas). The average height of Eurasia is 830 m, and plateaus and mountains occupy up to 65% of the continent's territory.

All existing climatic zones and zones are represented on this continent. Most of the territory lies in the temperate zone. Due to the enormous size of Eurasia, there are also all natural zones: polar deserts, tundra, forest-tundra, taiga, mixed forests, humid equatorial forests, semi-deserts and deserts, steppes and forest-steppes, altitudinal zones.

Eurasia is the largest continent on Earth, with an area of 53.893 million km², which is 36% of the land area. Population - more than 4.947 billion (2010), which is about 3/4 of the population of the entire planet.

Origin of the name of the continent

Initially, various names were given to the largest continent in the world. Alexander Humboldt used the name "Asia" for all of Eurasia. Carl Gustav Reuschle used the term "Doppelerdtheil Asien-Europa" in his book "Handbuch der Geographie" in 1858. The term "Eurasia" was first used by geologist Eduard Suess in the 1880s.

Geographical location of the mainland

The continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere between approximately 9° W. Longitude and 169°W etc., while some of the islands of Eurasia are located in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of continental Eurasia lies in the Eastern Hemisphere, although the extreme western and eastern ends of the continent are in the Western Hemisphere.

Contains two parts of the world: Europe and Asia. The border line between Europe and Asia is most often drawn along the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Emba River, the northwestern coast of the Caspian Sea, the Kuma River, the Kuma-Manych depression, the Manych River, the eastern coast of the Black Sea, the southern coast of the Black Sea, the strait Bosphorus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles, Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, Strait of Gibraltar. This division has developed historically. Naturally, there is no sharp border between Europe and Asia. The continent is united by the continuity of land, the current tectonic consolidation and the unity of numerous climatic processes.

Eurasia stretches from west to east for 16 thousand km, from north to south - for 8 thousand km, with an area of ≈ 54 million km². This is more than a third of the entire land area of the planet. The area of the Eurasian islands is approaching 2.75 million km².

Extreme points of Eurasia

Mainland points

Cape Chelyuskin (Russia), 77°43′ N. w. - the northernmost continental point.
Cape Piai (Malaysia) 1°16′ N. w. - the southernmost point of the mainland.
Cape Roca (Portugal), 9º31′ W. d. - the westernmost continental point.
Cape Dezhnev (Russia), 169°42′ W. d. - the extreme eastern continental point.

Island points

Cape Fligeli (Russia), 81°52′ N. w. - the extreme northern point of the island (However, according to the topographic map of Rudolf Island, the coast stretching in the latitudinal direction to the west of Cape Fligeli lies several hundred meters north of the cape at coordinates 81°51′28.8″ N 58°52′00″ E. d. (G) (O)).
South Island (Cocos Islands) 12°4′ S w. - the southernmost point of the island.
Rock of Monchique (Azores) 31º16′ W. d. - the westernmost point of the island.
Ratmanov Island (Russia) 169°0′ W. d. - the easternmost point of the island.

Largest peninsulas

Arabian Peninsula
Peninsula of Asia Minor
Balkan Peninsula
Apennine Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
Scandinavian Peninsula
Taimyr Peninsula
Chukotka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
Indochina Peninsula
Hindustan Peninsula
Malacca Peninsula
Yamal Peninsula
Kola Peninsula
Peninsula Korea

Geological characteristics of the continent

Geological structure of Eurasia

The geological structure of Eurasia is qualitatively different from the structures of other continents. Eurasia is composed of several platforms and plates. The continent was formed in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras and is the youngest in geological terms. This distinguishes it from other continents, which are elevated ancient platforms formed billions of years ago.

The northern part of Eurasia is a series of plates and platforms formed during the Archean, Proterozoic and Paleozoic periods: the East European platform with the Baltic and Ukrainian shields, the Siberian platform with the Aldan shield, the West Siberian plate. The eastern part of the continent includes two platforms (Chinese-Korean and South China), some plates and areas of Mesozoic and Alpine folding. The southeastern part of the continent is an area of Mesozoic and Cenozoic folding. The southern regions of the continent are represented by the Indian and Arabian platforms, the Iranian plate, as well as areas of Alpine and Mesozoic folding, which prevail in southern Europe. The territory of Western Europe includes zones of predominantly Hercynian folding and plates of Paleozoic platforms. The central regions of the continent include zones of Paleozoic folding and plates of the Paleozoic platform.

In Eurasia there are many large faults and cracks, which are found in Siberia (Western and Lake Baikal), Tibet and some other areas.

Story

The period of formation of the continent covers a huge period of time and continues today. The process of formation of the ancient platforms that make up the continent of Eurasia began in the Precambrian era. Then three ancient platforms were formed: Chinese, Siberian and East European, separated by ancient seas and oceans. At the end of the Proterozoic and Paleozoic, processes of closing the oceans that separated the land masses took place. At this time, the process of land growth around these and other platforms and their grouping took place, which ultimately led to the formation of the supercontinent Pangea by the beginning of the Mesozoic era.

In the Proterozoic, the process of formation of the ancient platforms of Eurasia - Siberian, Chinese and East European - took place. At the end of the era, the land area south of the Siberian Platform increased. In the Silurian, extensive mountain building occurred as a result of the connection of the European and North American platforms, forming the large North Atlantic continent. In the east, the Siberian Platform and a number of mountain systems united, forming a new continent - Angaris. At this time, the process of formation of ore deposits took place.

During the Carboniferous period, a new tectonic cycle began. Intense movements led to the formation of mountainous areas connecting Siberia and Europe. Similar mountainous regions also formed in the southern regions of modern Eurasia. Before the start of the Triassic period, all the ancient platforms were grouped and formed the continent of Pangea. This cycle was long and divided into phases. In the initial phase, mountain building took place in the southern territories of what is now Western Europe and in the regions of central Asia. During the Permian period, new major mountain-building processes took place, in parallel with the general uplift of the land. As a result, by the end of the period, the Eurasian part of Pangea was a region with major folding. At this time, the process of destruction of old mountains and the formation of thick sedimentary deposits took place. In the Triassic period, geological activity was weak, but during this period the Tethys Ocean gradually opened in the east of Pangea, which later in the Jurassic divided Pangea into two parts, Laurasia and Gondwana. In the Jurassic period, the process of orogenesis begins, the peak of which, however, occurred in the Cenozoic era.

The next stage in the formation of the continent began in the Cretaceous period, when the Atlantic Ocean began to open. The continent of Laurasia finally divided in the Cenozoic.

At the beginning of the Cenozoic era, northern Eurasia represented a huge landmass that made up ancient platforms connected by the regions of the Baikal, Hercynian and Caledonian folds. In the east and southeast, this massif is adjacent to areas of Mesozoic folding. In the west, Eurasia was already separated from North America by the narrow Atlantic Ocean. From the south, this huge massif was supported by the Tethys Ocean, which had shrunk in size. In the Cenozoic, there was a reduction in the area of the Tethys Ocean and intense mountain building in the south of the continent. By the end of the Tertiary period, the continent took on its modern shape.

Physical characteristics of the continent

Relief of Eurasia

The relief of Eurasia is extremely diverse; it contains some of the largest plains and mountain systems in the world, the East European Plain, the West Siberian Plain, and the Tibetan Plateau. Eurasia is the highest continent on Earth, its average height is about 830 meters (the average height of Antarctica is higher due to the ice sheet, but if its height is considered to be the height of the bedrock, then the continent will be the lowest). In Eurasia there are the highest mountains on Earth - the Himalayas (ind. Abode of Snows), and the Eurasian mountain systems of the Himalayas, Tibet, Hindu Kush, Pamir, Tien Shan, etc. form the largest mountain region on Earth.

The modern relief of the continent is caused by intense tectonic movements during the Neogene and Anthropocene periods. The East Asian and Alpine-Himalayan geosynclinal belts are characterized by the greatest mobility. A wide band of structures of different ages from Gissar-Alai to Chukotka is also characterized by powerful neotectonic movements. High seismicity is inherent in many areas of Middle, Central and East Asia and the Malay Archipelago. Active volcanoes in Eurasia are located in Kamchatka, the islands of East and Southeast Asia, Iceland and the Mediterranean.

The average height of the continent is 830 m, mountains and plateaus occupy about 65% of its territory.

The main mountain systems of Eurasia:

Himalayas
Alps
Hindu Kush
Karakoram
Tien Shan
Kunlun
Altai
Mountains of Southern Siberia
Mountains of North-Eastern Siberia
Western Asian highlands
Pamir-Alai
Tibetan plateau
Sayano-Tuva Plateau
Deccan plateau
Central Siberian Plateau
Carpathians
Ural Mountains

The main plains and lowlands of Eurasia

East European Plain
West Siberian Plain
Turanian Lowland
Great Chinese Plain
Indo-Gangetic Plain

The relief of the northern and some mountainous regions of the continent was influenced by ancient glaciation. Modern glaciers remain on the Arctic islands, Iceland and in the highlands. About 11 million km² (mainly in Siberia) is occupied by permafrost.

Geographical records of the mainland

In Eurasia there is the highest mountain on Earth - Chomolungma (Everest), the largest lake - the Caspian Sea and the deepest - Baikal, the largest mountain system by area - Tibet, the largest peninsula - the Arabian, the largest geographical area - Siberia, the lowest point sushi - Dead Sea Depression. The cold pole of the northern hemisphere, Oymyakon, is also located on the continent. Eurasia also contains the largest natural region on Earth - Siberia.

Historical and geographical zoning

Eurasia is the birthplace of the ancient civilizations of Sumer and China, and the place where almost all the ancient civilizations of the Earth were formed. Eurasia is conventionally divided into two parts of the world - Europe and Asia. The latter, due to its size, is divided into smaller regions - Siberia, the Far East, the Amur region, Primorye, Manchuria, China, India, Tibet, Uighuria (East Turkestan, now Xinjiang within the People's Republic of China), Central Asia, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Persia, Indochina, Arabia and some others. Other, less well-known regions of Eurasia - Tarkhtaria (Tartaria), Hyperborea are almost forgotten and not recognized today.

Climate of continent Eurasia

All climatic zones and climatic zones are represented in Eurasia. In the north, polar and subpolar climate zones predominate, then a wide strip of Eurasia is crossed by the temperate zone, followed by the subtropical zone. The tropical belt in Eurasia is interrupted, stretching across the continent from the Mediterranean and Red Seas to India. The subequatorial belt projects northward, covering India and Indochina, as well as the extreme south of China, while the equatorial belt covers mainly the islands of southeast Asia. Maritime climate zones are found predominantly in the west of the continent in Europe, as well as on the islands. Monsoon climate zones predominate in the eastern and southern regions. As the climate goes deeper inland, the continental climate increases, this is especially noticeable in the temperate zone when moving from west to east. The most continental climate zones are located in Eastern Siberia (see Sharply continental climate).

Nature on the continent

Natural areas

All natural zones are represented in Eurasia. This is due to the large size of the continent and its length from north to south.

The northern islands and high mountains are partially covered by glaciers. The polar desert zone extends mainly along the northern coast and a large part of the Taimyr Peninsula. Next comes a wide belt of tundra and forest-tundra, occupying the most extensive areas in Eastern Siberia (Yakutia) and the Far East.

Almost all of Siberia, a significant part of the Far East and Europe (northern and northeastern), is covered by coniferous forest - taiga. In the south of Western Siberia and on the Russian Plain (central and western parts), as well as in Scandinavia and Scotland, mixed forests are located. There are also areas of such forests in the Far East: in Manchuria, Primorye, Northern China, Korea and the Japanese Islands. Deciduous forests predominate mainly in the western part of Europe. Small areas of these forests are found in eastern Asia (China). In the southeast of Eurasia, there are tracts of moist equatorial forests.

The central and southwestern regions are occupied mainly by semi-deserts and deserts. In Hindustan and Southeast Asia there are areas of open forests and variable-humid and monsoon forests. Subtropical and tropical forests of the monsoon type also predominate in eastern China, and their temperate counterparts in Manchuria, the Amur region and Primorye. In the south of the western part of the continent (mainly the Mediterranean and on the Black Sea coast) there are zones of hard-leaved evergreen forests and shrubs (Mediterranean-type forests). Large areas are occupied by steppes and forest-steppes, occupying the southern part of the Russian Plain and the south of Western Siberia. Steppes and forest-steppes are also found in Transbaikalia and the Amur region; there are large areas of them in Mongolia and northern and northeastern China and Manchuria.

Areas of high altitude zones are widespread in Eurasia.

Fauna, animal world

The large, northern part of Eurasia belongs to the Holarctic zoogeographic region; the smaller, southern one - to the Indo-Malayan and Ethiopian regions. The Indo-Malayan region includes the Hindustan and Indochina peninsulas together with the adjacent part of the mainland, the islands of Taiwan, the Philippine and Sunda, the south of Arabia, together with most of Africa, is included in the Ethiopian region. Some southeastern islands of the Malay Archipelago are classified by most zoogeographers as belonging to the Australian zoogeographic region. This division reflects the peculiarities of the development of the Eurasian fauna in the process of changing natural conditions during the end of the Mesozoic and the entire Cenozoic, as well as connections with other continents. To characterize modern natural conditions, ancient extinct fauna known only in fossil form, fauna that disappeared in historical times as a result of human activity, and modern fauna are of interest.

At the end of the Mesozoic, a diverse fauna formed in Eurasia, consisting of monotremes and marsupial mammals, snakes, turtles, etc. With the advent of placental mammals, especially predators, lower mammals retreated south to Africa and Australia. They were replaced by proboscideans, camels, horses, and rhinoceroses, which inhabited most of Eurasia in the Cenozoic. The cooling of the climate at the end of the Cenozoic led to the extinction of many of them or their retreat to the south. Proboscideans, rhinoceroses, etc. in northern Eurasia are known only in fossil form, and now they live only in South and Southeast Asia. Camels and wild horses were until recently widespread in the arid interior of Eurasia.

The cooling of the climate led to the settlement of Eurasia by animals adapted to harsh climatic conditions (mammoth, aurochs, etc.). This northern fauna, the center of formation of which was located in the Bering Sea region and was common with North America, gradually pushed the thermophilic fauna to the south. Many of its representatives have become extinct, some have survived as part of the modern fauna of tundras and taiga forests. The drying up of the climate in the interior of the continent was accompanied by the spread of steppe and desert fauna, which survived mainly in the steppes and deserts of Asia, and partially became extinct in Europe.

In the eastern part of Asia, where climatic conditions did not undergo significant changes during the Cenozoic, many animals of pre-glacial times found refuge. In addition, through East Asia there was an exchange of animals between the Holarctic and Indo-Malayan regions. Within its borders, tropical forms such as the tiger, Japanese macaque, and others penetrate far to the north.

The distribution of modern wild fauna across the territory of Eurasia reflects both the history of its development, as well as the characteristics of natural conditions and the results of human activity.

On the northern islands and in the far north of the mainland, the composition of the fauna remains almost unchanged from west to east. The fauna of tundras and taiga forests has minor internal differences. The further south you go, the differences in latitude within the Holarctic become more and more significant. The fauna of the extreme south of Eurasia is already so specific and so different from the tropical fauna of Africa and even Arabia that they are classified as different zoogeographic regions.

The tundra fauna is especially uniform throughout Eurasia (as well as North America).

The most common large mammal of the tundra is the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). It is almost never found in the wild in Europe; This is the most common and valuable domestic animal in the north of Eurasia. The tundra is characterized by arctic fox, lemming and mountain hare.

Eurasian countries

The list below includes not only states located on the Eurasian mainland, but also states located on islands classified as Europe or Asia (for example, Japan).