Ural Mountains

The Ural Mountains are a rugged spine across Russia, running 1,300 miles

from the fringe of the Arctic in the North, to the bend of the Ural River in the

South. Traditionally they form a boundary between Europe and Asia. The north-

south course of the Urals is relatively narrow, varying from about 20 to 90

miles in width, but it cuts across the vast latitude landscape regions of the

Eurasian landmass, from Arctic waste to semidesert; the Urals also are part of

the Ural economic region, a highly developed industrial complex closely tied to

the mineral-rich Siberian region, and are the home of people with roots reaching

deep into history.

Physical Features

The Urals divide into five sections. The northernmost Polar Urals

extend some 240 miles from Mount Konstantinov Kamen in the north-east to the

Khulga River the southeast; most mountains rise to 3300-3600 feet above sea

level, although the highest peak, Mount Payer reaches 4829 ft. The next stretch,

the Nether-Polar Urals, extends for more than 140 miles south to the Shchugor

River. This section contains the highest peaks of the entire range, including

Mount Narodnaya which reaches 6217 ft. and Mount Karpinsk Which is 6161 ft.

These first two sections are typically Alpine and are Strewn with

Glaciers and are heavily marked with permafrost. Farther south come the Northern

Urals, which stretch for more than 340 miles to the Usa River in the south; most

mountains top 3300 feet, and the highest peak, Mount Telpos-Iz, rises 5305 ft.

Many of the summits are flattened, the remnants of the ancient Peneplains

uplifted by geographically tectonic movements. In the north, intensive

weathering has resulted in vast "seas of stone" on mountain slopes and summits.

The lower Central Urals extend more than 200 miles to the Ufa river, rarely

exceeding 1600 ft., althought the highest peak Mount SrednyBascy, rises to 3261

ft. The summits are smooth, with isolated residual outcrops. The last portion,

the Southern Urals, extends some 340 miles to the westward bend of the Ural

River and consists of several parallel ridges rising to 3900 ft. and culminating

in Mount Yamantau, 580 ft.; the section terminates in the wide uplands of the

Mugadozer h ills.

The People

Human habitation of the Urals dates to the distant past, The Nenetes are

Sanoyed people of the Pay-Khoyregion, and their language belongs to the

Samoyedic group of languages, which is widespread throughout northern Siberia.

The most numerous indigenous groups the Bashkir, long settled in the southern

Urals speak a tongue relater to the Turkic group. The Russian population is the

largest group of people and is concentrated primarily in the central and