Most of us have heard about the geographical location, climate and features of the Chukotka Peninsula in the middle classes of a comprehensive school. Much, unfortunately, has been forgotten, and now offhand we can recall that this place is terribly cold for most of the year, and life there is difficult and very different from ours.
This article was written in order not only to mention the geographical location of the Chukotka Peninsula, but also to acquaint the reader with the features of this part of Russia, its sights, flora and fauna.
General information
First of all, it should be noted that Chukotka is really an unrealistically large, remote and cold region of Russia. Almost the entire territory of the region is located beyond the Arctic Circle, so winter here lasts almost 10 months. During the polar night in Chukotka, the sun does not show at all, but in summer it does not set at all.
In general, this region is incrediblebeautiful and different from most of Russia not only for its rich flora and fauna, but also for its unique, original sights.
Unfortunately, today the territory of the Chukotka Peninsula has a poorly developed infrastructure, and already rare flights that constantly follow here are postponed due to strong winds and constant snowfalls.
The capital of the region is the amazing and unusual city of Anadyr. It is here, albeit with a delay and not as often as we would like, that planes arrive from all over our vast country.
If you remember where the Chukotka Peninsula is located, it becomes clear why it is famous primarily for its national parks, lakes and a nature reserve called Wrangel Island.
The harsh Arctic climate has contributed to the development of a fairly diverse flora and fauna of the region. Today, more than 35 species of mammals, 170 species of birds and over 630 species of lichens and mosses can be found here.
Geography of Chukotka
The Chukotka Peninsula, whose photos clearly show the beauty of the harsh region, is an autonomous region of Russia, located in the extreme northeast.
It is spread over an area of more than 720 thousand km2. In general, we can say that Chukotka starts from the lower reaches of the Kolyma, stretches to the Bering Strait and goes to the Arctic Ocean.
The district occupies the twenty-fourth part of the entire territory of Russia. In the south, the border of the region runs along the Anadyr River and the riversbasin of the Sea of Okhotsk, borders on the Kamchatka region. In the west it is adjacent to the Magadan region and Yakutia. In the eastern part of the district, the state border runs along the sea.
Today, the Chukotka Peninsula also includes the islands of Ratmanov, Wrangel, Gerald and others.
Relief features
The relief of Chukotka consists mainly of plateaus, over which huge ridges rise.
In the north there is a highland of the same name, consisting mainly of parallel ridges, the maximum height of which reaches 1843 m above sea level. It is a watershed of the rivers of the Pacific and Arctic Ocean basins. In addition, the region also contains the Anyui Highlands with altitudes up to 1853 m, the Anadyr Plateau with elevations up to 1082 m, the Kolyma and Koryak Highlands.
The relief of the Chukotka Peninsula is also made up of domed hills (hills) with a height of up to 700 m.
The lowlands of this region are adjacent to sea bays, abound in lakes and are heavily swamped.
From a geological point of view, the relief of Chukotka was formed as a result of neotectonic movements, which, by the way, are still ongoing.
Chukotka Peninsula: climate and its features
The climate of the region is determined by the monsoon circulation. It is because of this that there are only two seasons in Chukotka - a short warm and long frosty period, lasting from October to May. In cold weather, the continent cools strongly, andsharp warmings with blizzards and snowfalls erupt from the Pacific Ocean.
In warm weather, on the contrary, cold wet masses move from the ocean to the mainland, forming the summer monsoon. The average July air temperature is +130 C, and only on some days it rises to +300 C. It is much colder on the coast, the average daily temperature of the coast Chukchi Sea is rarely higher than +50 С.
The proximity of the vast water cover of the two oceans creates increased humidity, fogs and overcast weather, and the closer to the coast, the more severe the weather becomes.
Winter is very frosty, but sunny and dry, and the northern part of Chukotka is also characterized by polar days and nights.
Nature of the Chukotka Peninsula
Chukotka is located in 4 natural zones, therefore it has a diverse vegetation cover. The zone of the Arctic tundra is made up of cold deserts and semi-deserts, the vegetation cover of which consists of shrub-moss and sedge-hummock representatives of the flora.
In addition, the territory of Chukotka is located in the zone of the southern hypoarctic tundra, forest tundra, and deciduous taiga.
In summer, only the top layer of the earth's surface thaws in this area, supplying the desired moisture to plants and protecting them from the harmful effects of permafrost.
The Chukchi coast is the richest region in the Arctic in terms of flora. Almost half of the area is occupied by high-mountain tundras, stone deserts and semi-deserts. Vegetation covers onlya third of the surface and is represented by several dozen plant species, including a huge number of flowers.
The lowlands of the region are covered with shallow thermokarst lakes. For example, Lake Krasnoe has an area of 600 km2 and a maximum depth of 4 m. Stripes of meadows, swamps and shrubs stretch along the rivers.
Memorable places of this region
Sights of the Chukotka Peninsula are represented by five main objects:
- Provideniya Bay - Museum of local lore, surrounded by fantastic nature, keeping the story of the life of the Chukchi indigenous population - the Chukchi, Eskimos and Evenks.
- Whale Alley - a sanctuary, a mysterious monument of ancient Eskimo culture.
- Cape Navarin is the pearl of Chukotka, the most beautiful, unusual and majestic corner of the peninsula.
- Naukan is an old village founded by the Eskimos in the 14th century. Now it is deserted and abandoned.
- Elgygytgyn is a mysterious romantic lake formed more than three million years ago.
Curious facts
In the 30s of the XX century, the Soviet authorities forced the Chukchi and Evenki to wash with soap, after which the mortality rate in this region increased significantly. It turns out that in this way they completely washed off the beneficial bacteria that protected them from dangerous viruses from birth.
Chukotka is famous for a huge number of climate records, including the lowest radiation balance and the least sunshine.
Chukotka residents have the exclusive right to a visa-free trip to Alaska (USA), but they, as citizens of the Russian Federation, need to obtain permission from the border service to get there.
Tundra Chukchi are divided into two peoples: Chavchu and Ankalyn, and together they are called "luoravetlan".
Throughout history, animals on the Chukchi Peninsula and in the adjacent ocean waters have lived in a variety of ways. Whales, walruses, seals, polar bears, musk oxen are just large mammals. Apparently, this is why the Primorye Chukchi became so famous for their bone carving.
