Kanin Peninsula: description, location and interesting facts

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Kanin is a peninsula located in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug of Russia. It is washed by two seas - the White and the Barents. It starts from the Mezen Bay. It ends with a rocky cape in the northwest called Kanin nose and Mikulin in the southeast. A ridge composed of crystalline schists - this is how the Kanin Peninsula can be called. Where is this piece of land located? For a more accurate description of the geographical position, it is necessary to know its coordinates - 68 ° north latitude and 45 ° east longitude. The peninsula belongs to the Arkhangelsk region. Geographically, this is a region of the Far North.

Kanin Peninsula: description and features of the coastline

The coast of the peninsula, which washes the White Sea, is divided into shores. They, in turn, have their own names. For example, the western one is called the Kaninsky coast. But the coasts of the Barents Sea have no names.

Besides this, the White Sea consists of 3 parts, namely the water area itself, the throat and the funnel. Kanin is located just near the funnel, onthe bottleneck where the two bodies of water meet. Under such circumstances, huge waves form in the area. This means that it is quite dangerous to cross on ships in these places.

Characteristic

Currently, Kanin is a peninsula in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug of Russia. However, earlier, about 10 thousand years ago, it was an island. The most powerful current, the Gulf Stream, passed through the strait that separated it from the mainland. But gradually large deposits of sand accumulated in this place. And it is thanks to them that Kanin is now a peninsula.

Its area is approximately 10.5 thousand square meters. km. If you look at the peninsula on the map, you will notice that it is narrow and long. Its length is 300 km, and its width is only 70 km. The entire territory of the peninsula is densely indented by rivers. Some of them flow into the Barents Sea (Moskvina, Peschanka, Makovaya, etc.), others into the White Sea (Chizha, Mgla, Mesna, etc.).

Local features

Kanin is a peninsula that is a flat area. There are lakes filled with peaty black water. The surface is mainly hard, flat sand, so most locals freely ride motorcycles there. The peninsula is known as continuous tundra. Rare vegetation is found on its territory. Basically, winds prevail here, which carry sand washed in by sea water.

Population

At the moment there are 9 small settlements. Of these, five are officially recognized as non-residential. True, this does not meanthat the Kanin Peninsula is completely uninhabited. Members of the expedition, hunters, fishing, and rare tourists usually stop here.

Kanin is rather poorly mastered by man. This is most likely due to the harsh subarctic climate in this area. Winter lasts approximately 7 months. Climatic features are fully consistent with the northern regions of Russia.

Plant and animal life

The Kanin Peninsula is mostly flat terrain. The territory looks like a monotonous tundra, which is often interrupted by lakes and shallow rivers. Sometimes you can see small hills. Vegetation on the Kanin Peninsula is very sparse. Only small shrubs and mushrooms can be found in this area. The local population, in addition to fish and meat, eats berries, which are mainly collected by women.

On the peninsula, fishing for sea animals and fish is very developed. Currently, existing settlements are widely engaged in this type of activity. Of the mammals, deer are found here, and not only tame, but also wild. Reindeer husbandry is widely developed on the peninsula. These animals are used as a means of transportation in the winter. Also here you can meet a fox, arctic fox, guinea pig, northern hare. The birds that live on the peninsula lead an exclusively nomadic lifestyle. These are owls, gulls, plovers, crooks, loons and others. They change their location depending on the poreyear.

Features of the life of the indigenous population

The Kanin Peninsula is inhabited by unique people. Their main feature is kindness. If a fisherman returns home with a big catch, then without a shadow of a doubt he gives the unnecessary part to his neighbors and, surprisingly, completely free of charge. As you know, there are a large number of small rivers on the peninsula. But each settlement calls them by different names. And surprisingly, they also chuckle at what the other settlers called them.

When a boy turns exactly 4 years old, he is considered independent, and his father gives him a belt with a knife as a gift. Each offspring has its own deer. Children help their parents from an early age. Boys like to go fishing or hunting, and girls like to pick berries.

To learn elementary sciences, children have to fly by helicopter to a completely different city for a long nine months. For parents, this separation seems like an insurmountable test. Families on the peninsula are mostly large families. Instead of coverings, they use the skin of deer, clothes are also made from skins. Only women do this kind of work. They are also responsible for preparing meals. Every housewife has her own recipe for baking bread.

There is no electricity, no communications, no oil rigs on the peninsula. The strange thing is that people living in this area are not afraid of the dark at all.

Description of the peninsula in books

One of the English explorers visited Kanin Island and expressed all hisimpressions in the work. In the 19th century, a book called "Journey to the Kanin Peninsula" was published. It was written by the Russian geologist Konstantin Ivanovich Grevingk. In it, he described the geological structure of this piece of land.

Summarize

The Kanin Peninsula is almost out of reach for tourists. Although it is extremely interesting, it is quite difficult to get to it. Mostly scientific expeditions or researchers come here, as well as participants in any scientific projects. But they do not stay here for long, as it will be very difficult to withstand such a climate and a difficult path.