The territory of the Far East is located along the Pacific coast for more than 4,500 thousand km. from Chukotka to the border with Korea. The northern part of the region is located beyond the Arctic Circle, so even in summer period snow cover is preserved. The southern territories are located at 40 latitudes - among the spruce groves, subtropical plants are often found here.

Nature

This region is characterized by contrasting phenomena and processes, which are due to the interaction of various air masses, cold and warm air masses, as well as the junction lithospheric plates. All this became a prerequisite for the formation of colorful natural conditions.

The Far Eastern Territory is located on the line of collision of the Pacific and Eurasian plates, resulting in the formation of mountain systems that stretch parallel to the ocean.

Most of the mountain ensembles of the Far East were formed back in the Mesozoic period, but mountain building processes continue to this day, as evidenced by systematic earthquakes in this region.

Climatic conditions

The contrasting climate of the Far Eastern Territory is predetermined by the interaction of marine and continental air masses in the temperate zone. Due to the cold air flow from the Asian High, winters in the region are severe and frosty.

Under the influence of warm currents from the ocean in winter period there is a large amount of precipitation, sometimes the thickness of the snow cover reaches 2 m.

Summer in the region is quite warm, but monsoon rains fall here every day. Many rivers of the Far East, in particular the Amur, begin to flood in the summer, as the snow melts gradually due to the long spring.

Relief, flora and fauna

A complex relief system, a combination of various air masses and closed basins are the factors that lead to the diversity of the vegetation cover of the Far Eastern Territory. The flora includes species characteristic of both cold Siberia and hot Asia.

Here are spruce coniferous forests adjacent to impenetrable thickets of bamboo. Lindens, spruces, hornbeams, pears, pines and nuts can be found in the forests. Dense thickets of broad-leaved forests are entwined with lianas, lemongrass and grapes.

The fauna of the Far East is also very diverse: reindeer, squirrels, sables, elk, which belong to Siberian species, as well as black deer, raccoon dogs, and Amur tigers live here.

Economy of the region

Vivid contrasts are typical and for the economy of the region. Industry is well developed in the Far East and Agriculture. Rice, potatoes, soybeans, legumes, wheat and a variety of vegetables are grown in the central and southern parts.

Also, the south of the Far East specializes in gardening. In the northern part of the region, expensive furs are made. The coastal areas are dominated by fishing.

In the bowels of the Far Eastern Territory, a large-scale ensemble of minerals is presented, which are rarely found in the same territory, these are copper, non-ferrous and iron ores, gold, phosphorites, oil, natural gas, apatite and graphite.

The East is not only one of the four cardinal directions. This is also the name of a large macro-region of the planet, which has a special culture and is opposed to the so-called Western world. It consists of three parts: Near, Middle and Far East. The relief, climate, natural resources and cities of the last of these regions will be discussed in our article.

Far East on the map

The Far East is most often called the eastern expanses of Russia, adjacent to the water area Pacific Ocean, which stretched from the Chukotka Peninsula in the north to Primorsky Krai in the south. The area of ​​the region is over 6 million square meters. km, which is approximately 36% of the total territory of the country.

In a broader interpretation, the Far East also includes the countries of Eastern and South-East Asia, including the islands of the Sunda archipelago.

Administratively, the Far East of Russia coincides with the borders of the Far East federal district. It includes nine subjects of the federation (marks on the map correspond to the numbers from the list). This is:

1. Chukchi autonomous region.
2. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
3. Kamchatka Krai.
4. Magadan Region.
5. Khabarovsk region.
6. Amurskaya Oblast.
7. Primorsky Krai.
8. Jewish Autonomous region.
9. Sakhalin region.

Far East time zones: UTC+9, UTC+10, UTC+11 and UTC+12. The time difference with Moscow in this region is 6, 7, 8 and 9 hours, respectively.

From north to south, the territory of the Far East stretches for 4500 kilometers, from west to east - for almost 3500 km. Thus, the southern extremities of the region are located at the latitudes of Sofia, Rome and Toulouse, while its northern outskirts are far beyond the Arctic Circle. Due to such a vast geographical position, the climate, natural resources and topography of the Far East are exceptionally diverse.

Climate and inland waters

The climatic features of the region are particularly contrasting. So, in Chukotka, a “frosty” subarctic climate dominates, in Yakutia - sharply continental, but in Primorsky Krai - monsoon. In the Far North, winters are severe, with little snow and long (up to nine consecutive months). The complex and predominantly mountainous relief has a considerable influence on the formation of the region's climate.

In the cold season, most of the Far East experiences heavy precipitation (rain, snowfall, snowstorms). This is explained simply: in winter, cold air currents from the so-called Asian Low mix with warm air masses from the Pacific Ocean, forming a large number of cyclones. Especially heavy snowfalls fall on Kamchatka and Sakhalin. Sometimes the height of the snow cover here reaches 5-6 meters!

In summer, abundant monsoon rains occur in the southern and southeastern parts of the region, as a result of which the largest Far Eastern river, the Amur, very often overflows its banks, leading to catastrophic consequences. At the same time of the year, the Pacific coast often suffers from strong typhoons coming from the south.

The river network of the Far East is dense and well developed. The watercourses of the region are usually full-flowing and often overflow their banks during rains. The longest river in the Far East is the Lena. It begins on the slopes of the Baikal Ridge and flows into the Laptev Sea, forming a vast multi-branched delta.

There are also many lakes in the Far East. Most often they are located in lowlands, as well as in zones of active volcanism. The largest lake in the region is Khanka, located on the border of Primorsky Krai and the Chinese province of Heilongjiang.

The relief of the Far East: common features

The relief of the region is predominantly mountainous. Plains and lowlands occupy only about 25% of its territory. This is the land of volcanoes, earthquakes and seismically active zones. Another feature of the local relief is a rather complex coastline.

The following natural and geological factors had a considerable influence on the formation of the relief of the Far East in its current appearance:

• Quaternary glaciations (there were two of them).
• Active physical weathering of rocks.
• Permafrost processes (especially solifluction).

The local landscapes may seem unusual and even a little "unearthly". The mountains and highlands here are smooth, soft, without expressive ridges or canyons. However, the closer to the shore of the Ocean, the more often there are pointed rocks and steep cliffs. The plateau plains stretching along the river valley of the Amur and its largest tributaries are also typical for this area.

Mountains of the Far East

There are plenty of mountains in this region. But many of them are low or medium in their absolute height. The largest mountain systems of the Far East include:

• Sikhote-Alin.
• Suntar Khayat.
• Verkhoyansk chains.
• Dzhugdzhur.
• Chersky Ridge.
• Sredinny and Vostochny ranges of Kamchatka.

Sikhote-Alin is the largest mountainous country in the Far East. It stretches for almost 1200 km within the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. The highest point of the massif is Mount Tordoki-Yani (2090 meters). The Sikhote-Alin mountain system is extremely heterogeneous. Its northern part is represented by gently rounded wooded peaks, while the southern part, on the contrary, is distinguished by a strongly dissected relief, with numerous gorges, rocky ledges and stone scree.

The Kamchatka Peninsula is rich in volcanoes, of which there are at least three hundred. The largest and most famous of them is Klyuchevskaya Sopka. This is the highest mountain in the Far East and the Asian part of Russia as a whole. Her absolute height is constantly changing: after the last eruption in 2013, it is 4835 meters above sea level. It should be noted that the unique and incredibly beautiful volcanoes of Kamchatka are included in the list world heritage UNESCO.

Natural wealth of the region

The Far East is extremely rich in various natural resources (in particular, mineral resources), which makes it possible for the region to occupy far from last place in the economy of the country. What just does not lie in its depths! These are gold, nickel, tin, diamonds, manganese, polymetallic and manganese ores, oil, gas, hard and brown coal, phosphorites. True, due to the vast territory, severe climatic conditions and low population of the region, all these resources are practically not developed.

Huge and diverse reserves of forest resources in the Far East. Their total volume is estimated by experts at about 11 billion cubic meters wood. It is important to note that the forestry, fishing industry, as well as the extraction of non-ferrous metals account for over 50% of all marketable products in the region.

Population and cities of the Far East

The population of this region is extremely small. To realize how much, the following fact will help: almost twice as many people live in Moscow alone than in the entire Far East. While this region is larger than Western Europe. Today, about 6.3 million people live within its boundaries.

top five largest cities Far East includes:

• Khabarovsk.
• Vladivostok.
• Yakutsk.
• Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
• Blagoveshchensk.

Today, the Far East is the leader in Russia in terms of depopulation processes. And with the birth rate in the region, everything is in order. main reason demographic decline - a colossal outflow of the population to other regions or countries. The forecasts of scientists in this regard are disappointing: by 2050 the population of the Far East may be reduced to 4 million people.

As a solution to the demographic problem in the region, experts propose many measures: reducing prices for utilities, activating social and cultural life, etc. Among the most exotic options is a proposal to move the capital from Moscow to one of the Far Eastern cities.

Geological structure of the Far East

The Far East is an area of ​​new Cenozoic folding, part of the Pacific Fold Belt. The Pacific Ocean, washing the shores of the Russian Far East, is the remnant of a single World Ocean. It is “advancing” on it from two sides by land in the form of America and Asia. In the contact zone, the continental plates “crush” the oceanic crust under them. The result is the formation of deep oceanic depressions, and volcanism and earthquakes accompany the most active mountain building processes. It turns out that the belt of mobile sections of the earth's crust - geosynclines - surrounds the Pacific Ocean and "compresses" the ring around it.

Experts note that the area of ​​the Pacific Ocean is shrinking. A chain of mountain ranges formed around it, called the Pacific Volcanic Belt. "The advance of land on the sea" and active mountain-building processes are also characteristic of the Russian Far East. A large number of volcanoes in this area is a consequence of the geological youth and a characteristic feature of tectonics. The Kamchatka Peninsula is distinguished by an abundance of volcanoes, $180$ of them are known here, including $29$ of active volcanoes. The Kuril Islands are also a chain of volcanic mountains.

Near the Kuril Islands there is a deep-water Kuril-Kamchatka trench, the depth of which reaches $9700$ m. Not all scientists, but a number of them, believe that, according to the theory of lithospheric plates, subsidence oceanic crust under the mainland. A complex tectonic structure is noted in the northern part of the Far East, the age of which is more ancient. Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands are mobile parts of the Pacific belt, are characterized by active volcanic activity and are located in the zone of the modern geosyncline.

In the tectonic structure of the mainland of the Far East, there are:

1. Structures of the platform series;
2. Folding systems;
3. marginal arrays.

The southeastern marginal part of the Far East has narrow deep-water depressions that run along the boundary of the oceanic crust. According to L.I. Krasny, a well-known geologist, a number of large megablocks of the earth's crust can be distinguished in the Far East.

These include:

1. Aldano-Stanovoy megablock;
2. Amur megablock;
3. Kolyma megablock;
4. Sea of ​​Okhotsk megablock;
5. Bering Sea megablock.

Within Aldano-Stanovoy The megablock contains such structural elements as the Aldano-Stanovoi Shield and the southeastern part of the Siberian Platform. A feature of the shield is its tendency to uplift, as a result of which the most ancient crystalline complexes appeared on the surface.

The main structural elements of the Amur megablock are:

1. Quite large intergeosynclinal massifs - Bureinsky, Khankaysky;
2. Amur-Okhotsk and Sikhote-Alin geosynclinal-folded systems;
3. East Sikhote-Alin volcanic belt.

The Kolyma megablock is characterized by:

1. Verkhoyansk-Chukotka folded region;
2. Omolon and Okhotsk massifs;
3. South Anyui fold zone;
4. Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanic belt.

In the Sea of ​​Okhotsk megablock stands out:

1. Island Kuril-Kamchatka arc;
2. Koni-Taigonossky volcanic belt;
3. Two geosynclinal-folded systems - Hokkaido-Sakhalin and East Sakhalin;
4. Sea of ​​Okhotsk massif;
5. Deep-sea South Sea of ​​Okhotsk depression.

The Bering Sea megablock includes:

1. Southern part of the Koryak geosyncline-fold system;
2. Northern part of the Kuril-Kamchatka island arc;
3. Western part of the Aleutian-Alaska system.

Relief of the Far East

The predominance of mountainous relief is connected with the complex tectonic structure of the northern part of the Far East. The plains occupy a subordinate position and are located on the shores of sea bays protruding into the land or in intermountain depressions - the Anadyr lowland, the Penzhinskaya lowland, the Parapolsky Dol, the Central Kamchatka depression. Most of the northern mountain ranges of the Far East are anticlines or blocky horst massifs. Depressions are confined to synclinal troughs. The ridges of the Chukchi Highlands compose the rocks of the Verkhoyansk complex and belong to the Mesozoic folding.

Within the limits of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanogenic belt, the southern ridges of the Chukotka highlands, the Anadyr plateau, the western part of the Anadyr-Penzhinsky depression and the ridges of the northern coast were formed. Sea of ​​Okhotsk. They are composed of volcanogenic terrestrial formations of Upper Cretaceous, Paleogene and Quaternary age. The Cenozoic folded zone includes the eastern regions of the Far East - the Koryak Highlands, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands. They are located in the zone of modern geosyncline and active volcanic activity. Most high mountains, whose height is $2000$-$3000$ m, are associated with this part of the territory. The highest point is the active volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka - $4750$ m. Not only tectonic processes took part in the formation of the modern relief of the Far East. A large role is given to the intensive erosional activity of rivers, due to the humid climate, the proximity of sea coasts, and the density of erosional dissection.

The following took part in the formation of the relief:

1. Double Quaternary glaciation;
2. physical weathering;
3. Deluvial flush;
4. Permafrost relief formation, especially solifluction.

Remark 1

In general, for the Far East, the characteristic types of relief are low-mountain and mid-mountain massifs. Some of them are dissected by a network of deep valleys, others are massive with flat tops. The average heights vary from $500$-$600$ m to $1500$-$1700$ m. The highest ridges of the Chukotka, Koryak Uplands and Kamchatka have a high-altitude, often alpine relief, which is characterized by various forms created by both modern and Quaternary glaciers. Lava plateaus play a significant role in the relief of the Far East.

Minerals of the Far East

The Russian Far East is rich in various minerals, in terms of the reserves of which it is the leader not only in Russia, but also in the world. Hydrocarbons, apatites, rare earth metals, rare metals, silver, polymetallic ores, manganese ores, titanomagnetite ores, copper and iron ores occur in the bowels of the region. It is planned to develop coal, bauxite, tin, the chemical characteristics of which correspond to world standards. In the Far East there are such deposits, the development of which does not require large expenditures, therefore, a long time for their development will not be required.

The mineral deposits of the Far East are not well studied and have a number of characteristic features:

1. There is no infrastructure necessary for development;
2. Terrain inaccessible for reconnaissance;
3. Transportation for ore processing is very expensive;
4. Insufficient depth to extract raw materials.

INTRODUCTION

The Far East is usually called the territory of Russia, located off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. This territory also includes the Kuril archipelago located directly in the Pacific Ocean, over which Russia and Japan have been arguing for many years. The Far East consists of mainland, peninsular and insular parts. In addition to the Kuril Islands, it also includes the Kamchatka Peninsula, Sakhalin Island, the Commander Islands and other (smaller) single islands located near the eastern borders of Russia. Administratively, the region includes 9 subjects Russian Federation, which are part of the Far Eastern Federal District. These are the Amur, Magadan, Sakhalin regions, the Jewish Autonomous Region, Kamchatka, Primorsky, Khabarovsk Territory, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

The Far East has always been a unique part of Russia.

Its uniqueness, first of all, was due to a significant distance from the center of the country, as well as the fact that the Far East is a strategic important region allowing Russia to have direct access to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, in the territory of the Far East there is a significant amount of minerals and minerals, which are the foundation of the country's economic development.

The purpose of this work is to characterize the existing state of the problems of nature management.

To achieve the goal, the following tasks are set:

1) description of the relief, climate, natural resources, flora and fauna of the region;

2) detection environmental issues East.

Physical location

The length of the Far East from the northeast (from Chukotka) to the southwest (to the borders of Korea and Japan) is quite large and amounts to 4.5 thousand kilometers. The area of ​​the region is 6169.3 thousand km², or about 36% of the territory of the Russian Federation.

The territory of the Far East is located in 4 time zones. In the I time zone (Kamchatka Oblast and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug), the difference between local and world time is +12h. (between local and Moscow time +9h.) In the II zone (Magadan region) the difference between local and world time is +11h. (+9 hours with Moscow). In III (Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories) this difference is +10h. (+7 hours compared to Moscow); in the IV time zone (Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Chita region) +9h. (+6 hours compared to Moscow). The Far East on the map of Russia is shown in Figure 1.

It is washed by the seas: Laptev, East Siberian, Bering, Okhotsk and Japanese.

Fig.1.

Relief

The relief (Fig. 2.) of the Far East is elevated and even mountainous, which is the result of the structure of the lithosphere in this part of the planet. The fact is that the Far East is located at the junction of two large lithospheric plates. The result of this is the active tectonic mobility of the territory. In particular, this applies to the eastern regions, the folding of which was formed back in the Cenozoic. Quite strong tremors occur quite often in this part of the planet even now.

Fig.2.

In the south of the Far East, low and medium-altitude mountain ranges, such as Bureinsky and Dzhugdzhur, mainly predominate. In the north, there are highlands (Kolyma, Chukotka) and plateaus (Anadyr), which arose as a result of volcanic activity. Mountain ranges located on the Kamchatka Peninsula stand out here.

Only a quarter of the territory of the Far East is occupied by plains. They are mainly located in those parts of the coast where tectonic activity is low (West Kamchatka, North Sakhalin), as well as in intermountain depressions (Middle Amur, Anadyr, Central Kamchatka), so their area is relatively small. ……….The relief of the Far East was formed mainly in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic periods. It was then that folded zones and intermountain depressions appeared. The ocean had some influence on the formation of the relief. So, for example, the entire modern island of Sakhalin and the eastern slope were under water at that time. Only later did these areas appear on the surface, where they are still.

From west to east, the nature of the morphostructures of the Far East changes from older to younger, and from folded-blocky to folded and blocky-folded. The highest parts of the mountains (the ridges of Dzhagdy, Bureinsky, Badzhalsky, Sikhote-Alin and others) were occupied by glaciers in ancient times. Traces of this have been preserved in our time in the idea of ​​various small landforms (hills, carts and troughs).

Thus, as a result of various internal (tectonic) and external (glaciation, winds, ocean waters) Various types relief:

· erosion-denudation mid-mountains and low-mountains with areas of glacial landforms on Paleozoic and Mesozoic blocky-folded structures;

· erosion-denudation low mountains of Sikhote-Alin and Sakhalin on Mesozoic and Cenozoic fold-block and folded structures with lava plateaus;

· denudation-erosion layered plains of intermountain depressions of the Amur region;

· Accumulative plains of intermountain depressions on Mesozoic and Cenozoic folded structures.

Depending on the nature of tectonic processes, the relief forms on the surface also change. So, for example, on the Kuril Islands, under which the thickness of the earth's crust reaches 15-20 kilometers, three elements are mainly developed tectonic structure. These are deep-sea trenches, island arcs and deep-water depressions. Their formation was carried out sequentially. At the first stage, a deep-water trench formed at the point of contact between the oceanic and continental plates. At the second stage, a marginal sea is formed, and then a rift depression near the islands.

The relief of the Kamchatka Peninsula and the mainland of the country is a reflection of more ancient period. It is dominated by continental and transitional (from oceanic to continental) Earth's crust, blocky-folded structures, longitudinal-transverse deflections. In the relief of this territory, these features are expressed by lowlands and volcanic forms. Here, for example, the intermountain Anadyr-Penzhinskaya Plain is located.

The structure of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands is mainly composed of Cretaceous and sedimentary rocks. Loose Neogene deposits are also present in the places of troughs. Modern processes relief formations in the Far East are determined by tectonic processes and permafrost (in the northern part).

Active tectonic processes currently taking place in the Far East are the cause of various natural disasters. There are several active volcanoes and geysers in this area. Quite often, strong (up to 10 points) earthquakes and seaquakes occur in this part of the planet. The latter cause a tsunami - huge ocean waves. All these cataclysms lead to significant destruction and even human casualties. Therefore, this part of Russia is the most unfavorable in terms of the presence hazardous phenomena nature.

1) On the map, study the geographical location of this region of Russia.

Think about the impact it has on the nature of the Far East.

The Far East occupies the extreme eastern position in the country. The region stretched from Chukotka to the Ussuri region. The northern regions of the Far East lie beyond the Arctic Circle, and the southern regions lie at the latitude of the Mediterranean. The territory of the Far East consists of the mainland, peninsular (Kamchatka, Chukotka) and insular (Sakhalin, Kuril, Commander Islands, etc.). This geographic location makes big variety natural conditions.

2) Define geographical coordinates extreme northern and southern points of the Far East, compare its latitudinal position with other territories of our country.

His extreme north point- Cape Shelaginsky (700N, 1710E), the southernmost - at the mouth of the Tyumen-Ula River (420N, 1300E). Compared to other regions of the country, the Far East covers large quantity climatic zones and has a wide variety of conditions.

3) What subjects of the federation are part of this area.

It consists of six administrative units: Primorsky, Khabarovsk and Kamchatka Territories. Amur, Magadan and Sakhalin regions.

Questions in a paragraph

*Remember what resources are especially rich in the seas of the Pacific Ocean, washing the shores of Russia.

The seas of the Pacific Ocean are especially rich in biological resources, have importance as international sea ​​routes have great recreational potential.

*Explain why in winter there are great contrasts between the temperatures of the coastal and inland regions of the Far East.

The coastal areas have a milder and more humid monsoonal climate. Due to the features of the relief, humid air masses do not penetrate deep into the mainland, and a sharply continental climate is formed in the interior.

*Name the largest rivers flowing in the temperate zone of the Far East.

Lena, Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma.

Questions at the end of the paragraph

1. Specify the most specific features geographical location Far East.

The extreme eastern position in the country and remoteness from other areas. The Far East has a large latitudinal elongation and a huge meridional one along the entire Pacific coast of Russia. The region has a long coastline.

2. Tell us about the researchers of the Far East, name and show geographic features bearing their names.

In the 17th century, Russian expansion began in Siberia and the Far East. Yakutsk was founded in 1632. In 1647, the Cossacks, led by Semyon Shelkovnikov, founded a winter hut on the shores of the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk, on the site of which Okhotsk, the first Russian port, is today. AT mid-seventeenth centuries, Russian explorers, such as Poyarkov and Khabarov from the Yakut prison, went south to the Zeya and Amur rivers, where they encountered tribes that paid tribute to the Qing Empire (China), that is, they were under Chinese citizenship. As a result of the first Russian-Chinese conflict between Russia and the Qing Empire, the Nerchinsk Treaty was concluded, according to which the Cossacks were to transfer to the Qing government the territories of the Albazinsky Voivodeship formed on the lands of the Daurs. The treaty defined the system of trade and diplomatic relations between states. The border between the countries under the Nerchinsk Treaty in the north passed along the Gorbitsa River and the mountains of the watershed of the Amur Basin. The area of ​​the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk between the Kivun and Taikan ranges remained undelimited. At the end of the 17th century, Russian Cossacks - Atlasov and Kozyrevsky began to explore the Kamchatka Peninsula, which at the beginning of the 18th century was included in the Russian Empire.

In 1724, Peter I sent the First Kamchatka Expedition to the peninsula, led by Vitus Bering. Expedition enriched Russian science valuable information about the eastern coast of Siberia (in particular, the territory of today's Magadan and Kamchatka regions), new maps, accurate determinations of the coordinates of the Far Eastern coast, the strait, which was later called the Bering Strait. In 1730 Russian government The Second Kamchatka Expedition was organized under the leadership of Bering and Chirikov with the task of reaching the shores of America (in particular, the Aleutian Islands and Alaska). In the 18th century, Krasheninnikov, Steller, Chichagov were engaged in the exploration of Kamchatka.

In the 18th century, Old Believers and disgraced dignitaries, such as Golovkin, were exiled to Yakutia.

In the 19th century, active development of the Far East began by Russian pioneers, which was largely facilitated by the rapid weakening of the power of the Qing empire, which in 1840 was drawn into the first opium war. The fighting against the combined forces of England and France in the south of the country, in the regions of Macau and Guangzhou, drew on significant material and human resources. The northern regions of China were left practically without any cover, which Russia did not fail to take advantage of, along with other European powers, which took an active part in the division of the decrepit Qing Empire. In 1850, Lieutenant G. I. Nevelskoy landed at the mouth of the Amur and established a military post there without permission. Convinced that the Qing administration, which by that time had not recovered from the consequences of the first opium war and was bound in its actions by the outbreak of the Taiping uprising in the country, was unable to adequately respond to the territorial claims of Russia, Nevelskoy decided to declare the mouth of the Amur and the coast of the Tatar Strait the possessions of the Russian Empire. . May 14, 1854 - Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Count N. N. Muravyov, having received from G. I. Nevelsky data on the absence of Qing military units along the Amur, organized the first rafting on the river, which included: the steamer "Argun" , 48 boats, 29 rafts and about 800 people. Rafting delivered to the lower reaches of the Amur ammunition, food, troops (a hundred Cossacks, the 2nd cavalry brigade of the Transbaikal army). Part of the troops then went by sea to Kamchatka to strengthen the Peter and Paul garrison, while part remained on Chinese territory to implement the Muravyov project for the development of the Amur region.

A year later, the second rafting took place, in which about 2.5 thousand people participated. By the end of 1855, there were already five Russian settlements in the lower reaches of the Amur: Irkutsk, Bogorodskoe, Novo-Mikhailovskoe, Sergeevskoe. In 1858, the right bank of the Amur officially ceded to Russia under the Aigun Treaty concluded with the Qing Empire.

3. Give a description of the relief of the Far East.

Almost the entire territory of the Far East belongs to the areas of Cenozoic folding. And in the extreme east, the earth's crust is especially unstable, and turmoil continues in our time. The relief of the Far East is mostly mountainous. This is a region of earthquakes and tsunamis, a seismic zone. In the south, medium-altitude and low mountains (Sikhote-Alin) prevail, high mountains (volcanoes) stand out on the Kamchatka Peninsula (Klyuchevskaya Sopka - 4750 m), there are territories with a flat relief (Central Kamchatka Plain - intermountain depression), there is also the Kolyma Highlands, Anadyr Plateau.

4. Why does the distribution of soils in the Far East differ from the zoning scheme of the Russian Plain?

The formation of certain soils is associated with relief and climate. Soils are tied in distribution to natural areas. climate, relief, natural areas(their areas and distribution) of the Russian Plain and the Far East are different, therefore, the zonal distribution of soils is different.