Interesting Facts. Geographical discoveries of Russian travelers

Drake Strait and Lisyansky Island, Cape Chelyuskin and Livingston Falls, Australian Tasmania and Hudson Bay... Naming the places where the ships of legendary travelers ended up many years ago, we will admire the daredevils who left their names on geographical maps.

Wrangel Island

Flag Russian Empire The crew of the Vaigach icebreaker raised the island in 1911. However, it was not Russian polar explorers who discovered it, but the British explorer Henry Kellett, who in 1849 passed by on a ship, but did not land on the shore. The island got its name in honor of Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel - admiral, navigator, polar explorer who studied the northeast coast of Siberia and the west coast North America from the Bering Strait to California, was the ruler of Russian America and actively opposed the sale of Alaska to the United States.

Wrangel Island, lost in the far north, in the Arctic Ocean, has been under the protection of UNESCO since 2004. Last glacial period bypassed it, so today there are as many rare animals and plants as there are on any Arctic island in the world. Even willows grow here, however, dwarf ones, no more than a meter high. Its real owners are walruses, polar bears and geese. Scientists say that it is on these shores that one of the largest walrus rookeries in the Arctic is quartered - up to 130 thousand individuals. On Wrangel itself and the neighboring tiny Herald, there is the largest number of "maternity" polar bear dens in the world - from 300 to 500.

Strait of Magellan

In 1520, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan made several geographical discoveries at once. The first and foremost of these was the discovery of a 575-kilometer strait between the islands at the southern tip of South America and the mainland itself. The search for the strait took a lot of time: Magellan studied more than two thousand kilometers of the coast, looking out for the treasured sea corridor among the endless bays and bays. Before embarking on the “wintering”, Magellan mistook the mouth of the La Plata River for the strait, but soon realized that he was mistaken.

Only months later, Magellan's flotilla ended up at a narrow strait that led deep into the mainland. The ships passed it in 38 days, and the Portuguese did not lose a single ship during this difficult journey. Having explored the strait, Magellan at the same time discovered the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, and also gave the name to the ocean in which he found himself - Pacific (the voyage took place in good weather).

Mount Fitzroy

British Navy officer Robert Fitzroy made history as an explorer of the inhospitable southern coasts. Latin America, and also as the person who discovered Charles Darwin to the world. It was him, a 23-year-old graduate of the University of Cambridge, that Fitzroy took with him on a trip around the world on the Beagle ship and allowed him to collect huge scientific material during the trip.

On December 27, 1831, the ship left Portsmouth and set sail. On board the Beagle was a team of 70 people, as well as three Indians, whom Fitzroy had taken to England during a previous expedition to get acquainted with civilization, and now he wanted to return to their homeland. Having reached the shores of South America, the ship spent more than three years off its coast. Fitzroy did a great cartographic work, mapped numerous islands off the eastern and western coasts of the mainland, explored the Strait of Magellan and Patagonia.

It's funny that Robert Fitzroy, during his journey, never saw the mountain that today bears his name. Almost 40 years after his voyage to the South American peak in the wilds of Patagonia, the Argentine traveler Francisco Moreno came across. He decided to name the picturesque peak 3375 meters high in honor of the famous British explorer.

Cape Dezhnev

Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnev in 1648 rounded the Chukotka Peninsula from the north and proved that it was possible to get from Europe to China through the northern seas. He passed through the strait separating America from Eurasia 80 years earlier than Vitus Bering, but since little was known about Russian pioneers in the Old World at that time, Bering got fame. However, in 1879, restoring justice, the Swedish Arctic explorer Niels Nordenskiöld called the extreme east point Eurasia named after the Russian navigator. Until that time, the cape was called Vostochny.

Cape Dezhnev is one of the most brutal places on the Chukotka Peninsula. Here the rocks are piled one on top of the other, there are often fogs and a piercing wind is constantly blowing. However, despite the remoteness from civilization, these places have attractions: the lighthouse named after Semyon Dezhnev and an old cross, installed side by side, an abandoned settlement of whalers of the XVIII-XX centuries - Naukan (it was disbanded during Soviet power). However, those who climb into these parts go to look at the unique fauna: there are countless bird colonies, there is a walrus and seal rookery, in spring you can see polar bears with cubs. Sometimes killer whales and gray whales swim close to the shore.

Mount Cook

The highest peak in New Zealand (3754 meters) is located on the South Island, in the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. This is the land of endless valleys, glaciers, lakes and the Southern Alps (the so-called mountain range, stretching from south to north). The air here is so cold and fresh that it burns the lungs. The weather is changeable: sometimes the sun shines brightly, sometimes it drizzles. Dozens of wildflowers grow in the foothills, and a few meters higher, on the mountain slopes, the ground is covered with an ice crust and a layer of snow.

The mountain is named after one of the most famous navigators who ever lived, James Cook. The English explorer visited the coast of New Zealand during his first trip around the world in 1768-1771. He opened the strait between the North and southern islands(bears his name) and proved that New Zealand is two independent pieces of land, and not part of an unknown mainland.

Ratmanov Island

Ratmanov Island is located in the Bering Strait and is a large rock with a flat top covered with a snow cap. This is the easternmost point of Russia, from where, in good weather, you can see the coast of Alaska. There is no special life here, except that the border guards are on duty, and buffy hummingbirds fly in to stay during the migration, which are heading for California.

The name of the island has changed several times. At first, it bore the name Imaklik - that was the name of the Eskimos who once lived here. Another name is Big Diomede (“big diomeid”, as the Americans say). There is also Little Diomede (or Krusenstern Island), it is a neighbor of Ratmanov Island and belongs to the USA. The name of Diomede was given to the archipelago by Vitus Bering, who in August 1728 ended up in these parts on his boat "Saint Gabriel". 90 years later, the waters of the Bering Strait were plied by the navigator Otto Kotzebue, who decided to name the Big Diomede after his colleague, naval officer Makar Ratmanov, with whom he participated in the circumnavigation.

Bering Strait

The strait, along which the water border between Russia and the United States passes and which separates the continents of Eurasia and North America, is named after Vitus Bering, an officer of the Russian fleet of Danish origin. In the XVIII century, he led two expeditions to Kamchatka, discovered several Aleutian Islands. Bering passed through this strait in 1728, the first European navigator.

The width of the strait at its narrowest point is only 86 kilometers, and desperate daredevils periodically try to overcome this distance by boat or by swimming. Most often, their plans are frustrated due to bad weather. In the summer of 2012, Philippe Croison, a French disabled athlete without arms and legs, swam across a 4-kilometer section of the strait between Kruzenshtern Island and Ratmanov Island.

Drake Passage

The strait connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean is the widest on Earth. Even its narrow part is more than 800 kilometers. In the north it washes the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, in the south it borders on Antarctica, more precisely on the South Shetland Islands. The famous English pirate discovered this strait Francis Drake. It was he who first sailed through it in 1578 on the ship "Golden Doe", thus making the second after Magellan trip around the world.

The Drake Passage is a very dangerous place for sailors, it is replete with whirlpools, bad weather often rages in it and severe storms occur. To defeat him, you have to be very brave. Such, for example, as Fedor Konyukhov. In 2010, a Russian traveler at the head of a round-the-world expedition sailed through it for the sixth time.

Hudson Bay

This huge water area in the north of Canada is called the Canadian Inland Sea due to the fact that the bay goes deep into the country. It is noteworthy that Hudson Bay belongs to both the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic.

Sebastian Cabot was the first to visit here at the beginning of the 16th century. A hundred years later, in 1611, the bay was rediscovered by Henry Hudson under tragic circumstances. Going on another expedition in search of northern route to Asia, Hudson encountered a mutiny on the ship. The sailors took possession of the ship and turned back, and he, with his son and other members of the crew, who probably supported the Hudson, were put on a rowboat, leaving them no supplies. Nothing more is known about the fate of the legendary navigator. It is believed that he disappeared in the icy expanses of the bay, deservedly named after him.

Lisyansky Island

This small Pacific island in the northwest of the Hawaiian archipelago was discovered during Ivan Krusenstern's round-the-world trip in 1805. It was named after the captain of the Neva sloop Fyodor Lisyansky, who participated in the expedition. Until the beginning of the 20th century, guano was mined here - fertilizer from litter. Since 1909, the island, at the initiative of Theodore Roosevelt, became part of the Hawaiian Bird Sanctuary.

Not far from Lisyansky Island is a giant coral reef with an area of ​​979 square kilometers called the Neva Shoals, or Neva Shoals, which got its name from the Neva vessel on which Lisyansky and his crew sailed. It was they who first discovered this reef, stumbling upon it and miraculously not breaking. It is here, in the Neva Shoals area, that you can see the most beautiful coral colonies, for which the reef is called the “coral garden”.

Thaddeus Islands

The Thaddeus Islands are named after the discoverer of Antarctica, Thaddeus Faddeevich Bellingshausen. They are located off the eastern coast of the Taimyr Peninsula. This group of islands was discovered in 1736 by members of the Great Northern Expedition, or rather, by the detachment of Vasily Pronchishchev, a Russian polar explorer. They were moving on wooden ship along the northeastern coast of Taimyr, at the risk of getting stuck in the ice, and made a description coastline. Together with Pronchishchev, his wife Tatyana also traveled. True, unofficially. However, she became the first female member of the Arctic expeditions.

There is a version that the islands were found much earlier, in 1689, when Ivan Tolstoukhov, the first explorer of Taimyr, went to study these lands. However, his ship was crushed by ice. According to scientists, people then landed on the Thaddeus Islands, having managed to save the most valuable and necessary things from the ship. From the islands, they crossed the frozen sea to the mainland, where they built a hut from driftwood. But none of the members of Tolstoukhov's expedition could survive. That is why nothing was known about the islands before Pronchishchev's campaign.

Cape Chelyuskin

Man first reached Cape Chelyuskin in 1742. Then the expedition led by Semyon Ivanovich Chelyuskin named the Cape East-Northern. It took place as part of the Great Northern Expedition, which was approved by the Admiralty Board, which considered that it was necessary to explore in detail the north of Russia from Pechora to Chukotka and make a description of those places. In honor of Semyon Chelyuskin, a polar navigator and explorer of the north of Russia, the cape was named already in 1842, when the centenary of his expedition was celebrated.

The most north point The Taimyr Peninsula has a harsh climate. Winter here is year-round, the snow practically does not melt, and the temperature in July and August usually does not exceed +1C°. In 1932, a polar station was equipped on the cape, to which an observatory was later added. Now the station has been transferred to the status of a meteorological station. About 10 people constantly winter on it. Communication with the mainland and civilization is provided by the Cape Chelyuskin airfield with a helipad.

Livingston Falls

Livingston Falls - a system of rapids and waterfalls, stretching for 350 kilometers on the Congo River, in its lower reaches. This cascading water fall system is considered the world's largest in terms of water flow per second. The level difference of the river here is 270 meters.

The waterfalls end in the main seaport of the Republic of the Congo - Matadi, which was founded by the English journalist, traveler, African explorer Henry Morton Stanley. He also named the waterfalls he found in the Congo in honor of David Livingston, a Scotsman, an outstanding explorer of Africa. Having spent most of his life on this continent, Livingston walked across it on foot in total about 50 thousand kilometers! At the same time, it is curious that he never saw the system of rapids discovered by Stanley, since he studied only the upper reaches of the Congo.

The most visited of the entire Livingston water cascade system is the Inga waterfall, 96 meters high. Helicopter rides are organized here, and the especially brave pass through the rapids of the Congo in kayaks, canoes and even rafts. There are also guided walking tours that recreate the path of Henry Morton Stanley, but this requires good physical condition and appropriate equipment.

tasmania island

The island of Tasmania, located off the coast of Australia, was discovered by the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman back in 1642. True, the sailors did not go ashore then, but after walking a few miles, they turned east and a few days later ended up off the coast of New Zealand. Here they had their first and, at the same time, bloody meeting with the Maori natives, during which several sailors died. The expedition continued, and the islands of Fiji and Tonga were soon discovered. However, the guide East India Company recognized the expedition as unsuccessful, since new trade routes were not found. And Australia, New Zealand and the island of Tasmania were forgotten for another 100 years. While in these southern lands didn't make it famous navigator James Cook. The island got its real name almost 200 years later, in 1856.

Today, a good half of the island of Tasmania is a protected area with national parks and fields where opium is grown legally for the pharmaceutical industry. There are hundreds of tales about strangely behaving birds and dancing kangaroos, but one thing is clear - the poppy fields here are very beautiful in any weather.
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Russian navigators, along with European ones, are famous pioneers who discovered new continents, sections of mountain ranges and vast water areas.

They became the pioneers of significant geographical objects, took the first steps in the development of hard-to-reach territories, made round-the-world trips. So who are they - the conquerors of the seas, and what exactly did the world learn about thanks to them?

Afanasy Nikitin - the very first Russian traveler

Afanasy Nikitin is rightfully considered the first Russian traveler who managed to visit India and Persia (1468-1474, according to other sources 1466-1472). On the way back he visited Somalia, Turkey, Muscat. On the basis of his travels, Athanasius compiled the notes "Journey Beyond the Three Seas", which became popular and unique historical and literary aids. These records became the first book in the history of Russia, made not in the format of a story about a pilgrimage, but describing the political, economic and cultural features of the territories.

Afanasy Nikitin

He was able to prove that even as a member of a poor peasant family you can become a famous explorer and traveler. Streets, embankments in several Russian cities, a motor ship, a passenger train and an aircraft are named after him.

Semyon Dezhnev, who founded the Anadyr prison

Cossack chieftain Semyon Dezhnev was an Arctic navigator who became the discoverer of a number of geographical objects. Wherever Semyon Ivanovich served, everywhere he sought to study the new and previously unknown. He was even able to cross the East Siberian Sea on a makeshift koch, going from Indigirka to Alazeya.

In 1643, as part of a detachment of explorers, Semyon Ivanovich discovered Kolyma, where he founded the city of Srednekolymsk with his associates. A year later, Semyon Dezhnev continued his expedition, walked along the Bering Strait (which did not yet have this name) and discovered the easternmost point of the mainland, later named Cape Dezhnev. An island, a peninsula, a bay, a village also bear his name.

Semyon Dezhnev

In 1648, Dezhnev set off again. His ship was wrecked in the waters located in the southern part of the Anadyr River. Having reached on skis, the sailors went up the river and stayed there for the winter. Subsequently, this place appeared on geographical maps and was called the Anadyr prison. As a result of the expedition, the traveler was able to make detailed descriptions, make a map of those places.

Vitus Jonassen Bering, who organized expeditions to Kamchatka

Two Kamchatka expeditions inscribed the names of Vitus Bering and his associate Alexei Chirikov in the history of marine discoveries. During the first trip, the navigators conducted research and were able to supplement the geographical atlas with objects located in Northeast Asia and on the Pacific coast of Kamchatka.

The discovery of the Kamchatka and Ozerny peninsulas, the bays of Kamchatsky, the Cross, the Karaginsky, the Bay of Conduct, the island of St. Lawrence are also the merit of Bering and Chirikov. At the same time, another strait was found and described, which later became known as the Bering Strait.

Vitus Bering

The second expedition was undertaken by them in order to find a way to North America and explore the Pacific Islands. On this journey, Bering and Chirikov founded the Peter and Paul prison. It got its name from the combined names of their ships ("Saint Peter" and "Saint Paul") and subsequently became the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

On the approach to the shores of America, the ships of like-minded people lost sight of each other, heavy fog affected. "Saint Peter", driven by Bering, sailed to the west coast of America, but got into a severe storm on the way back - the ship was thrown onto an island. The last minutes of Vitus Bering's life passed on it, and the island subsequently began to bear his name. Chirikov also reached America on his ship, but successfully completed his voyage, finding several islands of the Aleutian ridge on the way back.

Khariton and Dmitry Laptev and their “named” sea

Cousins ​​Khariton and Dmitry Laptev were like-minded and assistants of Vitus Bering. It was he who appointed Dmitry the commander of the Irkutsk ship, and Khariton led his double boat Yakutsk. They took part in the Great Northern Expedition, the purpose of which was to study and accurately describe and map the Russian shores of the ocean, from Yugorsky Shar to Kamchatka.

Each of the brothers made a significant contribution to the development of new territories. Dmitry became the first navigator to survey the coast from the mouth of the Lena to the mouth of the Kolyma. He made detailed maps of these places, based on mathematical calculations and astronomical data.

Khariton and Dmitry Laptev

Khariton Laptev and his associates conducted research on the northernmost section of the coast of Siberia. It was he who determined the size and shape of the huge Taimyr Peninsula - he surveyed its eastern coast, and was able to identify the exact coordinates of the coastal islands. The expedition took place in difficult conditions - a large number of ice, snowstorms, scurvy, ice captivity - Khariton Laptev's team had to endure a lot. But they continued the work they had begun. On this expedition, Laptev's assistant Chelyuskin discovered the cape, which was later named after him.

Noting the great contribution of the Laptevs to the development of new territories, members of the Russian Geographical Society decided to name one of them after them. largest seas Arctic. Also, the strait between the mainland and Bolshoi Lyakhovsky Island is named after Dmitry, and the western coast of Taimyr Island bears the name of Khariton.

Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky - organizers of the first Russian circumnavigation

Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky are the first Russian navigators to circumnavigate the world. Their expedition lasted three years (started in 1803 and ended in 1806). They set off with their teams on two ships, which bore the names "Nadezhda" and "Neva". Travelers passed through the Atlantic Ocean, entered the waters of the Pacific Ocean. On them the sailors sailed to Kuril Islands, Kamchatka and Sakhalin.

Ivan Kruzenshtern

This trip allowed us to collect important information. Based on the data obtained by navigators, a detailed map Pacific Ocean. Another important outcome The first Russian round-the-world expedition was data obtained about the flora and fauna of the Kuriles and Kamchatka, local residents, their customs and cultural traditions.

During their journey, the sailors crossed the equator and, according to maritime traditions, could not leave this event without a well-known ritual - a sailor dressed as Neptune greeted Krusenstern and asked why his ship arrived where the Russian flag had never been. To which he received the answer that they are here solely for the glory and development of national science.

Vasily Golovnin - the first navigator who was rescued from Japanese captivity

Russian navigator Vasily Golovnin led two round-the-world expeditions. In 1806, being in the rank of lieutenant, he received a new appointment and became the commander of the sloop "Diana". Interestingly, this is the only case in the history of the Russian fleet when a lieutenant was entrusted with the management of a ship.

The leadership set the goal of a round-the-world expedition to study the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, with special attention to that part of it that is within the borders of the native country. The path of "Diana" was not easy. The sloop passed the island of Tristan da Cunha, passed the Cape of Hope and entered the port, which belonged to the British. Here the ship was detained by the authorities. The British informed Golovnin about the outbreak of war between the two countries. The Russian ship was not declared captured, but the crew was not allowed to leave the bay either. Having spent in this position more than a year, in mid-May 1809, Diana, led by Golovnin, tried to escape, which the sailors succeeded in successfully - the ship arrived in Kamchatka.

Vasily Golovin

The next responsible task Golovnin received in 1811 - he had to draw up descriptions of the Shantar and Kuril Islands, the shores of the Tatar Strait. During his journey, he was accused of not adhering to the principles of sakoku and was captured by the Japanese for more than 2 years. It was possible to rescue the team from captivity only thanks to good relations one of the Russian naval officers and an influential Japanese merchant who was able to convince his government of the harmless intentions of the Russians. It is worth noting that no one in history has ever returned from Japanese captivity before.

In 1817-1819, Vasily Mikhailovich made another round-the-world trip on the Kamchatka ship specially built for this.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev - discoverers of Antarctica

Captain of the second rank Thaddeus Bellingshausen was determined to find the truth about the existence of the sixth continent. In 1819, he went to the open sea, having carefully prepared two sloops - Mirny and Vostok. The latter was commanded by his associate Mikhail Lazarev. The first round-the-world Antarctic expedition set itself other tasks. In addition to finding irrefutable facts confirming or refuting the existence of Antarctica, the travelers were going to explore the waters of three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen

The results of this expedition exceeded all expectations. During the 751 days that it lasted, Bellingshausen and Lazarev were able to make several significant geographical discoveries. Of course, the most important of them is the existence of Antarctica, it is historical event happened on January 28, 1820. Also during the trip, about two dozen islands were found and mapped, sketches were created with views of Antarctica, images of representatives of the Antarctic fauna.

Mikhail Lazarev

Interestingly, attempts to discover Antarctica were made more than once, but none of them were successful. European navigators believed that either it did not exist, or it was located in places that simply could not be reached by sea. But the Russian travelers had enough perseverance and determination, so the names of Bellingshausen and Lazarev are included in the lists of the world's greatest navigators.

I always loved geography and history in school. I read a lot of books about travelers and about their finds, watched films, was interested in scientific discoveries. I was surprised by the people who went on all sorts of expeditions. Particularly struck Russian commander Vitus Bering. In my opinion, he was a strikingly unique person.

Bering - Russian Dane

Bering Ivan Ivanovich (this is in Russia, but in fact Vitus Jonassen), although he was born and studied in Denmark, became an officer in the Russian fleet. He lived during reign of Peter I when it started to develop Russian fleet and new lands began to be explored. It was Peter who sent Bering's first expedition to the east to find an isthmus between the continents: ours and North America. This same Vitas, traveling for two years with the first scientific marine expedition, made a map and wrote eastern north of Asia.

What geographical features are named after Bering

It was a sin not to name such a discoverer some geographic features. And so:

Some plants of Kamchatka, streets in cities, Chukchi village, plane, ship, university. His name became brand even Danish hours.

In 1970, a film (practically, a biography) “The Ballad of Bering and His Friends” was shot about the navigator. With the discoveries of Bering and his expeditions, stamps and coins were issued.

In addition, there are other places that are named after Bering's ships or the names of his associates:

• Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky(in honor of the ships "St. Peter" and "St. Paul");
• Shumaginsky Islands(belong to America, named after a sailor who died on the expedition);
• St. Lawrence Island(Bering so named him in honor of the day of this saint. It was on this day that Bering arrived on the island).

Just an amazing person was this navigator and discoverer. Even died on the expedition.

They discovered new places and gave them names themselves, in other cases, they decided to perpetuate the discoverers in the geographical name of the rest. One way or another, there are quite a few similar names on the map. Studying them is very interesting and even useful, especially if you are planning a vacation and want to choose the most original route.

Mount Cook

The history of the geographical discoveries of this navigator is quite tragic - he died in one of his voyages. His memory is preserved by the mountain of the same name, which is also known as Aoraki. It is located in the western part of the island in New Zealand, in places so well studied by the English traveler. The origin of the names of geographical objects is often directly related to their discoverer, a similar case here - James Cook really visited this mountain. This is highest point Southern Alps 3754 meters high, covered with glaciers and snow and shaped like a saddle and steep slopes. Since 1953, the area around it has been considered a National Park, preserving protected species of vegetation and a unique landscape. Here you can meet unique kea, alpine parrots, as well as skates and wagtails.

Strait of Magellan

Geographical features named after travelers can also be found in Southern Patagonia. The Strait of Magellan is the one that separates South America from the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Its length is five hundred and seventy-five kilometers, and the smallest depth is twenty meters. The strait is named after the traveler who was the first European to cross it during his journey around the world. This happened in 1520. What is interesting: great geographical discoveries are also associated with this area (grade 7 is studying this historical period, it is known to almost everyone), and it was here that Magellan discovered Cape St. Ursula. He named the strait in honor of the feast of All Saints, but the Spanish king renamed it in honor of the discoverer and his feat, accomplished in October 1520.

Drake Passage

Geographical features named after travelers are associated with major events world history. For example, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is the widest in the world, measuring over eight hundred kilometers at its narrowest points. The current of the West Winds flows along the strait, due to which strong storms constantly occur here with waves up to fifteen meters high. You can also see drifting ice here. In addition, the most southern point of the mainland is located in the strait. South America, the legendary Cape Horn. It is named after an English navigator who first sailed here in 1578. Great geographical discoveries (grade 7 is part of the main program) were made before the appearance of this traveler, but his contribution still cannot be underestimated.

City of Livingston

There are various geographic features named after travelers, but they are all usually rivers, seas, or straits. There are few cities of this kind, and Livingston is one of them. It is located in Zambia, not far from the famous Victoria Falls. The history of geographical discoveries of the scientist is small, he made a greater contribution to the study of the customs of local residents, having arrived in Africa as a missionary. Until 1935, the city was the capital of the country, and now it is simply popular with tourists who are attracted by the nearby national park Mosi-ao-Tunya. There are many interesting activities in Livingston, from quad biking to elephant safaris. In addition, there are many amazing museums that also attract a considerable number of tourists.

Laptev sea

Geographical objects named after travelers are also associated with Russian explorers. For example, the Laptev Sea, located in northern Siberia, next to It was named after Russian explorers of the North Pole, who were cousins. Prior to receiving the name perpetuating the Laptevs, the sea was known under the name of Nordenskiöld. This area is distinguished cold climate with an almost constant temperature below zero. The sea has low salinity and is covered with ice for nine months of the year. Almost no people live on the shores, and the flora and fauna are extremely scarce. In ancient times, the tribes of Yukagirs, Evens and Evenks lived here, who lived off fishing and reindeer herding. Development by Russian travelers began in the seventeenth century. There are dozens of islands in the Laptev Sea, untouched by man. On some, the remains of mammoths were found. The largest locality territory - the village of Tiksi.

Bering Strait

Geographic features named after travelers are most often water features. So, going from the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific, it is just such. It separates Asia from North America, namely the capes - Dezhnev from the Prince of Wales. The smallest depth of the strait is thirty-six meters, and the minimum width is eighty-six kilometers. The name is associated with Bering, a native of Denmark, who passed here in 1728. Before him, the territory was studied by Semyon Dezhnev, after whom the Chukchi Cape, the easternmost point of Asia, was named. In the center of the strait are the Diomede Islands, there are two of them. The first is a large one, Ratmanova. The second one is smaller. The first one is owned Russian Federation, and the second - the United States of America, separates them about four kilometers. In addition, there is a border of time zones between them and

From time to time, the possibility of building a tunnel or bridge that would connect Alaska and Chukotka is discussed at the government level, but the plans never go to the stage of implementation due to various reasons, both economic and technical. However, there is a possibility that in the future such a project will still be implemented with the cooperation of specialists from Russia and the United States.