Rivers of Russia. Reservoirs of our region

There are a huge number of rivers on the territory of our country (2.5 million). Most of them are small, their length usually does not exceed 100 kilometers. Then the question arises: what are the largest rivers in Russia? We will try to answer it in this article.

To begin with, we will present you with a list of these rivers:

1. Yenisei.
2. Lena.
3. Amur.
4. Volga.
5. Kolyma.
6. Khatanga.
7. Indigirka.
8. Northern Dvina.

Now let's tell you more about them.

River Ob

The most big river in Russia, which is located in Western Siberia. It is formed by the merging rivers Biya and Katun. From the source of the Irtysh its length is 5410 kilometers. In the North it flows into the Ob Bay. The river's water basin occupies a huge area - 2,990 thousand square meters. km. According to this indicator, it rightfully occupies a leading position on our list. In terms of water content, the Ob is in third place, second only to the Lena and Yenisei.

The Ob feeds mainly on melt waters. During the spring and summer floods, the largest river in Russia receives most of its annual flow. In April, the flood begins in the upper reaches, in the second half of April it begins in the middle reaches, and in early May this process occurs in the lower reaches. The water level rises even during freeze-up. When the river opens up, short-term minor rises in levels occur as a result of the resulting congestion.

The flood in the upper reaches ends in July. In September - October, a rain flood begins, which continues until freeze-up in the lower and middle reaches. Ice cover remains on the Ob for an average of 220 days a year.

The main tributary of the Ob is the Irtysh. The length of this river from its source, which is located on the border of China and Mongolia, to its confluence with the Ob is 4,248 km.

Fishing has long developed on this river. Also in late XIX centuries, in the river waters there were a lot of ruff, perch, sculpin, pike, shokur, muksun, nelma and other species of fish. Today there are fewer fish in the waters of the Ob, but nevertheless there are about 50 species.

Yenisei

Today we present to you the largest rivers in Russia. The list goes on mighty Yenisei. This river is considered the natural border between the West and East of Siberia.

Its length is 4287 km. The Yenisei flows through the lands of two neighboring states - Mongolia and Russia. The total area of ​​the river is 2,580 thousand square kilometers. This indicator allows this huge river to take second place in Russia.

On the left bank of this Siberian river there are plains, and on the right there is endless mountain taiga. In this regard, there is a sharp asymmetry of the banks of the Yenisei. The right bank is more than 5 times higher in height than the left bank. On its way from source to mouth, the river crosses all climatic zones of Siberia. That is why camels are found in the upper reaches of the Yenisei, and polar bears are found in the lower reaches, closer to the ocean.

Lena river

It cannot be said that this is the largest river in Russia, although its size is impressive. The length of the river is 4480, and its total area is 2490 thousand square meters. km. The Lena River is rightfully in third place among the large rivers of our country.

The river is mainly fed by water from melting glaciers and snow - approximately 50% of the total. Precipitation gives the river about 38% of its water and about 13% is underground feeding, more typical for the upper reaches.

In mid-October, the Lena freezes in its upper reaches. It opens in mid-April. Ice cover remains on the river for about 270 days a year.

Amur

The topic of our article was the largest rivers in Russia. The names of many are known not only to Russians, but also to our neighbors from other countries. For example, Cupid. This is one of the longest rivers in our country and the largest in the Far East. It flows on the border of Russia and China and carries its waters through the territory of Mongolia. The Amur flows into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

The basin area of ​​this river is 1,855 thousand square kilometers, and its length is 2,824 km.

Volga

Glorified by poets and composers, which inspired artists to create immortal paintings, this is, of course, the Volga River. And although this is not the largest river in Russia, it is a symbol of our country.

The source of the Volga is located on the Valdai Plateau of the Tver Region. The Volga is considered one of the largest rivers on our planet. The length of the river is 3530 km. Total area - 1361 thousand square meters. km. The river flows through the lands of Russia and Kazakhstan.

Kolyma River

This river is located in Yakutia. Its length is 2,129 km. Water pool - 645 thousand square meters. km. Kolyma was formed as a result of the confluence of two small rivers, Kulu and Ayan-Yuryakh. The Kolyma flows into the bay of the same name.

Don

This river is considered the oldest in Russia. Don originates in Tula region on the Central Russian Upland. Its length is 1870 km, water pool- 422 thousand sq. km.

The current is very slow, for which the Cossacks call this leisurely and majestic river the “quiet Don”. This is explained by the flat profile in which the channel passes. The slope towards it is quite insignificant, on average this value does not exceed 0.1 degrees. In some areas the width of the valley reaches 13 km. The right bank is steep and high, and the left bank is low.

Khatanga River

This river is located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Its length is 1636 km. Water pool with an area of ​​364 thousand square meters. km. It is formed by two rivers Kotui and Kheta.

This river flows through a wide valley in the North Siberian Lowland. There are more than 112 thousand lakes in the Khatanga basin. Their total area is 11.6 thousand sq. km.

Indigirka

In Yakutia, on the slopes of the Khalkan Range, there is the source of the Indigirka River. Its length is 1,726 km, its water basin covers an area of ​​360 thousand square meters. km. Its source is made up of two medium-sized rivers - Omyokon and Kuidusun.

Indigirka is the coldest river in Russia. IN winter time in the lower reaches it freezes through. In summer, it becomes covered with ice and turns into a sparkling icy stream flowing picturesquely among the mountains. Since the end of September, the river has been frozen in ice, which does not go away until June.

Northern Dvina

Our list of the 10 largest rivers in Russia has come to an end. It is completed by the Northern Dvina, which flows through two large regions - Arkhangelsk and Vologda.

Its length is 744 km, area - 360 thousand square meters. km. At its source the small rivers Sukhona and Yug connect. This northern river is famous for the fact that the history of Russian shipbuilding began on it.

There is a lot of water in Russia - across its vast territory, which occupies one seventh of the land, flow more than two and a half million rivers. Most of them are known and loved only by those who live (or vacation) on their shores. However, rivers of a completely different order are more interesting and important - giant water arteries that can be seen from space. For centuries, these giants served our ancestors as sources of water, food, as transport routes and continue to serve people to this day.

Determine which is the most long river It's not so simple in Russia. Historically, the lands east of the Urals were settled unevenly different periods time. And therefore, along its course, the river could change its name several times. Sometimes it happened that the supposed tributary of the “main” river turned out to be longer and fuller than the river itself. Therefore, in order to avoid confusion, for the ranking of the longest rivers in Russia, we chose only those that flow under the same name from source to mouth.

10. Ural – length 2428 km

The ranking of the longest rivers in Russia without tributaries opens with the majestic Siberian Ural. Although it occupies a modest tenth place, if you look only at Europe, in length it is second only to the Volga and Danube. Once upon a time, the Cossacks, who began to explore the vastness of the Trans-Urals, called it Yaik. And still under the old name it appears in numerous Cossack songs.

The Ural is a capricious river; over the centuries, it has repeatedly changed its course, leaving in its basin an abundance of scattered oxbow lakes, lakes and a dense network of channels. The Urals, like the Volga, flow into the Caspian Sea.

9. Ishim – 2450 km

For neighbors, Ishim is of greater importance. In Russia, on the banks of this river there is only one city, Ishim. While in neighboring Kazakhstan there are several of them, including even the capital of this country. True, you have to pay for popularity - according to the latest data from environmentalists, it is better not to swim in Ishim. The waters of the river carry, in addition to the usual household waste, also industrial waste - petroleum products, compounds of iron, oil and manganese. And all this wealth is also seasoned with pesticides washed into the river every year during a spill. The Ishim flows into the Irtysh.

8. Vilyui – 2650 km

The Vilyui is the longest tributary of the Lena, which itself is not a small river. It flows through the territory of Yakutia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. There are two hydroelectric power stations on the river, launched back in Soviet time. They provide light, heat and energy to nearby mining sites.

Near one of the tributaries of the Vilyui there is a place of pilgrimage for ufologists, lovingly nicknamed by old-timers the “Valley of Death”. According to rumors, there are huge mysterious objects there, similar to cauldrons, measuring from six to nine meters in diameter, and made of an unknown metal.

7. Amur – 2824 km

“The clouds are gloomy over the Amur,” says an old Soviet song. It is on this river, separating the lands of the then USSR, and present-day Russia, from China that three tank crews, the heroes of the song, serve.

The very name of the river speaks of its size - “Amur” comes from the word “damur”, which means in the language of the local inhabitants, the Manchus, literally “big river”. It begins in the steppes of Mongolia and flows into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The Amur is exceptionally rich in fish - it is home to up to 139 various types fish But only one quarter of this abundance is of commercial value.

6. Lower Tunguska – 2989 km

Lower Tunguska almost as long as the river into which it flows - the Yenisei. Although in summer months the river is full (water flow reaches 31 thousand m3/s), but in winter it barely gains a quarter of this amount. The reason is permafrost; frozen underground springs barely support the life of the river. But when the snow melts, Tunguska crushes rocks and uproots trees.

5. Yenisei – 3487 km

From the tributary of the Yenisei we move to the Yenisei itself. The river separates Eastern Siberia from Western. The beginning of the Yenisei, the confluence of two tributaries, is located near the city of Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva. And it flows several thousand kilometers to the north, into the Kara Sea, forming an entire bay named after it.

Throughout the Yenisei there are many cities, several hydroelectric power stations and a number of reservoirs. Also on the banks of the Yenisei there are several the most beautiful reserves Russia - such as the Krasnoyarsk “Pillars” and the Sayano-Shushensky nature reserve.

4. Volga – 3531 km

The longest river in Europe is without a doubt worthy of the title “mother”. Since ancient times, Slavs and peoples who would later become part of Russia settled on its banks. The Volga was first mentioned in his Notes by the ancient geographer Herodotus. In the Middle Ages and Modern times, it served as a trade route connecting the north of the country with the south, and during the years of industrialization after the establishment of Soviet power, hydroelectric power stations on the Volga provided industrial enterprises young state with electricity.

The Volga begins with a modest, unremarkable spring, flowing on the Valdai Hills, and ends with a delta more than 170 km wide.

3. Ob – 3650 km

The third longest river in Russia is the Ob. Would be the first, if we count it together with the most long tributary, Irtysh. Then its length would be an impressive 5410 km. The Ob basin is the largest in Russia - its total area is 2990 thousand km2.

Despite its size and full flow (during high water the Ob can overflow up to 30 km wide), the Ob spends most of the time of the year under ice. Along the entire length of the river there are many cities, including such large ones as Novosibirsk. The Ob flows into the gulf named after itself in the Kara Sea.

2. Irtysh – 4248 km

If the development of Siberia had gone a different way, the Irtysh would have been in first place in the ranking. But it happened as it happened, and the much longer Irtysh is considered only a tributary of the Ob, and together they occupy 6th place in the list of the longest rivers in the world.

The Irtysh originates in China, where the Chinese take almost a third of the flow for their own needs, then flows through the territory of Kazakhstan, where the river is already so large that ships can navigate it.

The Irtysh feeds both industrial and agricultural enterprises of Kazakhstan and provides water to the country's capital, Astana. On the territory of Russia, the river also does not have to rest - there are many cities and several power plants on it.

1. The longest river in Russia is Lena (4400 km)

In the Yakut language, the name of Lena sounds like “ big river" The longest river in Russia stretches 4,400 km from the Baikal ranges to the Northern Arctic Ocean and flows into the Laptev Sea. It flows into harsh conditions– the surrounding lands are bound by permafrost. Therefore, there are few cities on the Lena, and the largest of them is Yakutsk.

For many hundreds of kilometers the river flows through virtually deserted areas. Like other rivers in conditions permafrost, Lena “feeds” almost entirely on melted snow and rain, so in winter the water level in it is low. Lena spends most of the year under a thick layer of ice, freeing herself from it only for a short 4-5 warm months. Although the navigation period is short, cargo is rafted along the Lena, cruises take place, people ride boats, go on river trips and visit attractions. One of the most famous is the Shishkinsky Rocks, where the work of ancient people has survived to this day.

List of largest rivers in Russia

The table shows 75 rivers with a length of at least 1000 km.

Rivers entangle all of Russia like a web. If you count them all down to the smallest one, you get over 2.5 million! But the vast majority of them don’t even have names, so it’s better to pay attention to the most large rivers countries, without forgetting what you can catch in them, because there are many fishermen in Russia.

1. Lena (4400 km)

The longest river in Russia, and at the same time in Siberia, is the Lena. It is also solid by world standards, since it closes the top ten longest water arteries peace. Lena takes its beginning from a small lake near Baikal, winds a lot through the mountainous Baikal region until it turns north and rushes to the Laptev Sea, where it forms an extended delta. Together with the latter, it has a length of 4,400 km with a basin area of ​​2.5 million square meters. km, the water flow in the lower reaches is 16,350 cubic meters. m/s. This is the longest Russian river, flowing entirely through the territory of the country, and the largest in the world, completely passing through the territory of permafrost. The Lena still remains one of the cleanest rivers in the world. Man has not yet been able to change its course; he has not built a single dam, hydroelectric power station or other energy structures. In areas remote from human activity, you can still drink water directly from the river.

2. Irtysh (4248 km)

Like most of the large rivers of Siberia, the mighty Irtysh from the depths of the Asian continent heads north until it flows into the Ob, being its main tributary. Their joint water system stretches for 5,410 km, which makes it the seventh longest on Earth. But this is not even the main attraction of the Irtysh, but the fact that it has become the longest tributary in the world, since its own length is 4248 kilometers. In this category, it is significantly inferior to second-place Missouri, which has a length of “only” 3,767 kilometers.
Translated from the Turkic language, Irtysh means “digger,” and this reflects the nature of the river, which very often changes its course, undermining the banks. The Irtysh is fed by meltwater and tributaries. But now floods rarely occur here, since several hydroelectric power stations have been built here, the dams of which regulate the release of water.

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3. Ob (3650 km)

In the northeast of Asia, in the Altai Territory, near the administrative border with the Altai Republic, two mountain rivers Biya and Katun, as a result of which the powerful full-flowing Ob River is formed, the name of which has still not been revealed. The Ob crosses Western Siberia from south to north and after 3,650 kilometers flows into the Kara Sea, more precisely, into a long (800 km) gulf called the Gulf of Ob. The Ob has the largest basin in Russia, occupying almost 3 million square kilometers, and in terms of fullness it is second only to the Yenisei and Lena, bringing 12,300 cubic meters of water to the mouth every second.

4. Volga (3531 km)

The great Russian river Volga has over 150 tributaries; few other rivers on the planet have as many. Taking into account average speed With a current of 4 km/h, it is calculated that the water in it reaches the mouth in 37 days. This river even has its own holiday - Volga Day is celebrated on May 20. The entire Volga basin is located on the territory of Russia, it crosses the territories of four republics and 11 regions of the country, and only one small branch of it, Kigach, turns into the territory of Kazakhstan.
And the source of the Volga is located on the Valdai Hills, in the Tver region near the village of Volgoverkhovye. Although not the largest in Russia, the Volga is nevertheless the largest river in Europe. Its basin extends over a third of the European territory of Russia, occupying 1,855 million square meters. km, and water consumption is 8060 cubic meters. m/s. 9 hydroelectric power stations with reservoirs were built on the Volga; half of the country’s agriculture and industry are served with its water.

5. Yenisei (3487 km)

The Yenisei River appears after the confluence of the Big Yenisei (Biy-Khem) and the Small Yenisei (Kaa-Khem). The Yenisei flows for almost 3.5 thousand kilometers only through the territory of Russia, and before that it winds through Mongolia for another 600 kilometers. At the end of the path it flows into the Kara Sea Yenisei Bay. The source of the Yenisei is located near the geographical center of Asia near the city of Kyzyl, in which there is even an obelisk reminiscent of this.
In terms of basin area (2.58 million sq. km), the Yenisei is second only to the Lena; its water consumption is also large - 19,800 cubic meters. m/s. In three places it is blocked by powerful hydroelectric power stations: Sayano-Shushenskaya, Krasnoyarsk and Mainskaya. As for the name of the river, it is associated either with the Tungus word “enesi”, which means “big water”, or with the Kyrgyz “enee-say”, that is, mother river.
The mighty, stormy Yenisei is especially notable for its ice drifts. During the winter, a powerful ice shell grows on the river, from which the river is freed for at least a month. Thousands of tons of ice rush along the river, forming jams here and there that block the flow. As a result, the river overflows its banks and floods the surrounding area. At one time, different cities had to feel the power of this water element - Yeniseisk, Krasnoyarsk, Igarka and Minusinsk.

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6. Lower Tunguska (2989 km)

This is another Siberian river, which is the right tributary of the Yenisei. The Lower Tunguska flows through Irkutsk region and Krasnoyarsk region. It winds for a long time along the middle part of the Siberian Plateau until it comes to the Putorana Plateau. Due to the large number of rapids and whirlpools, navigation along the Lower Tunguska is severely limited. Back in 1911, plans were made to connect the Lena and Lower Tunguska near the city of Kirensk, since here they converge to a distance of 15 kilometers, however, the Lower Tunguska flows almost 85 meters above the Lena, and is also not navigable in this place. Therefore, the construction of a connecting canal between them was abandoned due to the high cost and inexpediency of the project.

7. Amur (2824 km)

The Amur River is international - it flows through the lands of Russia, China and Mongolia, and flows into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in the area of ​​the Amur Estuary. The length of the Amur is 2824 kilometers, and the basin area is 1.855 million square meters. km with a water consumption of 10900 cubic meters. m/s. The Amur flows through 4 different climatic zones: semi-desert, steppe, forest-steppe and forest; 30 different nationalities live on its banks. There is no clarity regarding the origin of the name of the river, but the most common version is from the Tungus-Manchu words “damar” or “amar”. The Chinese call it the Black Dragon River, but in our country the Amur symbolizes the Far East and Transbaikalia.

8. Vilyui (2650 km)

The longest and largest left tributary of the Lena, flowing along Krasnoyarsk region and Yakutia, called Vilyuy. It has served man since ancient times, giving him water and food. A couple of hydroelectric power stations were built on it. When the intensive industrial development of Siberia began, ecological situation in the Vilyuya basin has worsened, causing concern to the indigenous people.

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9. Ishim (2450 km)

Ishim is the left and longest tributary of the Irtysh; it passes through the territory of Kazakhstan and Russia. According to popular legend, the name “Ishim” comes from the name of the son of the Tatar Khan, Ishim, who drowned in a previously nameless river. But there is also a Tatar word “ishimak”, meaning “destroying”. There are two reservoirs on Ishim with large economic importance: the water from them is used by the local population; they irrigate fields and gardens.

10. Ural (2428 km)

In the European part of Russia, the Ural River is one of the largest. It descends along the southeastern Black Sea-Caspian slope, running 2,428 kilometers from its very source to its confluence with the Caspian Sea. The area of ​​the river basin is 220 thousand square meters. km. The Ural is a very winding river, it is usually divided into three sections: from the source to Orsk, the middle from Orsk to Uralsk and the lower from Uralsk to the very mouth. A whole network of reservoirs has been built on this river, which provide much-needed water for industry and agriculture.

Sailing regatta from the “Russian Seven”. Let's raft along the main rivers of Russia!

Volga. River flows

The main water brand in Russia is Volga. An incredibly popular river, although not the longest, not the most abundant. Why? The answer is simple: the Volga basin occupies about 1/3 of the European territory of Russia. By the way, the length of the river is 3530 km. This is roughly the same as from Moscow to Berlin and back.

The Volga is dedicated not only to the song known without exaggeration to all Russians and the film with the title title. The action of A. Ostrovsky's plays usually takes place in cities on the Volga. A particularly strong image of the river was created in the film “Cruel Romance”!

Detail: Lotuses - flowers that are associated with exoticism and the East, have long lived here on the Volga.

Oka. Not just a small car

The Oka River is the Great Russian River, and it’s not for nothing that we write this word with a capital letter! Almost all of Central Russia lies on its banks; the area of ​​the river basin (245,000 sq. km) is equal to the territory of the entire Great Britain, and its length is 1,500 km.

In many respects (navigation, basin area, etc.) for Russia the Oka exceeded the importance of the Nile for Egypt. It is no coincidence that in the 9th and 10th centuries foreigners called the Oka River the “Russian River”, “Rus River”.

By the way, the name of the river “Oka” is supposed to come from the Proto-European “aqva” - “water”, it is so ancient! There is a hypothesis that even the word "ocean" (understood as " great river, bordering the world") in Russian comes from the word "Oka".

Don. A thousand-year witness of Russian history

Don is a thousand-year-old witness of Russian history. This river appeared on Earth - it’s scary to say! - approximately 23 million years ago. And according to scientists, the paleo-Don collected the waters of the entire Russian Plain.

Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, the lower reaches of the Tanais (Don) were known as the habitat of the legendary Amazons. These female warriors also found their way into our epics, which often tell about fights between Russian heroes and daring horsewomen, the “Polyanitsa”.

Detail: Our “Father Don” has two younger namesakes in England: the Don River in the Scottish county of Aberdeen and the river of the same name in the English county of York.

Dnieper. Rarely does a bird fly to its middle

Dnieper has been known since ancient times! Herodotus also called it Borysthenes in his historical treatises (which means “river flowing from the north”).

Here is what the ancient Greek historian wrote: “The Borysthenes is the most profitable river: along its banks there are beautiful rich pastures for livestock; large quantities best fish; the water tastes good for drinking and is clear (compared to the water of other muddy rivers of Scythia)."

During Kievan Rus the river was called Slavutich ("river of the Slavs"), in those days there was a passage along it waterway"from the Varangians to the Greeks", connecting the Baltic (Varangian) Sea with the Black (Russian) Sea.

Detail: “A rare bird will fly to the middle of the Dnieper,” wrote N. Gogol. The birds have enough strength to fly to the middle and cross the river. And by rare bird we meant a parrot, which is really difficult to find in these parts.

Yenisei. natural border between Eastern and Western Siberia

The West Siberian plains end on the left bank of the Yenisei, and the mountain taiga begins on the right. Therefore, in its upper reaches you can meet camels, and going downstream to the Ocean - polar bears.

There are still legends about the origin of the word Yenisei: either it is the Tungus word “enesi” (“big water”) converted into Russian, or the Kyrgyz “enee-Sai” (mother river).

Detail: The Yenisei and other Iberian rivers bring as much heat to the Arctic Ocean as would be produced by burning 3 billion tons of fuel. If not for the rivers, the climate of the North would be more severe.

Russia is located in eastern Europe and northern Asia, occupying about 1/3 of the territory of Eurasia and 1/9 of the earth's landmass. European part country (about 23% of the area) includes territories west of Ural mountains(the border is conventionally drawn along the Urals and the Kuma-Manych depression); The Asian part of Russia, occupying about 76% of the territory, lies east of the Urals and is also called Siberia (however precise definition borders of Siberia is a controversial issue) and the Far East. The total length of Russia's borders is 60,933 km (of which 38,808 km are maritime borders); Russia's borders in the north and east are maritime, in the south and west they are mainly land. Despite the fact that Russia is the largest in terms of area largest country world, climatic and soil conditions in most of its territory are not favorable for agriculture.

Russia is one of the most water-rich countries in the world. The country has some of the world's largest reserves fresh water. Surface waters occupy 12.4% of Russia's territory, with 84% of surface waters concentrated east of the Urals; many densely populated areas of the European part of Russia are experiencing a shortage water resources. The structure of water use is dominated by industrial needs.

Russia is home to the deepest lake in the world (Baikal), the longest river in Europe (Volga) and the largest lake in Europe (Ladoga), the pole of cold of the Northern Hemisphere (Verkhoyansk), as well as the highest peak in Europe (Elbrus) (when drawing the border between Europe and Asia along Big Caucasus ridge, and not along the Kuma and Manych rivers to the mouth of the Don).

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Lakes of Russia

There are over 2.5 million lakes in Russia. The largest lakes are the Caspian, Ladoga, Onega, and Baikal. The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world by area, and the deepest is Lake Baikal. The lakes are distributed very unevenly. There are especially many of them in the Vilyui depression, on West Siberian Plains e and in the north-west of the European Plain - in Karelia. All these areas are in conditions of excessive moisture. To the south, in the zone of steppes and semi-deserts with their arid climate, the number of lakes decreases sharply, and many lakes have salty or brackish water. Such large drainless lakes as the Caspian Sea are salty, as well as lakes Elton and Baskunchak, where they extract table salt.
There are also countless smaller lakes, located mainly in the poorly drained lowlands of the Russian and West Siberian plains, especially in the more northern regions. Some of them reach significant sizes, in particular, Lake Beloe (1.29 thousand sq. km.), Topozero (0.98 thousand sq. km.), Vygozero (0.56 thousand sq. km.) and Lake Ilmen (0.98 thousand sq. km.) in the European northwest of the country, and Lake Chany (1.4-2 thousand sq. km.) in the southwest of Siberia.
Lakes also differ in the origin of their basins. Lakes of tectonic origin are located in depressions and depressions of the earth's crust. The largest tectonic Lake Baikal is located in a graben and therefore reaches a depth of 1637 m.
Glacial-tectonic lake basins arose as a result of glacier processing of tectonic depressions of the earth's crust: Imandra, Ladoga, Onega. In Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands, lakes are mainly of volcanic origin. In the north-west of the European Plain, the origin of lake basins is associated with continental glaciations. Many basins are located between moraine hills: Seliger, Valdai.
As a result of landslides, dammed lakes appeared in mountain valleys: Sarez in the Pamirs, Ritsa in the Caucasus. Small lakes appear above karst sinkholes. In the south of Western Siberia there are many saucer-shaped lakes that arose as a result of subsidence of loose rocks. When ice melts in areas where permafrost Saucer-shaped shallow lakes also form. Oxbow lakes are located on the floodplains of lowland rivers. There are estuary lakes along the shores of the Black and Azov Seas.
All large and largest lakes Russia are widely used in national economy. They catch and raise fish there. Especially a lot of fish, including the most valuable sturgeon, are caught in the Caspian Sea. There is an omul fishery in Baikal. The lakes are also used for shipping. A variety of minerals are mined in the basins of the lakes: oil and mirabilite in the Caspian Sea, table salt in Elton and Baskunchak.

The largest lakes in Russia

Caspian Sea, area - 376,000 sq. km., greatest depth - 1,025 meters.
Lake Baikal, area - 31,500 sq. km., greatest depth - 1,620 meters.
Lake Ladoga, area - 17,700 sq. km., greatest depth - 230 meters.
Lake Onega, area - 9,690 sq. km., greatest depth - 127 meters.
Taimyr lakes, area - 4,560 sq. km., greatest depth - 26 meters.
Lake Khanka, area - 4,190 sq. km., greatest depth - 11 meters.
Lake Peipus-Pskov, area - 3,550 sq. km., greatest depth - 15 meters.
Lake Chany, area - 1,708-2,269 sq. km., greatest depth - up to 10 meters.
White Lake, area - 1,290 sq. km., greatest depth - 6 meters.
Topozero, area - 986 sq. km., greatest depth - 56 meters.
Lake Ilmen, area - 982 sq. km., greatest depth - up to 10 meters.
Lake Imandra, area - 876 sq. km., greatest depth - 67 meters.
Khantaiskoye Lake, area - 822 sq. km., greatest depth - 420 meters.
Segozero, area - 815 sq. km., greatest depth - 97 meters.
Kulundinskoye Lake, area - 728 sq. km., greatest depth - 4 meters.
Lake Teletskoye, area - 223 sq. km., greatest depth - 325 meters.

Rivers of Russia

Russia occupies a vast geographical area, and it is not surprising that numerous rivers stretch across its expanses, which played an important historical role in the settlement and development of new lands. Almost everything is located on rivers Largest cities countries. Within Russia there are about 3 million rivers with a total length of almost 10 million km. Most of the rivers in Russia belong to the Arctic Ocean basin. It makes up over 66% of the country’s area; up to 80% falls within its borders. atmospheric precipitation. Rivers flowing into northern seas, the longest and deepest in Russia. The longest river is Lena - 4400 km. The deepest river is the Yenisei (623 km3 per year). In terms of drainage area, the Ob River ranks first in the country (2975 sq. km.). The rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin are freezing. In winter, a winter road is installed along them for about four months - roads for the movement of cars and sleighs.
The largest rivers of Siberia originate in the south of the country in the Altai, Sayan and Baikal mountains. The rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin are fed by snow and rain. In the spring, due to the melting of snow on the rivers, water rises. The flood begins in the south, and in the north the ice for a long time prevents the flow of melt water to the ocean. Therefore, in all rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin, high water rises occur in the middle and lower reaches in the spring. IN southern parts The rivers of Siberia are swift and rapid. On these stretches of valleys there have been built and are being built large hydroelectric power stations: Krasnoyarsk and Sayano-Shushenskaya on the Yenisei, Novosibirsk on the Ob, Bukhtarma and Ust-Kamenogorsk on the Irtysh, Irkutsk, Bratsk and Ust-Ilimsk on the Angara, on the tributaries of the Lena - Vilyui and Vitim - the Vilyuiskaya and Mamakanskaya hydroelectric power stations were built. On the northern plains, the flow of these rivers is calm and smooth. In summer they are used for timber rafting and shipping, connecting the southern and inland regions of the country with the Northern Sea Route and the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The rivers of the European part of the Arctic Ocean basin - Pechora, Mezen, Northern Dvina and Onega are much shorter than Siberian rivers. They flow entirely across the plains and therefore have a calm current.
To the pool Pacific Ocean covers approximately 19% of the country's area. The main river of this basin is the Amur and its tributaries Zeya, Bureya and Ussuri. The rivers are predominantly rain-fed. In the monsoon climate in the Pacific Ocean there is little snow in winter, so there are no spring floods, but there are very significant floods due to summer monsoon rains. The water in the Amur and its tributaries rises by 10-15 m and floods vast areas. Catastrophic spills usually occur in early autumn. At this time, the Far Eastern regions of the country are often hit by sudden and violent downpours of cyclones - typhoons. River floods reach several tens of kilometers and cause enormous damage to agriculture, cities and towns.
The Amur and its tributaries have big fall and are rich in hydroelectric power. The Zeya hydroelectric power station was built on the Zeya River. Amur - the main river highway Far East, which communicates internal remote areas with the seas. Passes along the Argun, Amur and Ussuri rivers state border Russia from People's Republic China.
The rivers of Chukotka and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk basin are predominantly fed by snow. Therefore, they are full of water in late spring and early summer, which is favorable for movement salmon fish, rising up rivers and streams to spawn.
The Caspian basin is called endorheic, since the rivers carry their waters not to the World Ocean, but to an internal endorheic reservoir - the Caspian Sea. The basin covers the interior of the East European Plain, Southern Urals, eastern part of the Caucasus.
The rivers Volga, Ural, Araks, Terek, Emba and others flow into the Caspian Sea. The largest river is the Volga. Its basin occupies 34% of the East European Plain. Most of the Volga's tributaries are located in a temperate continental climate with sufficient moisture. The food is predominantly snowy. In the spring, when the snow melts, there is a significant rise in water in the river. In summer the main source of power is The groundwater and rains. Some rise in water in the riverbed also occurs in autumn, when evaporation decreases significantly. Below the mouth of the large left tributary of the Kama, the Volga flows through steppe and semi-desert zones, where very little precipitation falls and therefore there are no significant tributaries. Below Volgograd, the Volga has no tributaries and is of a transit nature. It only carries water and partially evaporates it. From here the Volga breaks up into branches, the largest of which is Akhtuba. Below Astrakhan, the channel is divided into 80 branches, forming a vast delta. Nowadays, almost the entire Volga has turned into a cascade of dams and reservoirs. On the Upper Volga not far from Tver there is the Ivankovskoye Reservoir. The channel named after him begins from here. Moscow, through which Volga water is pumped for water supply to Moscow. Below, the entire Volga to Volgograd has turned into a chain of interconnected reservoirs (Uglich, Rybinsk, Gorky, Cheboksary, Kuibyshev, Saratov and Volgograd). They retain a significant part of the spring flood water, which is used to generate electricity, supply water to cities, and irrigate dry lands. Thanks to reservoirs, the movement of large river vessels is possible. Nowadays the river is connected by the Volga-Don shipping canal with the Black and Azov seas, and the Volga-Baltic with the Baltic and White seas. Half of all river cargo and passengers in the country are transported along the Volga. But the reservoirs were flooded large areas fertile floodplain lands. The dams led to a slowdown in the flow of the Volga. As a result, water began to accumulate in reservoirs. a large number of pollutants that come here from fields, as well as from industrial and domestic wastewater. Therefore, the river is currently heavily polluted.
The Atlantic Ocean basin occupies the smallest area - about 5% of the entire territory of Russia. The rivers flow west into the Baltic Sea and south into the Black and Sea of ​​Azov. The Western Dvina, Neman, Neva and others flow to the west. To the south - the Dnieper, Don and Kuban. All rivers of the Atlantic Ocean basin are deep all year round, since most of their watersheds are located in areas of sufficient moisture. They feed primarily on snow, and in summer - underground and rain. For rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea, flow fluctuations are very small, since precipitation falls evenly throughout the year. Only small ones are noted spring floods and autumn floods. The Neva River occupies a special place. This short river (74 km long) carries a huge amount of water - 79.7 km3 per year, four times more than the Dnieper, which has a length of over 2 thousand km. The Neva originates in Lake Ladoga and therefore its flow is constant throughout the year.
But almost every year it floods part of St. Petersburg with its waters. Floods are caused by surges of water from Baltic Sea, which gird the Neva. As a result, the water in the river rises by 2 - 3.5 m and splashes out from the granite embankments onto the streets and squares of the city.
The rivers of the southern Atlantic basin receive water in their branched upper reaches. In the lower sections they are of a transit nature, since here the rivers cross the steppe zone with an arid climate. The Dnieper and Don are predominantly fed by snow, which is why they experience high spring floods. On southern rivers a cascade of waterworks and reservoirs was built. The reservoirs are used both to generate electricity and to irrigate the arid lands of the southern East European Plain. In the Azov region and the Northern Caucasus, thanks to the waters of the Don and Kuban, rice and other agricultural crops are grown.

The largest rivers in Russia

Lena, length - 4320 km, basin area - 2418 thousand sq. km.
Yenisei (with Biy-Khem), length - 4012 km, basin area - 2707 thousand sq. km.
Ob (with Katun), length - 4070 km, basin area - 2425 thousand sq. km.
Volga, length - 3690 km, basin area - 1380 thousand sq. km.
Amur, length - 2824 km, basin area - 1855 thousand sq. km.
Ural, length - 2530 km, basin area - 220 thousand sq. km.
Kolyma, length - 2150 km, basin area - 644 thousand sq. km.
Don, length - 1950 km, basin area - 422 thousand sq. km.
Indigirka, length - 1790 km, basin area - 360 thousand sq. km.
Pechora, length - 1790 km, basin area - 327 thousand sq. km.
Northern Dvina (with Sukhona), length - 1300 km, basin area - 411 thousand sq. km.
Yana (with Dulgalakh), length - 1070 km, basin area - 318 thousand sq. km.
Selenga (with Ider), length - 1020 km, basin area - 445 thousand sq. km.
Mezen, length - 966 km, basin area - 76 thousand sq. km.
Kuban, length - 906 km, basin area - 51 thousand sq. km.
Terek, length - 626 km, basin area - 44 thousand sq. km.
Onega, length - 416 km, basin area - 58 thousand sq. km.
Neva, length - 74 km, basin area - 282 thousand sq. km.