Chukotka is perhaps the geologically least studied region of Russia. For 70 years of the Okrug's existence, its territory has been explored by only 7 percent.

Chukotka is perhaps the geologically least explored region of Russia. For 70 years of the Okrug's existence, its territory has been explored by only 7 percent. Locals joke that there will be enough work for geologists here for the next 100 years. It is this uncertainty that gives rise to numerous myths about the fabulous riches of the region. Someone argues that oil fountains are about to flow from the depths of the permafrost, others talk about fantastic diamond placers, and still others are skeptical about the extreme scarcity of the region's raw materials. In fact, all this is nothing more than assumptions.

Precious and non-ferrous metals

As of 1.01. 2000 The state balance of gold in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug recorded 477 gold deposits, including 471 placer deposits and 6 ore deposits. With a small number of ore deposits, they account for a relatively large part of the region's gold resources, which is due to the reserves of the large Mayskoye gold-sulfide deposit. Approximately the same amount is estimated for gold reserves in complex deposits of copper-porphyry and copper-pyrite types, as well as in objects of gold-silver formation. The main reserves of placer gold are located in five administrative districts (the maximum is in the Shmidtovsky district), 48 gold-bearing clusters and areas.

The predicted resources of platinum group metals in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug are located within the Anadyr-Koryak system. In 2000, within the platinum-bearing areas, geochemical prospecting began, aimed at a comprehensive assessment of the platinum-bearing and chromite-bearing properties of the Anadyr-Koryak metallogenic system.

The state balance sheet for the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug includes 83 tin deposits, including 72 placer deposits and 11 ore deposits. Since 1992, due to the general economic crisis in the country, which coincided with a sharp drop in the price of tin on the world market, tin mining in the region and in Russia as a whole has become unprofitable. Calculations show that the profitable development of even the largest in Russia Pyrkakay stockwork deposits located in Chukotka is possible only if the world prices of tin increase.

On the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the State Balance sheet includes 28 tungsten deposits, of which 17 are placer deposits and 11 are primary.

The placer deposits of the Iultinsky region are intended for open pit mining, three of them have reserves for underground mining. In addition, in the gold placer r. Lenotap is the associated tungsten trioxide for dredging. At 7 sites in the Chaunsky area, explored for open pit mining, tungsten trioxide is accounted for as a by-product with tin. Since 1992, tungsten mining has ceased for the same reasons as tin mining.

There are no copper deposits on the balance sheet of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Prospects for the development of its mining in the district are associated with the complex Peschanka deposit of the copper-porphyry type, which, in addition to copper, has resources of molybdenum, gold, silver and platinum group metals. In addition, significant copper resources are estimated at large areas, promising for the identification of deposits of copper-pyrite formation type. The total estimate of the estimated resource copper of the district as of 01.01.98 is 24.3 million tons.

Coal

Coal-bearing deposits in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug are known in 13 coal-bearing regions. The total resource potential of the territory's coals is estimated at 57475.4 million tons, of which the forecasted resources amount to 56827.4 million tons (bituminous coal -86%, brown coal -14%). All coals of Chukotka are suitable for use in the fuel and energy complex. In addition to being used as a fuel raw material, coals can be suitable for their deep processing on site - the creation of petrochemical and coke production plants and enterprises, processing of coal for petrochemical products, hydrogenation, semi-coking, etc.

In the Bering coal-bearing region at the Verkhne-Alkatvaam deposit, the possibility of identifying coal reserves suitable for coking has been established. The involvement of such deposits into operation will provide the entire Far Eastern economic region with high-quality coking raw materials. Coal of especially valuable grades can be used in the production of liquid synthetic fuels, resins, phenols and other valuable products.

The current state of the coal base in Chukotka makes it possible not only to satisfy its own fuel needs, but also to export coal outside its borders. In addition, the coals of the Beringovsky region meet international standards in quality and can be quite competitive in the world market.

Hydrocarbon raw materials

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is one of the largest "shelf" regions in Russia. Within its limits, 5 promising oil and gas basins have been identified: Anadyr, East Khatyr, South Chukotka, North Chukotka and East Siberian.

The identified oil and gas basins are characterized by their inaccessibility, as well as an uneven and relatively low degree of knowledge. Currently, the more accessible oil and gas basins of the Bering Sea - Anadyr and Khatyr.

In the continental part of the Anadyr basin, based on the results of geological exploration, numerous oil and gas structures have been identified. Three most promising areas are identified: Zapadno-Ozerny, Verkhne-Telekaysky and Lagunny. The Zapadno-Ozerny area contains a gas field of the same name, the explored reserves of which are over 5 billion cubic meters. m of gas. The deposit is prepared for industrial development. Within the Verkhne-Telekaysky area, three fields have been identified (Verkhne-Telekayskoye gas condensate, Verkhne-Echinskoye and Olkhovoye oil), a number of promising oil and gas structures.

The listed fields do not exhaust the oil and gas potential of the Nizhne-Anadyr Lowland, however, the geological structure of the land does not allow us to hope for the discovery of larger fields. Significantly great prospects are outlined for the eastern part of the Anadyr basin, located under the waters of the Anadyr Bay of the Bering Sea. It seems that the sea part of the Anadyr basin is a promising area from the point of view of its favorable geographic position, which determines a fairly stable functioning of sea transport communications. Finally, the development of the resources of the Bering Sea will be a kind of step towards the development of the more inaccessible seas of the Eastern Arctic.

The oil and gas content of the subsoil of the surface part of the Khatyr basin, which is located south and southwest of the Anadyr basin, is less studied. Forecasted recoverable oil resources - 500 million tons and gas - 900 billion m3.

The least studied are the oil and gas basins of the shelf of the East Siberian and Chukchi seas.

Within the Chukchi Sea, there are two large oil and gas basins - North and South Chukchi. The initial recoverable resources of the Chukchi Sea shelf amount to 3335 million tons of standard fuel.

The shelf of the East Siberian Sea is even less studied, and nevertheless, even scanty data suggest that several large basins are hidden under the waters of this sea. Initial recoverable resources, according to the estimate made as of 01.01.1993, amount to 5583 million tons of standard fuel.

Other minerals

In Chukotka, deposits of mercury, chromium, as well as ore occurrences of silver, polymetals, molybdenum, boron, bismuth, titanium, lithium, beryllium, iron, arsenic, antimony, nickel, cobalt, lead of rare and trace elements, zeolites, peat, etc. ., as well as precious, semi-precious (demantoid, garnet, beryl, topaz, amethyst, rock crystal, axinite, etc.) and ornamental (agate, chalcedony, jasper, listvenite, rodingite, gabbro, etc.) stones.

The groundwater

In the Okrug, 3 deposits of mineral heat and power waters were discovered and explored: Chaplinskoe, Lorinskoe and Dezhnevskoe. The thermal mineral springs of Chukotka have balneological significance - the water from them can be used to treat traumatic, skin and gastrointestinal diseases.

Chukotka has 28 mineral water springs, on the basis of which it is possible to create sanatoriums and summer recreation centers

Russian civilization

One of the most sparsely populated, mysterious and unexplored regions in the Russian Federation is Chukotka. Indeed, what do we know about her? Many do not even know exactly where this peninsula is. What can we say about other geographical, natural and cultural features of this distant land.

Our article will tell you about the geographical location, climate and nature of Chukotka, and also introduce the reader to the indigenous inhabitants of this peninsula - the Chukchi.

End of the Earth ...

These are the words that can describe the geographical position of Chukotka. It really is at the very edge of Eurasia. Here is the easternmost point of the mainland - Cape Dezhnev.

The tiny territory of the Chukotka Peninsula (total area - only 58,000 sq. Km.) Is located in two hemispheres of the Earth - Western and Eastern. This, by the way, is the only part of continental Asia that has western longitude in the coordinate system.

By the way, the inhabitants of the peninsula are very lucky: they have the right to enter the territory of neighboring Alaska without visas. And this is perhaps one of the most pleasant features of the geographical location of Chukotka. The American coast is only 86 kilometers from here through the Bering Strait.

It is important to separate the peninsula itself and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, which is one of the subjects of the Russian Federation. Chukotka in administrative terms is just two districts within the mentioned region - Chukotka and Providensky.

Relief and minerals of Chukotka

Most of the Chukotka Peninsula is occupied by the low plateau of the same name with average absolute heights of 600-1000 meters. Its surface is highly dissected and represented by individual peaks and lonely hills. The Chukotka Upland acts as the main watershed of the peninsula. One part of the rivers from it flows into the Chukchi Sea, and the other into the Beringovo.

The highest point of the Chukotka Peninsula is located near Provideniya Bay. This is the Original Mountain (1194 meters). The edge of the highland here drops abruptly to the ocean, forming a series of steep rocky ledges.

The subsoil of Chukotka is quite rich in minerals. There are explored deposits of loose gold, mercury, tin, polymetallic ores, and coal. There are huge reserves of construction materials on the peninsula: limestone, sand, gravel and marble.

Chukotka climate

Chukotka is a land of permafrost, a harsh but beautiful peninsula in its own way. Winter here seems to last forever. At this time, the peninsula turns into an icy and lifeless desert. But when the short summer comes (2-3 months), Chukotka pleases with a rather diverse vegetation and cheerful mountain streams.

Chukotka's climate is unique in many ways. It was formed in the zone of active influence of two oceans with incredibly complex atmospheric circulation. In this regard, storms, snowfalls and fogs are often observed here. Local residents joke that one month a year the weather in Chukotka is bad, two months are very bad, and nine months are bad!

Permafrost is widespread almost everywhere in Chukotka. The only exceptions are thermokarst lakes and large river valleys.

The Chukotka Peninsula is the owner of several climatic records of Russia at once. So, here is the largest number of days without sun in the country and the maximum number of storms and hurricanes per year.

Rivers and lakes of Chukotka

The territory of the peninsula is rich not only in minerals and raw materials, but also in water resources. The rivers here are special, they are characterized by:

• rapid and high floods;
• prolonged freeze-up;
• very uneven flow;
• pronounced seasonality in changes in water regime and nutrition.

It is very difficult to remember the names of the largest rivers of the Chukotka Peninsula - Chegitun, Ulyuveem, Igelkvey, Ionivey. All local watercourses freeze in September and open up only by the beginning of June. Some rivers freeze to the bottom in winter.

The peninsula has a very developed lacustrine-bog network. Swamps are concentrated along the channels of large rivers. Lagoon-type lakes are widespread on the coasts, and moraine in the mountains. The largest bodies of water in Chukotka are Lakes Koolen and Yonay. In winter, they are covered with a thick layer of ice up to two meters thick!

Flora and fauna of Chukotka

The Chukotka Peninsula is completely within the tundra natural zone. However, do not think that the local vegetation is scarce and monotonous. On the peninsula there are about 900 plant species, over 400 species of mosses and lichens.

There are very few forests in Chukotka. Occasionally there are tracts of undersized birch and Dahurian larch. This peninsula is characterized by tundra vegetation with alder, sedges, lingonberries, blueberries and other shrubs. Mosses and lichens, which grow everywhere here, can be considered a peculiar floristic symbol of Chukotka.

The fauna of the peninsula is also quite diverse. Typical animals of Chukotka are the reindeer, long-tailed gopher, hoofed lemming, white hare, wolf, sable, lynx, ermine, arctic fox. The mountainous areas are inhabited by bighorn sheep and musk oxen - unique and the only representatives of their kind.

The avifauna of Chukotka is also worth mentioning. On the coast there are gulls, guillemots, guillemots, sandpipers, loons and even swans. A large number of fish and shrimps live in the waters of the seas. Sometimes whales swim up to the shores of Chukotka.

Chukotka history

The earliest human settlements on the peninsula date back to 8-6 millennia BC. The unique archaeological complex "Whale Alley" (an alley of bowhead whale bones dug into the ground) on the island of Itygran dates back to the XIV-XVI centuries.

The Chukchi are considered the indigenous people of this peninsula. Although even earlier, more ancient peoples lived here - the Onkilons, Yuits and Yukagirs. An important role in the formation and development of the Chukchi people was played by their traditional occupation - reindeer herding.

Did the Russians discover Chukotka in 1648? during the expedition of Semyon Dezhnev. Almost immediately after this, the first skirmishes began between local residents and uninvited guests from the west. For half a century, the Russian Cossacks tried to conquer and pacify the Chukchi "savages". But in vain. The Chukchi, even without firearms at their disposal, competently and selflessly defended their land.

It was not possible to conquer the Chukchi people by force. Therefore, Catherine II in 1778 resorted to cunning. She granted the Chukchi broad rights and freedoms, freed them from duty (yasak) and guaranteed complete independence in all their internal affairs. This policy bore fruit: in 1788 the first trade fair was successfully held in Chukotka.

Economy and population of Chukotka

Today, about 8 thousand people live on the peninsula. About 80% of the local population of Chukotka is Chukchi. Other nationalities also live here - Eskimos, Yukaghirs, Evenks, Chuvans and Russians.

Administratively and territorially, the territory of the peninsula is divided into two regions - Chukotka and Providensky. Within the first, there are six villages. In the Providensky region there are five rural settlements and one urban-type settlement Provideniya, which is home to about 2 thousand people.

The industry of Chukotka is represented by the extraction of minerals (mainly bulk gold) and thermal energy. The most developed agriculture in the region. It is represented by reindeer husbandry, animal husbandry and fish farming. There are two large agricultural enterprises on the peninsula - Zapolyarye and Keper.

Who are the Chukchi and what we do not know about them

The Chukchi are the indigenous people of Chukotka, a small ethnic group, scattered over a fairly large territory. Its total number is only 16 thousand people. About 80% of all Chukchi live within the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

The characteristic anthropological features of the Chukchi are: horizontal or oblique eyes, bronze-tinted skin, large facial features, high forehead, massive nose and large eyes.

• the Chukchi are a very warlike and cruel people;
• representatives of this nationality have an excellent sense of smell;
• the upbringing of Chukchi boys is distinguished by severity and consists of a number of difficult tests (for example, from the age of five, a young Chukchi is allowed to sleep exclusively while standing);
• the Chukchi are absolutely indifferent to death;
• the Chukchi are ideal warriors, partisans and saboteurs, they brought animal horror and fear to everyone who had to fight with them;
• the basis of the diet of this people is meat, seaweed, berries, shellfish, blood and decoctions of various herbs;
• chukchi - skilled craftsmen in animal bone carving;
• the Soviet government desperately and productively invented funny anecdotes about the Chukchi, the main goal of the “red ideologists” was this: to turn the militant and proud people into harmless and amusing folk characters.

Heraldry of Chukotka

As a conclusion of our article, one cannot fail to mention the heraldry of the peninsula. She is very interesting, colorful and a little naive. However, the coats of arms and flags of Chukotka reflect all the specifics of this unique region.

Let's start with the flag of the Chukotka Municipal District. On it we see a boat with five oarsmen and a hunter armed with a long spear. The boat sails against the background of the yellow sun. This banner depicts one of the main occupations of local residents - hunting for large sea animals (seals, walruses and whales).

But the coat of arms of the same Chukotka region depicts a walrus (against the background of the administrative map of the region) and six deer, symbolizing another traditional Chukchi occupation - reindeer herding.

The coat of arms of the neighboring Providensky district is no less interesting. On it we see images of a whale and a sea anchor. It is no coincidence that both figures are placed on the regional coat of arms. The whale symbolizes the traditional whaling of these regions, and the anchor reminds that one of the most important ports of the Russian Arctic is located in the village of Provideniya.

Geography and relief

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is located in the extreme north-east of Russia, more than half of the territory is beyond the Arctic Circle. The territory of the district borders on:

• Kolyma (in the west);
• Magadan region and Yakutia (in the west and southwest);
• Kamchatka region (in the south).

The Okrug is washed by the waters of the Arctic Ocean (in the north), the Bering Strait (in the east), as well as the East Siberian, Bering and Chukchi seas. The district includes the islands of Wrangel, Ratmanov, Herald, and others.

Figure 1. Landscape of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. Author24 - online exchange of student papers

The southern border of Chukotka runs along the watershed of the Anadyr River and individual rivers in the Koryak Upland.

The total area of \u200b\u200bthe territory is over 720 thousand square meters. km.

The main landscapes were formed in antiquity and practically did not undergo any changes:

• The Anadyr Lowland is a very swampy central part of the Okrug;
• Anadyr plateau - located to the northwest of the lowland of the same name; river basins and important ridges diverge from it
• Koryak Upland - located in the south of the Okrug;
• Yukagir plateau - occupies the southwestern part of the district's territory, heights reach from 500 to 700 m;
• Vankarem and Chaun lowlands - stretch along the sea coasts in the north. There are an abundance of lakes here, the territory is very swampy.

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The relief of the peninsula is made up of hills (dome-shaped hills) with heights of up to 700 m. The highest point of Chukotka - 1853 m - is located on the Anyui Upland.

Remark 1

On the territory of Chukotka, there are many unique modern and relict ice, represented by thick stratal deposits, underground ice of rock glaciers, as well as ice veins with a length of up to 50 m.

Climatic conditions

Chukotka's climate is harsh. The climatic conditions are determined by the monsoon circulation. There are two seasons: a long frosty period and a short warm one. In the interior mountainous regions, the climatic conditions are sharply continental. Humid, cold, sea air prevails on the coast.

The proximity of the Arctic Ocean creates high humidity, cloudy weather and fog. The closer to the ocean, the more severe the weather conditions.

Winter lasts up to 10 months a year. At this time, the continent is cooling significantly. The winters are dry and sunny. Warming with snowfalls and blizzards sometimes breaks out from the Pacific Ocean.

During the warm period, wet cold masses move from the ocean to land, forming the summer monsoons.

The average January temperature is -40 ° C. Average July temperatures range from + 5 ° C to + 13 ° C. Sometimes the temperature can rise to + 30 ° C.

The soils are permafrost everywhere.

The characteristic features of the shelf seas are storms, heavy ice conditions, fogs, and strong tidal currents.

Natural resources

Water resources... The district's rivers belong to the basins of the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Most of the rivers are poorly studied. Large rivers include: Anadyr (with tributaries Belaya, Tanyurer, Main); Big Anyui and Small Anyui, Velikaya. Many of the rivers freeze to the bottom. Most belong to mountain rivers. The largest lakes: Pekulneiskoe, Elgygytgyn, Krasnoe. The lakes are mainly of thermokarst origin. There are deposits of mineral thermal waters (Lorinskoe, Chaplinskoe and Dezhnevskoe deposits). Seas of Chukotka: East Siberian (the coldest of all seas in the district); The Chukchi Sea (most of the year it is covered with floating ice, in autumn, due to stormy winds, hummocks are often formed); Bering Sea (the warmest sea in Chukotka).

Minerals... The subsoil of the district is rich in reserves of platinum group metals (Anadyr-Koryakskaya system), gold (Maiskoe gold-sulfide deposit, Shmidtovsky, Iultinsky, Chaunsky districts), silver, tin (Pyrkakaysky stockwork deposits), tungsten (Chaunsky district), copper, mercury, oil , gas (oil and gas basins - East Khatyr, Anadyr, North Chukotka, South Chukotka, East Siberian), coal and brown coal (Verkhne-Alkatvaam deposit), etc. Deposits of chromium, molybdenum, bismuth, boron, titanium, beryllium, lithium, arsenic, iron, antimony, cobalt, nickel, zeolites, precious and semi-precious stones (garnet, demantoid, beryl, amethyst, topaz, axinite, rock crystal, etc.), ornamental stones (chalcedony, agate, jasper, rhodingite , foliage, gabbro, etc.). The explored mineral and raw material potential of the district is one of the highest in the Far East.

Construction Materials... Deposits of mineral building materials are represented by the following types of raw materials: building sands, expanded clay, brick and sand-gravel mixtures, building stones, carbonate rocks for building lime.

Bioresources... There are significant resources of marine hunting (minke whales, fin whales, beluga whales, killer whales and other cetacean mammals; bearded seals, walruses, striped seals, seals and other pinnipeds). Deep processing of raw materials (thymus, fat, adrenal glands, spleen and other organs of sea animals) into biologically active substances (BAS) is underway. Fishing (tuna, shrimp, cephalopods, pollock, cod, large crustaceans) and reindeer husbandry are well developed.

Hunting resources... The most valuable in commercial terms are: wild reindeer, elk, brown bears, sable, red fox, arctic fox, wolverine, wolf, muskrat, American mink, white hares, ermines, ptarmigan.

Flora and fauna

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is a land of tundra, forest-tundra and arctic deserts. The territory is dominated by low-lying tundra vegetation.

Arctic deserts are located on Wrangel Island and on the tops of the mountains. The vegetation cover is represented by sedge-hummocky and shrub-moss representatives.

In the river basins, island forests grow with a predominance of poplar, larch, birch, Korean willow, alder, etc.

More than 35 species of mammals mainly live in the forests of Chukotka: brown and polar bears, arctic fox, fox, wolf, wolverine.

The avifauna (170 species) is represented by partridges, geese, ducks, and swans. Guillemots, eiders and seagulls live on the coast.

A wide variety of fish. In terms of commercial use, halibut, large-sized pollock, cod, flounder, navaga, etc. are of value.

Characteristics of minerals of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug possesses significant reserves of minerals, many of which are still awaiting their discovery.oil, natural gas, gold, tin, antimony, tungsten and mercury.Tungsten and tin are often found together. The main tin-bearing rock is cassiterite ore. Tin is mined in the Iultinsky and Chaunsky regions of Chukotka. Gold is mined in the Bilibinsky and Chaunsky regions. Coal in Chukotka for the district's internal needs is mined at the Anadyr brown coal and Beringov coal deposits. And in the Lorinsky region, marble, building sands and sand and gravel mixtures are mined.

Mineral resource	Characteristic	Using:
Coal	Black, shiny, hard, brittle, turns into coal dust, heavier than water, burns.	Fuel.
Brown coal	Clay substance, combustible, lies in layers among sedimentary rocks, formed from plant remains.	Fuel.
Natural gas	Gases that can burn are found in rock voids.	The cheapest and most convenient fuel.
Tin ore	Numerous minerals containing tin. Not oxidized, not flammable. Easy to melt, ductile, malleable metal, silvery white.	Canning industry. Manufacturing of brass, dyes.
Gold	A noble metal with a rich yellow color with a characteristic luster. in its pure form - a very soft metal, does not oxidize, heavy, not flammable.	Jewelry.
Oil	A flammable oily liquid of dark color with a pungent odor, flammable.	Kerosene, gasoline, petroleum jelly, medicines, fuel oil, industrial alcohol, plastic, fibers for the manufacture of fabrics.
Tungsten	The metal is dark gray, very heavy, brittle and refractory. Occurs in the form of a black or gray powder.	Steel production. Coloring of glass and porcelain in red and blue. It stains matter and makes it fireproof.
Mercury	A liquid heavy metal of a silvery-white color, yellow in color is also found in nature. Mobile. Poisonous. It is oxidized.	Thermometers.
Antimony	Poisonous bluish-white metal. It is found in the form of nuggets.	Dye for blackening hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. Printing business.
Marble	Modified limestone. Rock. Hard mineral, white and variegated, easy to polish, not flammable, does not melt, does not conduct electricity.	Sculpture, construction.
Sand	Rock, consists of grains from 0.05 mm to 2 mm, loose, not flammable. Colors: black, green, yellow, white, reddish.	Construction, glass.
Sand - gravel mixture (ASG)	Natural mixture of sand and gravel in different proportions. Granular, free-flowing, non-flammable, does not oxidize. Color : brown, yellow, light yellow, brown, light brown.	Road works.

Prepared by A. Fedorova

There is such an autonomous region in the Russian Federation, in the Far East - Chukotka. Yakutia, Magadan Oblast and Kamchatka Krai are located nearby. Alaska is nearby, it's a pity it belongs to the United States (that's what everyone thinks, anyway). Swam across the Bering Strait - that's America.

The capital of Chukotka is the city of Anadyr. The area of \u200b\u200bthe district is over 720 thousand km2. The Chukotka District occupies land between the lower reaches of the Kolyma in the west and Cape Dezhnev on the Chukchi Peninsula, as well as the following rather large islands: Wrangel, Aion, Arakamchechen, Ratmanova, Gerald and others.
Chukotka cuts like a rocky wedge into two oceans: the Pacific and the Arctic. The waves of the East Siberian, Chukchi and Bering seas beat against the coast of Chukotka.

Chukotka relief

Mountainous terrain prevails. In the northeast is the Chukotka Upland, in the center - the Anadyr and Anyui Uplands, in the southwest - the northern extremities of the Kolyma Upland, in the southeast - the Koryak Upland. Above the highlands, there are separate ridges with a peak height of more than 1 km. The highest point in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is located in the Anyui Upland, its height is 1853 m above sea level.

Lowlands adjoin sea bays. From a geological point of view, Chukotka is a very young region of the earth's surface. Its relief was formed as a result of vertical tectonic movements of the earth's crust. These movements began in the Neogene period and have not ended to the present.

Climate

The region is located in the Far North, so the climate is harsh: on the coasts - humid sea air (cold in winter), in the inner mountainous regions - the climate is sharply continental. Winter is very long - up to 10 months a year. Average January temperatures are up to –40 ° С (the minimum is even lower, naturally), in July - from +5 to + 10 ° С. The soils are permafrost everywhere.

Chukotka nature

Chukotka is the land of rivers and streams. The largest and most famous:

• Anadyr (with tributaries Main, Belaya, Tanyurer),
• Great (flows into Onemen Bay of the Bering Sea),
• Bolshaya Anyui and Malaya Anyui (originate in the mountains of Chukotka and flow into the Kolyma).

The rivers are fed mainly from melting snows or rains; the water is cold, but in most places you can drink it directly, without boiling. There are also many lakes, mainly of thermokarst origin, mainly located within tectonic depressions. The largest lakes are Krasnoe and Elgygytgyn (maximum depth - 169 m). There are lakes with salt water within the northern coastal strip. There are three known deposits of mineral heat and power waters with temperatures up to 80 ° C (Chaplyginskoe, Lorinskoe and Dezhnevskoe).

Chukotka is the land of the forest-tundra, tundra and arctic deserts. Tundra, low-lying vegetation prevails. On the mountain tops and on Wrangel Island there are arctic deserts. In the basins of the Anadyr River and other large rivers, there are island forests (larch, poplar, Korean willow, birch, alder, etc.).

In Chukotka, mainly in the forests, there are several dozen species of mammals (fox, arctic fox, wolf, wolverine, brown and polar bears) and a couple of hundred species of birds (white and tundra partridges, geese, ducks, swans). On the coast there are noisy "bird colonies" - eiders, guillemots, seagulls. There are a lot of fish, I don't want to catch it. So fishing in Chukotka should be successful.

For tourists and extreme people

The Chukchi Territory is one of those places in the world that seem to be created to test a person "for strength". The edge of permafrost, there are almost always winds and blizzards. Chukotka shows its unique beauty only to those who are ready to face difficulties. The life philosophy of indigenous peoples is shaped in this extreme climate. Everyday life and life of people here is initially subject to the goal of survival. That is why, when going to Chukotka, it is very important to understand whether you have strength of mind and body strength, whether you are physically enduring.