This is the second largest subject of the Russian Federation, therefore the nature of the Krasnoyarsk Territory is extremely diverse. Here you can see almost everything: the classic dry steppes, and the remote taiga, and lifeless Arctic deserts … More than in any of the regions of the country there is no such set of natural and climatic zones.
Nature and ecology of the Krasnoyarsk Territory
Krasnoyarsk Territory occupies about 13% of the territory of Russia. From both edges it is bordered by mountain systems: the Byrranga mountains from the north, the Sayans and Kuznetsk Alatau in the south. The region is unusually rich in various minerals. In particular, over 90% of nickel and platinum reserves in the country are concentrated here, about 40% of Russian reserves of lead and about 20% of gold.
The territory has a sharply continental climate. The temperature regime is very different, since the Krasnoyarsk Territory is very elongated in the meridional direction. In the far north in winter, temperatures often reach -30 … -35 degrees.
The nature of the Krasnoyarsk Territory is very rich in water resources. Here flows one of the largest rivers in the world - the Yenisei - along with its many tributaries. There are also a lot of lakes in the region - more than 320 thousand in total! Of these, the largest in area - Taimyr, Keta, Pyasino, Glubokoe and Khantayskoye.
Despite the fact that the region is poorly populated, the anthropogenic load on nature is very noticeable here. The main culprits of the adverse environmental situation are numerous large enterprises of non-ferrous metallurgy and mining industry, which strongly pollute the environment. It's hard to believe, but a region with a population of three million people a year produces up to 350 million tons of waste. Three cities are leading in the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere and inland waters: Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk and Achinsk.
Flora and fauna
Krasnoyarsk Territory is a land of forests. Over 70% of the territory is covered by forests, mostly coniferous. Typical representatives of these forests are larch (the only coniferous tree that drops its needles for the winter), fir, pine, spruce and Siberian cedar.
The flora, nature and animals of the Krasnoyarsk Territory simply amaze with their diversity and exceptional wealth. 340 species of birds and 89 species of mammals live here, including sable, arctic fox, ermine and reindeer. In rivers and lakes there are over 60 species of fish, among which many are of industrial importance (sterlet, sturgeon and others).
Nature Protection of the Krasnoyarsk Territory
They try to preserve the riches of nature in the region by creating a large number of nature conservation territories and objects. To date, 30 nature reserves have already been created here, as well as 7 nature reserves, the most famous of which are the Tunguska, Putoransky, the Big Arctic Reserve, the Stolby Reserve. In addition, 39 reserves are planned to be created in the near future.
Natural monuments in the Krasnoyarsk Territory are also quite widely represented. Today in the region there are 51 such facilities. These are lakes, rocks, sections of rivers, waterfalls and much more. Consider the most famous and most visited of the natural monuments of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Stone town
The nature of the Krasnoyarsk Territory will amaze any tourist with its grandeur and beauty. A vivid proof of this is the natural monument Kamenny Gorodok, located on one of the ridges of the Western Sayan. These are pillar-shaped rocks up to 40 meters high, impressive in their unusual forms.
About a hundred pillars are located here. On one of them, which was called the Watchtower, there is an observation deck from which you can admire the general panorama of the entire Stone Town. An amazing sight: bizarre, as if built by a man, turrets emerge from the thick of the forest.
The stone town is a real paradise for climbers. For them, more than 60 routes of varying complexity are organized here. After all, rocks of this columnar shape are ideal for practicing this extreme sport.
Lake Oy
“Water is life itself, ” as A. de Saint Exupery once said. In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a whole "sea" of unique and beautiful water bodies. One of these is Lake Oy - a hydrological natural monument. It is very popular with tourists because of its geographical accessibility - it is located right next to the road.
The lake starts the Oia River, one of the Yenisei tributaries. The water in it is very cold, even in summer its temperature does not rise above +10 degrees. This is explained by the fact that Lake Oy is located in the mountains - at around 1, 500 meters.
Shindinsky waterfall
Shindinsky (aka Chinzhebsky) waterfall received the status of a natural monument in 1987. The peak of full-flow here falls on May-June. The waterfall is unusually beautiful: with a powerful stream it falls from a 30-meter steep ledge. The facility is very accessible: you can drive directly to it. However, walking to it will bring much more impressions.
The width of the Shindinsky waterfall does not exceed ten meters. It is located at the foot of the picturesque Moscow Mountain, which you can also conquer if you wish.
