URAL MOUNTAINS extend along the eastern border of Europe, which they divide from Asia. The whole of the range lies within the dominions of Russia. Its most southern extremity is on the banks of the river Ural, where that river rune from east to west, near 51° N. lat., and on both aides of 55' E. long. The most northern extremity reaches the Arctic Ocean on the Straits of Waigatz, and terminates opposite the island of Nova Zombie in 70° N. hit., and about 60* E. long. As the range reaches its culminating point near the meridian of 60' E. bug., and as it extends from south to north, It is classed among the meridional ranges of mountains.
The length of the range is about 1250 miles; towards the southern extremity, near 53° N. lat., the ridges spread over a tract about 100 miles wide, but farther north the breadth is less than 50 miles, and nearly in the centre, between 56° and 60* N. lat., the mountain range is hardly 20 miles acrose. Farther north it grows wider, but this portion of the mountains is very imperfectly known. The whole area of the Ural Mountains is about 120,000 square miles. The general elevation of the range is not great, none of the summits rising to more than 6800 feet above the sea, and the highest parts of the range often fall short of 2000 feet. The chain descends with Steep declivities to the great plains of Asia, which are contiguous to its base. On the west the mountains do not immediately border on the great plains of Eastern Europe, but are separated from them by a hilly tract of from 20 to 40 miles wide. The whole range may be divided into three portions—the Southern, Central, and Northern Ural.
The Southern Ural extends from the banks of the Ural River to 55* 30' N. lit. Tho high ground approaches the right bank of the river so as to leave only a comparatively narrow tract of low and level ground along its course. The ascent of these high grounds is very much broken and rapid, but they are only from 600 to 700 feet above the surface of the river. When this elevation is attained the country gradually rises higher, and near 53° N. lat. may be from 1200 to 1800 feat above the surface of the sea. This tract is called the table-land of the Sakmara, from an affluent of the Ural River which drains nearly the whole of it. On the east the table-land declines with a steep descent to the river Ural, where it flows from north to south, but on the west Its elope is very gentle, and it is connected with the low ridge called Oltstshe4 Sirt, which traverses the steppe that lies farther west, and terminates en the banks of the Volga, opposite Kamyshin (between 50° and 51' N. lat.). The surface of the table-laud is very much
broken, and in many parts there are rocky hills of moderate elevation, but they do not constitute ridges except on the banks of the Ick, a small affluent of the Saktnara. A considerable portion of the table land is wooded and well stocked with animals, which supply the Bashkirs with a part of their subsistence. There are some largo swamps.
On tba north aide of the tableland of Sakmara are two ranges of mountains, of which the eastern is called the Irendik Mountains, but farther north it takes the name of Ural-Tau (or Girdle Mountains). It rune north by cart to 55' 30' N. lat. In a few places it contains elevated summits, for Instance, near Its southern extremity, east of Lake Tolkuh, where It is more than 2900 feet above the sea; but iu general the summit Is a level plain about 2000 feet high and seven or eight miles wide: it la mostly covered with swamps. Tho western chain has no general name. It ride* In the most southern bend of the river Biala's', and runs nearly north-east, gradually approaching the Ural-Tau. Near Its southern extremity, which is less than 50 mils. distant from that of the Ural-T.1u, It does not rise much above thegoneral lend of the table.land of Samara; but farther north It increases in elevation, and exhibits several high summits, among which ate the Yaman-Tau, at the source of the Iflalnya, and the Iremel-Tau, north of IL Tho last-mentioned mount is the highest in the Southern Ural, and rises more than 4700 feet above the sea-level; and snow is found in some ravines near its summita all the year round. The whole western chain is thickly wooded, but many of the elopes are nearly inaccessible, owing to the deep swamps on their sides. Wild animals are very numerous, especially bears, deer, and elks. The valley. between the ranges are either destitute of trees and covered with thick grass or swamps. In some places however there aro extensive woods.