Kamchatka is a peninsula that is one of the richest territories in the world in terms of recreational and natural resources. Glaciers and volcanoes, mineral and thermal springs, the famous Valley of Geysers and the fauna and flora untouched by civilization in most places created the prerequisites for the development of sport fishing and ecological tourism. Stormy rivers and vigorous activity of volcanoes, mountain peaks over four thousand meters high and waters of coastal seas with a rich ichthyofauna are of interest not only to domestic, but also to foreign travelers.
Geographic location
The Kamchatka Peninsula on the map of Russia is located in its easternmost part. Its territory stretched from the northwest to the southeast for more than one and a half thousand kilometers.
The geographical position of the Kamchatka Peninsula on the map is between Chukotka and the Kuril Islands. From the west, its territory is washed by the Sea of Okhotsk, and from the east - by the waters of the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
All this territory with the adjacent Commander Islands is the Kamchatka Territory - a subject of the Russian Federation. The total area of this region is 472.3 thousand square meters. The administrative center of the subject is the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Climate
Kamchatka is a peninsula whose weather conditions are influenced by vast expanses of water. The cold currents of the seas (Bering and Okhotsk) significantly reduce the average annual temperatures of air masses. This is especially unfavorable for the warm season.
The absence of severe frosts in winter and heat in summer are the weather conditions that are typical for the southern part of the territory under consideration. The Kamchatka Peninsula, which has a maritime climate in coastal areas, is characterized by a large number of rainy and foggy days.
Moving inland and north, you can notice a change in weather conditions. The climate of these areas is more continental. It is influenced by the land of the Asian continent. Mountain ranges protect this territory from sea air masses. These factors affect the lengthening of the winter characteristic of these latitudes and the shortening of the summer period.
Another feature of the Kamchatka climate is the location of the territory in the zone of cyclonic intensive activity. In this regard, strong winds often blow on the peninsula. Cyclones bring precipitation with them. Most of them fall in the southern regions of Kamchatka (up to 1200 millimeters during the year).
Natural phenomena
Kamchatka is a peninsula where a special combination of climatic and physical and geographical conditions contributes to the emergence of dangerous hydrological processes. These include mudflows and snow avalanches,catastrophic and sharp rises in river levels after heavy rains, as well as channel deformations, jamming, etc.
Kamchatka is a peninsula that is part of the so-called fiery belt, which includes volcanic ridges. Mountain building and other geological processes often take place here. Their result is earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Relief
The entire surface of the Kamchatka Peninsula is a territory where parallel stripes of volcanic ridges and lowlands alternate. So, along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk there are hummocky tundras, swamps and ridges, overgrown with forests. This is the territory on which the West Kamchatka Lowland is located. To the east of it stretches the largest mountain system of the peninsula - the Sredinny Ridge. It is dissected by gorges and river valleys. The northern part of the Middle Range has preserved traces of active volcanic activity, which was observed here relatively recently.
The highest point of this mountain range is Ichinskaya Sopka. This is an active volcano (3621 m), the top of which is covered by a powerful ice cap. The Kamchatka Peninsula, the relief of which beyond the Sredinny Ridge turns into a vast depression, carries from this territory to the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk the water of two rivers - Kamchatka and Bystraya. Next is the East Ridge. It stretched for six hundred kilometers. The Kamchatka Peninsula, whose relief in this area includes a mountain range, is represented by the following ranges:
-Ganalsky, having pointed tops and jagged ridges. - Valaginsky, which includes the active volcano Kizimen (the highest point is located at an altitude of 2485 km); - Kumroch and Tumrok (in the north).
The next area of the peninsula is the most visited by tourists. It is here that the Eastern Volcanic Region is located. The territory stretched from the southern part of the peninsula (from Cape Lopatki) to the northern part. This area ends with the Shiveluch volcano (it is active).
The Kamchatka Peninsula, whose volcanoes are concentrated in this particular area, is very attractive for tourists. The natural attractions of the region are concentrated here, as well as most of the cold mineral and thermal springs.
Rivers of Kamchatka
The peninsula is characterized by a fairly dense hydrographic grid. A little more than six thousand both large and small rivers flow on its territory. Basically, their length does not exceed two hundred kilometers. Only seven rivers of Kamchatka carry their waters for more than 300 km. The largest river of the peninsula is the Kamchatka. It has a length of more than seven hundred and fifty kilometers.
Almost all rivers have a stormy character. Many of them have rapids and waterfalls. The largest rivers of the peninsula are Bolshaya and Kamchatka. They are navigable only in the lower part of the mouth.
The so-called dry rivers are located in volcanic regions. Water in their channels appears only during the period of snow melting.
Lakes of Kamchatka
Many reservoirspeninsulas have different origins. Lakes of lowlands and floodplain areas of rivers are often swampy. One of these is Nalychevo. On the uplands, the lakes are occupied by depressions of hilly relief. The largest of them are the reservoirs Dvukhyurtochnoe and Nachikinskoe.
Many lakes were formed as a result of volcanic activity. Some of them (Karymskoye, Kurilskoye, etc.) are located in depressions that have arisen during the subsidence of some parts of the earth's crust, or in explosive funnels. There are lakes located in volcanic craters (Kangar, Ksudach, Uzon), as well as in tectonic depressions (Askabache).
The largest reservoir on the peninsula is a reservoir formed in the river valley, which was blocked by lava flows. This is Lake Kronotskoe.
Flora
Where the Kamchatka Peninsula is located, strong winds blow and there is a short summer. These factors, as well as the isolation of the territory from the mainland and loose volcanic soils, gave a special character to the vegetation of the harsh region. The species composition of the flora is not particularly rich. There are a little over a thousand fern and flowering plants here. Among them there are species that are not found anywhere else.
Forests on the peninsula cover one third of its area. White and stone birch, alder and spruce, Kuril larch and willow, mountain ash and poplar, hawthorn and bird cherry grow here. Berry bushes are represented by honeysuckle and lingonberries, blueberries and shiksha. Cranberries are found in swampy areas.
In the highlandsdwarf species of alder, birch and willow grow. The headband is widespread. On the high plateaus, only unpretentious tundra vegetation can be found.
Fauna
The natural areas of the Kamchatka Peninsula were chosen by the bighorn sheep and brown bear, wild deer and elk. There are marmot and hare, muskrat and otter, sable and mink, fox and arctic fox, wolverine and squirrel, lynx and wolf. Sea lions and seals, as well as bearded seals live in the coastal areas of the seas. On the Commander Islands you can meet a seal and a sea otter.
Among the birds there are species that remain on the peninsula in winter. However, some birds fly to warmer climes. The list of those permanently living in these places includes capercaillie and golden eagles, crows and cuckoos, eagles and magpies. Wintering swans can be found on the peninsula.
In the numerous rivers of Kamchatka, grayling and char, as well as mykizha, constantly live. Salmon species of fish come here to spawn. In some lakes you can find crucian carp. In the seas surrounding the peninsula, they catch flounder and cod, pollock and herring.
Tourism
Kamchatsky Krai is a kind of mountainous region of Russia. Here you can see ecologically clean wildlife with fauna and flora untouched by human activity. The attention of travelers will be attracted by the unique phenomena of the peninsula, natural monuments and the original culture of its few nationalities.
Tourist routes of Kamchatka, as a rule, pass through areas isolated from civilization, where wild mountain nature is located. Existthere is a strong possibility that the weather will suddenly worsen, hurricane winds will fly in and heavy rain will fall.
Features of holidays in Kamchatka
Those who are going to spend their holidays in the easternmost region of Russia should keep in mind that there is no way to get to the main tourist sites by public transport. Any means (air or ground) can be delivered to the destination only individually. In this case, you will need to pay for the return flight. If you decide to relax on your own, then keep in mind that Kamchatka is the territory of modern mountain building processes. On the peninsula, there are constant changes in the relief and many magnetic zones of an anomalous nature. That is why you should not rely on maps and satellite navigation when passing routes. In the event of an emergency or emergency, you can only rely on yourself.
A peculiarity of rest in Kamchatka is also that there are no permanent short excursions and routes on the peninsula. An exception can only be small cruise trips along the Azachinskaya Bay. Helicopter tours with a visit to the Valley of Geysers are also held here.
