Ural Mountains

   The Ural Mountains extend nearly 2,500 kilometers from the shores of the Arctic Ocean to the Kazakh Steppe, separating European Russia from Siberia. The range is one of the several geographic features dividing Europe from Asia. The highest peak is Mount Narodnaya (1,895 m). Geopolitically, the federal subjects of Russia associated with the Urals include Bashkortostan, Khantiya-Mansiya, Udmurtiya, Yamaliya, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Perm Krai, Orenburg, Kurgan, and Chelyabinsk. Most of these regions also comprise the Urals Economic Region. During the 1930s and especially World War II, a significant portion of European Russia’s industrial capacity was transferred to the immediate environs of the Urals, establishing important manufacturing centers including Magnitogorsk. Mining remains an important economic driver in the area, as the Urals contain significant deposits of gold, platinum, coal, iron, and other metals, as well as oil.