Siberia is a land which occupies the major part of the Northern Asia. It stretches from the Ural in the West to the mountain ranges of the Pacific watershed in the East, and from Arctic Ocean in the North to the border of the Middle Asia in the south.

Relief.

The relief of Siberia is diverse and contrasting. The main part of the Western Siberia is occupied by the West-Siberian plateau - one of the biggest low-lying plateaus of the world. An important element of the Western Siberia relief is valleys of big rivers. The width of the rivers reaches several dozens of kilometers. The valley of Ob river is 100-120 kilometers wide. The territory of the Western Siberia is situated in the eastern part beyond Yenisey. Its relief is characterized by a high position above the sea level.

The major part of the Eastern Siberia is occupied by the Central Siberian plateau. There are several lowlands in the north - the Northern-Siberian, the Central Yakutskaya, Yano-Indigirskaya, in the south - the mountains of the Southern Siberian. In the East there is Yano-Kolmykskoe table-land, the relief of which is rather contrasting.

The southern Siberia mountains - is a mountain system which includes Altai, Salair ridge, Kuznetsk Alatau, West and East Sayan, the mountains of Tuva, Zabaikalie and Pribaikalie. The mountain system also includes intermountain basins (Kuznetsk, Minusinsk, Tuvinian) which are a very important element of the Southern Siberia.

The highest peak of Siberia is Beluha mountain - 4506 meters.

Mineral resources.

Gas and oil fields are considered to be the wealth of the Western Siberia. The territory occupies one of the leading positions in the world due to its gas and oil fields such as Urengoi, Yamburg, Medvezhie, Surgut and Nizhevartovsk. The Western Siberia holds 60% of the total Russian peat stock. The south of the plateau is rich in common salt and mirabilite. Kuznetsk coal-basin is one of the largest in the world. Its total geological stock is estimated to be 733 billion tons. The peculiar geological structure of the Western Siberia is the cause of sedimentary rock formation which is widely used as a construction material.

The Eastern Siberia is amazingly rich in mineral resources. The most important are fuel-energy resources. The territory accumulates approximately 80% of coal and brown coal of the country. The Eastern Siberia is also rich in ore fields - iron ores of Korshunovsk and Abakan fields, copper-nickel ores of Norilsk, polymetals of Altai and East Sayan. Kuznetsk Alatau and East Sayan possess manganese and titanium. There are also deposits of zinc, lead, silver, gold, tungsten, molybdenum. The Eastern Siberia is still the main supplier of gold in Russia. Yakutiya diamonds' deposits also play an important role.

Climate.

Siberia is situated in temperate, subarctic and arctic climatic zones. The climate is continental on the territory of the Western Siberia and is sharply continental and even severe in the Eastern Siberia. The position of the Western Siberia makes for less severe frost, but due to strong winds the temperature changes dramatically here.

The climate of the Eastern Siberia is sharply continental. It is evident from a big change of temperature in summer and winter and during day and night. There are few precipitations.

The position of the Eastern Siberia in the centre of the continent influences the peculiarities of air circulation. The winter weather is sunny, dry but very cold. The summer is hot.

The climate of the Southern Siberia is also defined by the geographical position in the southern part of the temperate zone and by the contrasting relief.

Water resources.

The Siberian territory is rich in water resources. The majority of the rivers belong to the basin of  the Arctic Ocean. The biggest and the fullest of them are Ob, Irtysh, Yenisei, Lena, Angara and Aldan. The main sources of water supply for the Siberian rivers are snow waters and summer-autumn rains.

There are more than 2000 rivers on the territory of Western Siberia. Their length is more than 250 thousand kilometers. The largest river of Western Siberia is Ob (with Irtysh tributary). This is one of the greatest rivers of the world. It takes the first place in Russia according to its length and area basin. The lakes of Western Siberia are mainly situated on the place of the former river beds. Waterlogged territories and marshes take almost 800 thousand square kilometers.

The main arteries of Eastern Siberia are Yenisei and Lena. Yenisey starts carrying its waters from the mountains of Tuva. It is the fullest river of Russia, the length is 4090 kilometers.

Lena river starts in the mountains of Southern Siberia. Its basin area is great, which also explains its depth. Other big rivers of Eastern Siberia are Olenek, Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma.

The lakes of Siberia include Baikal, Taymyr, Chany, Teletskoe - the pearl of Siberia. The ground waters are represented by Tungusky, Yakutian, Angaro-Lensky and Western-Siberian artesian basins.

Flora and fauna.

Siberia occupies approximately 60% of Russia. It is characterized by rich biological variety. The natural zones are represented by tundra, forest tundra, taiga, forest steppe, steppe and mountain formations. There are arctic deserts with poor vegetation in the North and on the islands of Arctic Ocean. The most typical forest for Siberia is taiga. It covers the major part of the Western-Siberian plateau. It consists of fir trees, silver fir, cedars, pine trees, Siberian larch, aspens and birches. Vast territories in river valleys are occupied by meadows.

Eastern Siberia is a land of light coniferous forests of larch and pine trees. Dark coniferous taiga covers western and southern parts of Eastern Siberia. The Southern Siberian flora is amazingly diverse. There are steppes, mountain taiga, alpine meadows and tundra.

According to the scientific research there are more than 4.2 thousand species of plants growing on the territory of Siberia.

The animal world of Siberia is very rich. The fauna of Western Siberia is represented by the northern deer, polar fox, various kinds of rodents, partridge, polar owl, mink, marten, sable, chipmunk, squirrel, lynx, bear, elk and roe deer. Such birds as wood grouse, woodpecker, hazel hen and jay live here all year round. The fauna of Eastern Siberia is richer than Western Siberia's. The geographical position of Southern Siberia mountains which are situated between the Siberian taiga and Mongolian steppes, larch Yakutian taiga and Far East forests defines the diversity of its fauna. Animals of the Siberian taiga, the northern tundra, dry steppes of Mongolia and Kazakhstan can be met there.