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The Ural Mountains cross Russia from north to south and stretch for 2.5 thousand kilometers. The Urals rank fifth among the longest mountains in the world. The Ural Mountains "divide" the mainland into two parts of the world: Europe and Asia. It is along the watershed of the Ural Mountains that the border between them is drawn. And the Urals delimitates Russia into European and Asian parts. The Ural district is an ancient and mysterious one. Various natural resources and beauty of the Urals, the Ural masters' creations, picturesque rivers, rich hunting facilities and mountainsides are well known. The history of the Urals being diverse and dynamic is also widely known Ekaterinburg is the capital of the Ural Federal district (the population is over 1 mln. 300 thousand people). It was founded in 1723 due to the order of Peter I and named in honor to Empress Catherine I and also to Saint Catherine, protectress of the mining industry. The city is situated on the borderline between Europe and Asia, on the eastern side of the Middle Urals and on the banks of the Iset (tributary of the Tobol). The distance from Moscow is 1667 km. The Perm region is interesting from historical, cultural and geographical points of view, border line between Europe and Asia goes through the region. About 30 thousand rivers and a thousand caves are situated there, including one of the world's largest carst caves - The Kungur ice cave which is equipped for tourists' visits. Thousands of square kilometers of dense forests and ridges of the Ural mountains give wide possibilities for most kinds of outdoor activities. |
