Khakassia: Geography and climate

Khakassia It is located in the south-east of Siberia, in the western part of the Minusinsk hollow. It borders on the north and east with Krasnoyarsk Krai, in the south and south-west - with Tuva and the Republic of Altai, in the west - with the Kemerovo region.

Location of Khakassia in the territory of Russia (Picture from Wikipedia)

The mountainous (eastern slopes of the Kuznetsk Alatau and the Abakan ridge, the northern slopes of the Western Sayan - an altitude of up to 2,930 m) and the flat (Minusinsk, Chulymo-Yenisei basins) are distinguished. The main rivers are the Yenisei and its tributary the Abakan. Numerous lakes with fresh (Black, Fyrkal, Itkul) and salty (Bele, Shira, etc.) water. Minerals: coal, iron ore, nonferrous and rare and non-ferrous metals (copper, molybdenum, lead, gold, etc.), gypsum, building materials, etc.

(Photo from meiya.artphoto.pro)

MINUSINSKIY KOTLOVIN (Khakas-Minusinsk), in the mountains of the South. Siberia, between the Kuznetsk Alatau, Zap. Sayan and Vost. Sayan. The relief is predominantly slightly hilly. Height from 200-300 to 700 m. The large river is Yenisei. Deposits of coal. One of the important agricultural areas. In Minusinsk Basin - the city of Minusinsk, Abakan.

Minusinskiy Kotlovin on the map (photo from geographyofrussia.com)

The climate is sharply continental. Winter is cold and snowless, the average January temperature is from -15 ° C to -21 ° C. Summers are hot (the average July temperature is +17 ° C +19 ° C), in the foothills and mountains it is cooler. Precipitation from 300 mm per year, in valleys to 700 mm in the mountains. Vegetation period is up to 150 days (in valleys).

(Photo from discovery-khakasia.ru)

It is located in the steppe and forest-steppe zones. In the mountains, sod-podzolic soils prevail, as well as mountain-taiga podzolic and mountain-tundra soils. In the intermontane basins and partly in the foothills - chernozems. In the lower parts of the basins there are dry steppes, along the margin there are herbaceous steppes and forest-steppe. Mountain-taiga forests rise to a height of 1200 m in the north, 1600 m and higher in the south. On dry slopes of the Kuznetsk Alatau - light coniferous taiga from larch and pine, on the slopes of the Abakan ridge and Western Sayan - dark coniferous forests with a predominance of fir and cedar.

The mole, ermine, columns, squirrel, hare, wolf, fox, bear have been preserved; Hazel grouse, wood grouse; Taimen, tench, burbot, etc. On the territory of Khakassia are the reserves of Small Abakan, Chazy.