What are the names of the mountains in Dagestan? High mountain Dagestan: nature, relief, environmental problems

In this material I bring to your attention a story about our trip around the Dokuzparinsky district.

The next point on our route was the Dokuzparinsky district. Having previously discussed all our actions, we left for Usukhchay, where Rakhman Gereev, the representative of the FLNKA in the Dokuzparinsky district, was already waiting for us.

As our main goal, we chose a visit to the highest mountain village in Europe - Kurush. Rahman provided us with transport in advance.

Dokuzparinsky district is the smallest Lezgin district in Dagestan in terms of area and population. It is located in the extreme south of the republic, it is here that the southernmost point of Russia is located - an unnamed peak near Mount Ragdan.

View of the villages of Tekipirkhyur and Kaladzhukh

The name Dokuzpara comes from the Turkic word “doqquz” - nine. This is exactly the number of villages that were part of the historical Dokuzparinsky free society, which was, however, located on the territory of the neighboring Akhtynsky district.

And on the territory of the current Dokuzparinsky district, the Altyparinsky free society was historically located.

Almost all the villages of Dokuzpara are located in the narrow valley of the Chehivac River. This gorge is bordered by the massifs of the Shalbuzsuv, Main Caucasian, Samur ridges, as well as the spurs of the Erysuv mountains, separating the Usukhvatsia gorge from the neighboring Adzhiakhur gorge, which already belongs to the neighboring Kusar region.

Kaladzhukh

In general, the area itself is notable for its extraordinary relief characteristics. The main part of the region's territory is represented by a deep gorge, and mountain ranges and peaks rise along the perimeter of the gorge.

Among them is the highest point of Dagestan - Mount Kichensuv (Bazardyuzyu) 4466 m, just to the southeast is Mount Ragdan. These and other peaks belong to the Main Caucasus Range.

Charaur waterfall falling from Erysuvo

Mount Shalbuzsuv is the second highest in the region and the third in the republic, its peak is at an altitude of 4142 m. Massive spurs composed of clayey shales and calcareous rocks extend from the mountain in all directions.

In the south-eastern part of the region there is the center of mountaineering in Russia - Mount Erysuv with a height of 3925 m. Every year the most avid amateurs climb this mountain extreme recreation. From the north, in front of the villages of the Dokuzparinsky district, the Gestinkil peak rises with a height of 2788 m.

First locality which we meet at the entrance to Dokuzpara is Karakyure. Nowadays, there are two villages - a new and an old aul, located several kilometers from each other.

View of Kurush, Shalbuzsuv and surrounding ridges from Mount Erysuv

According to some data, already in the 3rd millennium BC, during the Bronze Age, the surroundings of Karakure were inhabited by people. Evidence of this is the huge area of ​​cemeteries surrounding the village on all sides.

In the center is the highest peak of Dagestan - Mount Kichensuv (Bazardyuzyu), on the left is Erysuv

According to historians, Karakyure was formed by the merger of several settlements - Yar-kyil, Chiuru khuyr, Usukh, Chieyar, Sutar avai khuyr and Uruk. The latter, by the way, was the residence of the Albanian kings. Tukhum Varazar still lives in the village today, whose name comes from the name of the Albanian king Varaz, who loved to vacation in Uruk.

Old mosque in Karakur

The remains of an ancient ceramic water pipe were found in the village. Karakure is a kind of museum under open air. Everything here speaks of its antiquity and greatness. After all, in the Middle Ages there was Big City, an important center of Southern Dagestan.

Yerysów

It had at least 900 households. Considering that4-5 families lived under one roof, it becomes obvious that it was truly a densely populated city. After the terrible plague epidemic of 1689, only 60 households remained in Karakur. Nowadays, more than 1200 people live in the village.

On the site of an ancient Christian temple in the 10th century, the Arabs built a mosque, which was known throughout Southern Dagestan.

Carved door of the old Karakyur mosque

Unfortunately, in the winter of 2009, this unique mosque burned down. A few weeks ago, a new mosque was built with funds allocated by a native of this village, Suleiman Kerimov.

Old mosque in Karakur

The regional center of the Dokuzparinsky district is the village of Usukhvats I, located at the confluence of the river of the same name Usukhvats I into Samur. Historical chronicles testify to the events of the early 8th century that took place in this locality.

Clouds envelop Upper Dokuzpara

There are two versions of the origin of the name of the village. According to the first, the root “usukh” acts as a form of the verb “sukhun” (to stick, to stick). The fact is that the Usukhvats River during heavy rains pierces Samur like a bayonet.

The second version takes us back to the events that took place many centuries ago, when the Mikrakhians expelled the sons of Mukhtar Saijab, considering their lands theirs. As a result, these territories seemed to be stuck between Miskindzha and Karakyure, hence the root “dry”.

The first inhabitants of the modern village were people from the neighboring village of Karakyure. Nowadays, the population of the district center is about 2 thousand people.

From here we drove up the gorge. With every kilometer the altitude level became higher and higher. The road ran along the Usukhvats River. Huge stones and rock formations were visible everywhere.

Kaladzhukh

The main occupation of the residents of Dokuzpara is animal husbandry and agriculture. Sheep farming is especially developed in the region. Large areas are occupied by cabbage, sometimes even entire slopes are planted with it. Immediately after Mikrah-Kazmayar, the first thorough ascent began.

Kaladzhukh, an aul, immediately opened up to our eyes, gorgeous view which we watched all the way to Kurush. Kalajuh is located on the opposite bank from Mikrakh. The old village was located on the top of Mount Aga-akh.

The name of the village comes from the word “Kala” - fortress. And indeed, the old village was surrounded by powerful walls. The Kalajukh people always had a dispute with the Mikrakh people over land, as a result of which the village was taken by its neighbors. Many residents died, there were also those who fled - villages with the same name Kala in Azerbaijan and Rutul were founded by fugitives from Kalajukh.

Feast in the village of Tekipirkhyur

The modern village is a continuation of the old one, only located in the lower reaches of the historical village. The inhabitants of the village are the descendants of Tukhum Menzifar - the only Tukhum who did not leave his native land; as well as numerous immigrants from Mikrakh and other villages.

Having passed Mikrah, after a few kilometers we entered the village of Tekipirkhyur.

This is a small village that was founded about 500 years ago by a native of Syria, Pir-Hasan, who, together with his brother Pir-Suleiman, was buried on Mount Shalbuzsuv. There is a mausoleum of Pir-Hasan in the village, and there is also a ziyarat in the cemetery.

His grave is a place of pilgrimage for thousands of Muslims. Tekipirkhyur is a small village, the number of households in it barely reaches 60. It is located in a picturesque place at the foot of the Erysuv and Shalbuzsuv mountains. This is the native village of Suleiman Kerimov’s mother.

In Kurush

Further, behind Tekipirhur, Kurush was already waiting for us. It should be noted that we were very unlucky with the weather there. If in Usukhvatsi the weather was clear and hot, then after Mikrakh-Kazmayar it became cloudy and rained in places, which made it impossible to see the amazing views of the surrounding mountains.

Kurush

After ten kilometers of narrow serpentines, long climbs and steep cliffs, we finally reached Kurush, the highest mountain village in Europe and Russia. By God, this is unique place. The people here are unique. Nature is unique. The air, plants, animals, birds - everything is unique.

Kurush children

Kurush in clear weather in summer with Yerysuv in the background

Kurush is surrounded by the most high mountains Dagestan - from the east Kichensuv and Erysuv, from the north Shalbuzsuv, from the south - Main Caucasus ridge. The village is located on the southern slope of Shalbuzsuva, at an altitude of 2600 meters above sea level.

Children playing football in the Kurus school yard

From the height of the village you can see, probably, the most best views to the mountains throughout Southern Dagestan. To the east of the village Yarusuv rises majestically. From this mountain falls the most high waterfall Dagestan - Charaur. The height of the fall is 250 meters, and the waterfall is two-stage - the height of the first stage is 150 meters, the second - 100. The Kurush people call it Charadur.

The air in Kurush is rarefied, the ultraviolet rays of the sun burn through it all year round. Due to the lack of oxygen, the faces of the Kurush residents acquired a characteristic blush, which distinguishes them from other local residents.

Kurush

Since ancient times, the main occupation of the inhabitants was sheep breeding; the vast alpine pastures - the only wealth of the Kurush people - contributed to this. Sheep farmers led a semi-nomadic lifestyle. Previously, during the winter, they drove flocks of sheep to Azerbaijan, covering hundreds of kilometers of roads through gorges, passes and ravines.

There are static data according to which in 1917 there were 72 thousand sheep in the village. It was in Kurush that the Mountain Lezgin coarse-wool breed of sheep was bred under natural conditions, the coarse wool of which is indispensable in carpet weaving.

Kurush greeted us with a bluish haze. As I already said, due to the fog and rain, we, alas, saw practically nothing. At a distance of over 20-30 meters it was no longer possible to make out anything. It is also worth mentioning the characteristic smell of dung, which is almost the main building material and fuel here. There were practically no people on the street. Only restless children played football in the school yard.

After walking around the village a little, we didn’t go too deep. We took a few shots and moved in the opposite direction.

That day we decided to stay overnight at Rahman’s house in Mikrakh. This is a fairly large village located on the left bank of the Usukhvats I opposite Kaladzhukh. This region is rich in arable land, hay meadows and vast pastures. There are many springs and streams here.

Mikrakh

On four sides the village is surrounded by majestic mountains - Kichensuv; Yerysów; Nisinsuv (Noon Mountain); Ekunsuv (Morning Mountain); Shalbuzsuv and Gestinkilem.

We have committed a short walk around the village. Rakhman works as a teacher in a rural school, so he knows the history of his native village well.

According to folk etymology, the name "Mikrakh" comes from the words "mug" and "rag" (sun's nest). The fact is that when the sun rises from behind the mountains on the eastern side, its rays fall directly into the village, i.e. as if into a niche, into a nest. Hence “mugrag >> mikrah”.

Mikrakh is one of the largest carpet-making centers in Dagestan. Mikrakh carpets are distinguished by their quality and unique design; local carpet weavers are distinguished by the art of fast work.

Tekipirhur

This is a very ancient village. In 1994 local residents celebrated the 5000th anniversary of the village. However, the figure is, of course, overestimated. The first mention of Mikrakh dates back to the 2nd century AD. The antiquity of the village is also evidenced by numerous cemeteries, the area of ​​which is more than 20 hectares.

Ancient burials of Mikrakh

In the Middle Ages, Mikrakh was a city that featured crafts, trade and cultural center region. During the early Middle Ages, for many years Mikrakh was a stronghold of the Khazars and the city did not accept Islam, offering fierce resistance to the Arabs. However, the combined forces of Arabs and Akhtyns took the village by force.

In more late period the village was completely restored, grew and regained its former significance. In 1630 he became administrative center the newly formed Altypara society. In the 19th century, Mikrah was the administrative center of the Dokuzparinsky district of the Samur district.

Rahman showed us the local ziyarat. As well as numerous Christian graves that can be seen everywhere. Almost every stone or slab here speaks of the antiquity of the village.

The modern village looks rather poor and faded. There are many dilapidated houses in which people still live. There is no normal road, poor communication. From Mikrakh you can clearly see Kalajukh, which is just a stone's throw from there. At night there was a dem (wedding dance evening) in Kalajukh, the music could be heard as if a wedding was being held in Mikrakh.

Mikrakh

Rahman's house is located in the upper part of the village, from its veranda there is a stunning view of Nesinsuv and Kichensuv. Rahman's grandmother warmly welcomed us. Our evening was spent in conversations and discussion of what we had seen.

FLNKA

What amazes and delights any person who comes to Dagestan? Of course, mountain ranges. The mountains of Dagestan are perhaps its main attraction. At the same time, guests from the central part of Russia often do not even wonder how one peak differs from another. But for the Dagestanis themselves, many mountains have their own history and names.

Geographical and climatic features

Almost half of the entire Dagestan territory is occupied by mountains. They surround the republic from the southeast and northwest, but are considered foothills. The high mountainous part is the central territory. Few people know that on the territory of the republic there are 30 of the highest mountain peaks– peaks with a height of more than 4,000 meters. The largest of them is Bazarduzu; it (together with the ridge) is the border with Russia and southern point countries. In general, the area occupied by the mountains reaches 25.5 thousand square meters. kilometers.

Despite the abundance of mountains, the republic has a fairly dry climate. It belongs to the temperate continental category. This happens because the Watershed Range does not allow moist air flows from the south. This partly contributes to the brightness of the famous Dagestan alpine meadows - this is the name given to the flat areas on the mountain slopes adjacent to forests.

Finally, Mount Sarykum is of great interest to researchers. Its height is small - only 351 meters. But Sarykum attracts scientists because it is, in fact, a dune - the largest in Eurasia. The sand mountain constantly “dances”, changing shape under the pressure of the winds, but does not crumble.

Alpine glaciers and mountaineering routes

Not only peaks and ridges are the hallmark of the region. When talking about the Dagestan mountains, one cannot ignore the glaciers. There are a lot of them here, but they do not form a coherent massif and are distributed among the peaks and ridges. The largest glacier is observed on the Bogossky ridge; here the glaciation area reaches more than 16 km2. At the same time, some glaciers descend quite low - for example, Belengi (2520 meters). Here are the most Famous places glaciation:

1. Bogossky massif. This is the most large glacier in the eastern part, and in addition, the largest in length - over 3 km.
2. Butnushuer – Korkagel. The area of ​​the glacier is 2.2 square meters. km, and it has clearly not been studied enough by specialists.
3. Bişinei-Saladağ. It ranks second after the Bogos glaciation in area and includes 27 glaciers. Area – about 10 sq km.
4. Snow ridge. This glaciation is the northernmost in the republic, its area is 7.72 sq. km.
5. Dyultydag. On this ridge, glaciation is located along northern slopes. Glaciers here are not represented by vast areas, but their boundaries are well explored.

It is worth considering that, despite the fact that the mountainous area as a whole has been well studied by both geologists and historians, there are still many discoveries ahead for researchers. In the meantime beautiful mountains Dagestan continues to attract tourists and climbers. There's quite a lot laid here tourist routes, and is replenished by the tourism industry.

Today you can go, for example, along the Main Caucasus Ridge along the catchment of the Sulak River (the route takes about 46 km). Another interesting option is along the Snowy Ridge through the plateau of the Celestial Falling Lakes to the same Sulak. The transition from Oritskali Dagestan Gorge to Moshota also arouses considerable interest among tourists. Finally, there is always the opportunity to walk along the line of the Bogossky ridge along the watershed of the Avar and Andean Koisu rivers.

These are not all possible routes. The region is as diverse as it is. Tourists are always welcome in villages where residents have long been famous for their generosity and hospitality. to personally see its nature and the people who live here and can tell a lot about their native mountains.

The Caucasus Mountains occupy half of the entire area of ​​Dagestan. There are about 30 peaks on the territory of the republic, the height of which is more than 4000 meters.

The highest mountains of Dagestan are Addala-Shukhgelmeer (4151 meters), Dyultydag (4127 meters), mountain range Diklosmta (4285 meters). In the south of the republic stands Shalbuz-dag (3925 meters). Nearby stands the large table peak Yaru-Dag (4116 meters), its vertical walls have repeatedly become the site of competitions for climbers from all over Russia.

The largest mountain in Dagestan is Bazardyuzyu. It is located in the very south of the republic. The state border runs along the top of the mountain Russian Federation and neighboring Azerbaijan.

The Watershed Range stretches in the south and west of the republic Greater Caucasus. It retains moisture air masses from the south, because of this the climate in Dagestan is dry.

Despite greater height mountains, the local glaciers are not as grandiose as their counterparts in the Central and Western Caucasus. The largest of them are located in the Bogos mountain range. The largest glacier in Dagestan is Belengi, 3.2 kilometers long, its ice thickness reaches 170 meters. IN Lately glaciers lost significantly in size, and many disappeared completely.

The highlands of Dagestan are the kingdom of alpine meadows. Close to their lower edge there is a forest that rises to a height of 2000 - 2200 meters. It is home to many different animals: Dagestan aurochs live here, from time to time the shadow of a mountain goat flashes among the rocks or a herd of fleet-footed chamois leaps past. Brown bears and Caucasian deer, hares and martens live in the forest thickets. Here you can find flocks of rock partridges and mountain turkeys. Eagles soar high in the sky above the mountain peaks.

Inner Dagestan is endless maze mountain ranges, peaks, cliffs and gorges. Many rivers are born in the mountains, which carry their waters to the Caspian Sea. Their path lies in deep valleys and gorges.

The northern regions of the republic, where the Terek-Kuma lowland lies, greet the traveler with completely different landscapes. In ancient times, waves splashed on these plains ancient sea. The salt marshes and shells of sea mollusks found in the sands still remind us of this. Today it is very dry, and the surrounding landscapes are more desert-like. The main local inhabitants are saigas, hares, foxes and, of course, a huge number of rodents.

A few rivers cross the salt plain, but not all of them manage to reach the sea. Only the high-water Terek, Samur, Sulak, Uluchay and Rubas, having overcome the sand dunes, flow into the Caspian Sea. Just before the sea, the rivers form large deltas, which change their shape every year. Here, on the coast, among the reeds, there is a real oasis of life. Waders, herons, geese and cranes nest in the water. Flocks of partridges live in the coastal thickets and the loud meowing of a jungle cat can be heard. Despite the fact that the local forests are not so large, they are home to wild boars, jackals and red deer.

On the Sulak River there is the deepest canyon in Russia. Its length is more than 50 kilometers, and average depth 1200 meters. The canyon is divided into three sections - Main, Chirkey and Miatlinsky. The most fascinating of them is the Main One. Where the walls of the canyon meet especially closely, its depth reaches a maximum of 1920 meters (for comparison, at the Colorado Canyon this figure is only 1600 meters). The bottom of the abyss is immersed in twilight. The roar of the raging water below echoes throughout the surrounding area, and clouds of water dust constantly hang in the air.

Inner Dagestan is an endless labyrinth of mountain ranges, rock peaks and gorges.

Dagestan is perhaps the richest region in Russia in terms of landscape diversity. From the coast of the Caspian Sea, in a few hours you can reach the snowy peaks of the Greater Caucasus, and see almost the entire diversity of natural complexes of temperate latitudes: sands and semi-deserts, floodplains, flat and mountain meadows, steppes, unique landscapes of badlands and arid basins, deciduous and coniferous forests, snowfields and glaciers.

Accordingly, the diversity of animals and plants inhabiting these landscapes is also great. This is about 4 thousand species of plants, several tens of thousands of invertebrates, almost 100 species of mammals, more than 350 species of birds, up to fifty species of reptiles and amphibians, and about 80 forms of freshwater and sea ​​fish. More than a dozen species of terrestrial vertebrates, such as the Syrian spadefoot, catsnake, viper, thick-billed plover, red-headed shrike, tugai nightingale, Megeli horseshoe bat, etc. are found in Russia only in Dagestan. Not to mention incomparably more plants and invertebrate animals, the habitats of which in our country do not extend beyond the borders of Dagestan.

Therefore, our republic has attracted special attention from nature researchers - geographers, botanists, zoologists, ecologists. It will take many more years to understand and appreciate all the diversity wildlife Dagestan. But until that time, all this wealth must be preserved.

For this purpose, reserves are created and National parks, reserves, biosphere ranges, natural parks, natural monuments, dendrological parks, botanical gardens, health resorts and resorts. specially protected natural areas. Unique, standard areas of land and water surface that are of key importance for the conservation of the biological and landscape diversity of a particular region, country or the entire Earth are selected for specially protected natural areas. In the latter case, such territories are given the status of internationally significant.

In addition to their special environmental and scientific significance, these territories should be of great value from the point of view of recreational and health use, as well as for environmental, cultural and aesthetic education. Specially protected natural areas are completely or partially withdrawn from economic use, and a special protection regime is established on them. Specially protected natural areas can be federal and regional. There is also a category of local specially protected natural areas, but the mechanism for their allocation and approval has not been fully developed.

Today in Dagestan there are officially 46 specially protected natural areas, including 6 federal and 38 regional (republican). There are also specially protected natural areas of local importance and a large number of officially unapproved natural monuments, which were once described by the Geographical Society of Dagestan.

Federal specially protected natural areas are state nature reserve“Dagestansky”, three reserves under its jurisdiction - “Agrakhansky”, “Samursky” and “Tlyaratinsky”, as well as Gorny Botanical Garden DSC RAS, located on the Gunib plateau, the botanical garden of the State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education DSU.

Republican specially protected natural areas – 12 state natural reserves(“Nogaisky”, “Tarumovsky”, “Yangiyurtsky”, “Khamamatyurtsky”, “Kayakentsky”, “Deshlagarsky”, “Kasumkentsky”, “Andreyaulsky”, “Melishtinsky”, “Kosob-Kelebsky”, “Bezhtinsky” and “Charodinsky” ), 1 natural Park(Upper Gunib), 25 natural monuments (Almak Canyon, Assatinskaya Cave, Chvakhilo Waterfall, Gvadarinsky Waterfall, Rychal-Su Valley, Kazanishchensky Forest, Karadakh Gorge, Kug Aeolian City, Kuzhniksky (Turaginsky) Natural Bridge, Lake “Akh-Kol”, lake “Kazenoy-Am”, lake “Mochokh”, lake “Shaitan-Kazak”, cave “Durk”, plane trees at the Juma mosque in Derbent, Salta Gorge, Salta Gorge, rock “Cavalier-Battery”, rock “Pushkin’s Profile” , Sosnovka tract, Talginskaya valley, Tashkapur gorge, Echo gorge, Khanag waterfall, Khunzakh waterfalls, Tsanak plane tree).

The total area of ​​officially approved specially protected natural territories of Dagestan is more than 600 thousand hectares, and together with the territories proposed for protection, but not approved, about 700 thousand hectares.

Geographical position

The Republic of Dagestan occupies the area of ​​the Eastern Ciscaucasia, located on the northeastern slope of the Greater Caucasus and the southwest of the Caspian Lowland. The area of ​​Dagestan is 50.3 thousand square meters. km and is the largest of all the republics of the North Caucasus.

From the east, Dagestan is washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea. Coastline it is weakly dissected and has a length of 530 km from the mouth of the Kuma River in the north to the mouth of the Samur River in the south. The length of the territory of Dagestan from north to south is 420 km and from west to east 216 km. The average height above sea level is 1 thousand m, the highest point is Mount Bazarduzu (4466 m). Most low place(28 m) is located within the Terek-Kuma Lowland.

In the north, Dagestan borders on the Republic of Kalmykia - the border runs along the dry bed of the Kuma River for 110 km, and in the north-west with the Stavropol Territory, and the conditional border runs along the Nogai steppe of the Terek-Kuma Lowland, 186 km long. In the west it borders Chechen Republic for 420 km along the Tersko-Kuma and Tersko-Sulak lowlands, and then further south along the watershed ridges of the Snowy and Andean ridges. In the southwest, Dagestan borders on the Republic of Georgia. The border stretches for 150 km along the ridge of the Main Caucasus Range to Mount Tinav-Rosso. Further in the southeast it borders with the Republic of Azerbaijan for 315 km. The border runs along the crest of the Main Caucasus Range to Mount Bazardyuzyu, and along the bed of the Samur River to its mouth. total length land borders Dagestan reaches 1181 km.

Rivers

The territory of Dagestan is very favorable for the formation of a dense network of surface waters, which, however, are very unevenly distributed. The rivers of the republic represent one of the significant wealth: they are a source of hydropower, water supply, irrigation and fishing, since all sectors of the republic's economy are associated with the use of water and often the lack of water negatively affects the degree of intensification of its individual sectors.

Within Dagestan, 4 large river basins can be distinguished: Sulak, Terek, Samur and the rivers of Piedmont Dagestan.

The Terek and Sulak rivers flow through the central part of the republic. There are 6,255 rivers flowing in Dagestan (including 100 main ones, with a length of more than 25 km and a drainage area of ​​more than 100 km, 185 small and more than 5,900 smallest ones), the largest of which are Terek, Sulak, Samur with tributaries. All rivers belong to the Caspian Sea basin, but only 20 of them flow into the sea.

Due to the dry climate, the north of Dagestan is poor in rivers. The existing rivers are used for irrigation in the summer and do not reach the sea.

The most abundant rivers are mountain rivers, which, thanks to their fast flow, do not freeze even in winter; they are characterized by comparative abundance of water and significant slopes.

Sulak is formed at the confluence of the Avar Koysu and Andean Koysu rivers, which originate in the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The area of ​​its basin is 15.2 thousand km². Sulak accounts for half of all hydropower resources in Dagestan; the Chiryurt and Chirkey hydroelectric power stations are located here.

Karakoysu is the right tributary of the Avar Koysu River, flowing 37 km above the mouth.

The Terek River is a transit river for Dagestan. By occupied area (12,665 sq. km).

Samur is the second largest river in Dagestan. The area of ​​its basin is 7.3 thousand km². When it flows into the Caspian Sea, the Samur splits into branches and forms a delta. It is planned to build three hydroelectric power stations on the river and its main tributaries. The waters of Samur are also used for irrigation purposes: irrigation canals have been drawn from the river to irrigate Southern Dagestan and neighboring Azerbaijan.

The main source of nutrition for the rivers in the foothill (outer mountain) zone of the republic is spring and autumn rainfall. Summer precipitation, with the exception of downpours that cause floods on rivers, is mainly spent on evaporation.

Until the end of the last century (80-90s), it was believed that Dagestan was poor in lakes. By that time, there were about 100 lakes, occupying relatively large area(more than 150 sq. km). But over the past 15-20 years, many new lakes have been discovered and described, mostly mountain lakes, located in hard-to-reach areas. As a result, the number of mountain lakes alone increased by about 155.

Lakes are unevenly distributed throughout the republic. Most of lakes are located in the lowlands, there are fewer of them in the foothills, especially in the mountainous part.

In the lowland area there are lakes of lagoon-marine origin, floodplain, estuary, located in the deltas and floodplains of the Terek, Sulak, and Samur rivers; suffosion lakes (basins) are confined to the arid regions of the Terek-Kuma lowland. IN mountainous areas The most common are landslide-dammed, glacial, moraine lakes, as well as lakes of cirques and mountain plateaus. In Lowland Dagestan the lakes are mostly drainless, while in Mountainous Dagestan they are flowing.

In the Foothill and Lowland regions, the lakes are usually shallow. But they occupy a large area and become very shallow by autumn.

In Dagestan, 3 reservoirs were built on the Sulak River: Chiryurtovskoye, Chirkeyskoye and Miatlinskoye, and one on the Kara-Koysu River - Gergebilskoye. The largest of them is Chirkeyskoye, its area is 42 square meters. km. The construction of the Irganay reservoir is being completed.

Relief

Dagestan is geographically divided into foothill, mountain and high-mountain physical-geographical zones, each of them has different types of vegetation.

The orography of Dagestan is unique: a 245-kilometer strip of foothills abuts transverse ridges that border Inner Dagestan in a huge arc. Two main rivers emerge from the mountains - Sulak in the north and Samur in the south. The natural boundaries of mountainous Dagestan are: the Snow and Andean ridges - up to the giant Sulak canyon, Gimrinsky, Les, Kokma, Dzhufudag and Yarudag - between Sulak and the Samur basin, the Main Caucasus ridge - in the southwest of both basins.

Inner Dagestan, in turn, is divided into a mid-mountain, plateau-like region and an alpine, high-mountain region.

The mountains cover an area of ​​25.5 thousand km², and average height the entire territory of Dagestan is 960 m. Highest point- Bazarduzu (4466 m). The rocks that make up the mountains of Dagestan are sharply demarcated. The main ones are black and clayey shales, strong dolomitized and weak alkaline limestones, as well as sandstones. The slate ridges include Snegovoy with the Diklosmta massif (4285 m), Bogos with the Addala-Shukhgelmeer peak (4151 m), Shalib with the Dyultydag peak (4127 m).

Climate

The climate of Dagestan, despite its diversity, can generally be classified as moderately warm; in the mountains it is moderately cold with more or less pronounced continentality, which manifests itself in significant annual temperature amplitudes in the lowlands, in the highlands - in sharp daily fluctuations, as well as insufficient moisture . In general, the climate of Dagestan is characterized as dry and semi-dry, moderate continental.

The climate in the north and central part of Dagestan is temperate continental and arid, in the south along the Caspian Sea and in the Caspian lowland there is a subtropical semi-dry climate.

The main factor in shaping the climate of the entire Dagestan is its location in the southern part of the temperate thermal zone, the receipt of a significant amount of solar heat.

The climate of Dagestan shows sharp contrasts in different regions. In the mountains at an altitude of 3 thousand m, the absolute maximum temperatures are 21-23 ° C, and in the north of the lowland the air temperature can be more than 40 ° C. Precipitation in the lowlands does not exceed 400 mm, and in the mountains at an altitude of 3 thousand m it falls more than 1 thousand mm.

Dagestan is divided into three soil and climatic zones:

mountainous - above 850 (1000) m (area 2.12 million hectares or 39.9% of the territory)

foothill - from 150 (200) to 850 (1000) m (area 0.84 million hectares or 15.8% of the territory)

flat - from 28 to 150 (200) m (2.35 million hectares or 43.3% of the territory).

The growing season is 200-240 days.

Vegetation

The geography of land varies in the three main zones of the republic: flat, foothill and mountainous. The main part of the land is in the flat (more than 58%), foothill (11%) and mountain (31%) zones of Dagestan.

In the mountains and foothills, arable land is located on slopes and is represented by small-contour areas (from 0.1 ha) in the form of terraces. The flat zone accounts for 79% of arable land. The most arable areas are located on the territory of the Tersko-Sulak and Primorskaya lowlands. Here, plowing exceeds environmentally acceptable limits, which leads to increased soil degradation. The flat zone accounts for 63% of perennial plantings. Thus, the flat zone is the main agricultural belt of the republic.

In the foothill zone, chestnut, mountain chestnut, and brown forest soils are widespread. 16% of arable land, 27% of perennial plantings and 25% of hayfields and pastures are concentrated here. This is the main area of ​​rain-fed agriculture, with highly productive hayfields.

On mountain zone accounts for only about 1% of arable land and 0.2% of perennial plantings; hayfields and pastures account for more than 30% of the total land area of ​​Dagestan. Its main value is summer distant pastures, the productivity of which is higher here than in low-lying areas.

Steppe and semi-desert territories of Plain Dagestan (this includes Northern Dagestan within the Nogai, Tarumov and Kizlyar regions), as well as the adjacent territories of Kalmykia, Chechnya and Stavropol Territory are valuable feeding grounds for keeping sheep in the winter. The productivity of these lands has greatly decreased and continues to decline due to the cessation of the movement of livestock by many farms to summer pastures. Along with an increase in the load on pastures by 3-4 times in terms of the number of sheep, the environmental situation is aggravated by the rise in the level of the Caspian Sea, which leads to flooding of the western areas - 200 thousand hectares of forage lands.

The total area of ​​forest resources of the republic is 424 thousand hectares (8.4% of the total area of ​​the territory), including 355 thousand hectares covered by forest. The total timber reserve is estimated at 39.4 million cubic meters. m. The annual size of final felling reaches 40 thousand cubic meters. m. Planting and sowing of forest crops in the state forest fund was carried out on an area of ​​more than 1 thousand hectares.

In the recent past, the forests of Dagestan occupied larger areas, both in the lowlands and in the mountains. As a result of centuries-old human activity, the area under arable land and gardens, vineyards and industrial crops has expanded at the expense of forests. Many forests, due to their long-term use for livestock grazing, have lost their reforestation capacity. Currently, forests have been preserved in small tracts and islands in the lowlands, in Foothill, Intramountain and High Mountain Dagestan.

About 4,500 species of higher plants grow in Dagestan, of which 1,100 are endemic. In the foothill zone (starting from an altitude of 600 m) meadows and forests are common. Subalpine and alpine meadows are dominated by fescue, clover, astragalus, blue scabiosa, blue gentians, etc. At an altitude of 3200-3600 m, mosses, lichens and other cold-resistant plants predominate.

Shalbuzdag is the main natural attraction of Dagestan. Its distinctive feature, in comparison with others, is that this mountain seems to stand alone, rising as a solitary pyramid crowned with a jagged peak. Thanks to this location, Shalbuzdag gives the impression of being the most high peak in the southern part of Dagestan, although the neighboring ones - Bazardyuzyu and Shahdag - are actually higher. But these are not all the features of the mysterious natural phenomenon. Shalbuzdag. The most famous mountain in Dagestan. Every year from July to August, pilgrims come here from all over the Caucasus. - If you ask, everything will come true, it just takes time. The mountain is closer to Allah, he hears our prayers. The mountain became sacred after the grave of the righteous Suleiman appeared there. According to legend, he was very God-fearing, and when he died, a miracle happened. Since then, pilgrims come here every year. They bring alms and ask God for health for their loved ones. It is believed that in order for prayers to be heard, one must walk around the feast three times and be sure to tie a ribbon or scarf. Scientists believe that there used to be a sea in the place of the mountain. Unlike all other heights, Shalbuzdag is distinguished by its unusual shape - a pyramid with a jagged top. This gives the mountain a special mystery. Mount Shalbuzdag is popularly called the road to fulfillment of desires. The height of the mountain is 4 thousand 150 meters. People believe that if you overcome this distance, then all your dreams and desires will certainly come true. The higher people rise, the steeper the climb itself becomes. The narrow path is strewn with small pebbles, because of which the feet constantly slip. Choking from lack of oxygen, travelers go up, stopping for a break almost every 20 meters. It’s quite normal to come across more than one pair of worn-out sneakers or slippers along the way here. On the mountain, even the most comfortable shoes cannot withstand the load. But, despite the difficulties and armed with a stick, people go towards their goal. However, good travelers help someone. Stone path leads to small lake. It is located in the middle of two rocks, where the sun's rays almost never reach. The water here is clear and cold, even in summer it is covered thin ice. The spring is considered sacred, and the water in it is considered healing. From the lake to the top there is one last push - one kilometer. Here another test awaits a person - a narrow passage between two rocks. In order to get out of it, you need to climb the stones, which seem to be varnished. According to legend, a sinful person, even the skinniest, gets stuck in this passage. Well, those for whom God has forgiven their sins pass easily.