Kaliningrad region is a unique region of Russia. First of all, due to its geographical location. In our article you will find a description of the nature of the Kaliningrad region, with photos and a story about the most interesting places. In particular, you will learn about the relief, climate, flora and fauna of this region.
Kaliningrad region: geographical location and diversity of nature
Kaliningrad region is home to more than one million Russians. It is located in Eastern Europe and is an exclave of the Russian Federation, that is, it has no land borders with its main territory. The region borders on Poland (in the south) and Lithuania (in the north and east). From the west, it is washed by the waters of the B altic Sea.
The variety of nature in the Kaliningrad region is simply amazing. Here, on a relatively small piece of land, you can see different types of landscape: sand dunes,coniferous forests, oak groves, lakes, swamps, lush meadows… The territory of the region is densely dotted with rivers, streams and streams, and its bowels hide real riches.
About the nature of the Kaliningrad region, its relief, climate, flora and fauna, we will now tell in more detail.
Relief and minerals
The relief of the region is mostly flat (see the map below). The maximum heights (up to 230 meters) are located in the southeastern part of the region, where the Vishtynetskaya Upland enters the borders of the Kaliningrad Region. Some areas of land are located below sea level. Most of them are in the Slavsky district. These are the so-called polders - lands under the constant threat of flooding. The average elevation of the area's surface above sea level is only 15 meters.
Another unique feature of the nature of the Kaliningrad region is the presence of real sand dunes within it. They are found on the B altic and Curonian spits. The largest of these dunes reach a height of 50-70 meters.
The bowels of the Kaliningrad region are rich in various minerals. The main we alth of the region is, of course, amber. According to geologists, it contains about 90% of the reserves of the "sun stone" of the planet. In addition to amber, the Kaliningrad region has deposits of oil, brown coal, rock and potash s alts, phosphorites, sand and peat.
Climate and surface waters
The climate of the Kaliningrad region is transitional from maritime to temperate continental. B alticThe sea has a significant impact on the weather and climate conditions of the region. Thus, average annual temperatures decrease from +7.5 °C in the southwest of the region to +6.5 °C in its northeastern part. In summer, the air here warms up to +22…26 °C, and in winter the thermometer can drop to –15…–20 °C. True, both prolonged heat and prolonged frosts are not typical for this region.
The average annual precipitation ranges from 600 to 750 mm. Most of them fall in summer and autumn. The snow cover does not last long. In autumn, stormy winds often blow over the region, especially windy weather is typical for the coastal zone.
Kaliningrad region has a dense and well-developed river network. In total, 148 rivers flow through its territory. The largest of them are Neman and Pregolya. The basins of these two rivers cover almost the entire territory of the region. There are quite a lot of lakes in the southeastern part of the region. The largest among them - Vishtynetskoye - is located on the border with neighboring Lithuania.
Flora and fauna
The flora of the Kaliningrad region has about 1250 species of higher vascular plants. Many of them were brought here from other regions, in particular from the Crimea and the Caucasus. The total forest cover of the territory reaches 18%. The most forested eastern regions of the region are Chernyakhovsky, Nesterovsky and Krasnoznamensky. On the Curonian and B altic spits, artificially planted forests perform an important function of deterring those migrating deep into the continent.sands.
All forests in the region are secondary, they were planted in the XVIII-XIX centuries. The main forest-forming species are spruce and pine. Birches, maples, oaks, hornbeams, lindens are also common. In Zelenogradsky and Pravdinsky districts, there are patches of beech forest, and near Zelenogradsk itself there is a grove of black alder.
The fauna of the Kaliningrad region has over 700 different species, of which 325 species are birds. The largest representative of the animal world is the elk. There are roe deer, deer, fallow deer, wild boars, predators - ermines, foxes and martens. Wolves were exterminated by the 70s of the last century.
Next, we will briefly talk about the most famous and valuable objects of nature in the Kaliningrad region.
Curonian Spit
An amazing piece of nature in the Kaliningrad region is the Curonian Spit, located in the northwestern part of the region. This is a narrow strip of land, stretching for almost 100 km from Zelenogradsk to the Lithuanian Klaipeda. The width of the spit does not exceed 2 km. The national park founded here became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The most interesting natural monuments on the Curonian Spit are the Efa dune, the famous "Dancing Forest" and the beautiful Swan Lake.
Vishtynetskoye Lake
This reservoir is called the European Baikal for its depth reaching 54 meters. The lake is the border between Lithuania and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. The purest water, remoteness from large settlements, the richest avifauna - all this makes Lake Vishtynets an excellent placefor a relaxing holiday and unity with nature.
Red Forest
In the southeastern part of the region is the legendary Rominten (or Red Forest) - a huge forest area of 360 km2. The beauty of this piece of nature in the Kaliningrad region was duly appreciated by the German nobles, who, since the time of the Teutonic Order, have been organizing Sunday hunting here. Rominten is an alternation of hills, dark hollows and picturesque forest lakes, formed during the Ice Age.
