Where is the border between Asia and Europe

It is generally accepted that the border between Asia and Europe passes along the mountain range of the Urals, the coast of the Caspian Sea and a number of straits and rivers. The length of this route is about 6 thousand kilometers.

There is also an alternative option, according to which the boundary is drawn along the watershed of the Urals and the Caucasus. To find out which version is true, the historical, geographical overview of the continent will help.

Early Views

Since ancient times, people have asked questions about where the earth ends, what parts of the world are. About 3 millennia ago the land was first divided into 3 areas: West, East and Africa.

The ancient Greeks believed that the border between Asia and Europe passes through the Black Sea. At that time it was called Pontus. The Romans moved the border to the Azov Sea. In their opinion, the division was in the Meotida water area, including the Kerch Strait between Europe and Asia and the Don River. In their writings Polybius, Herodotus, Pamponius, Ptolemy and Strabo wrote that the boundary between parts of the world must historically be drawn along the coast of the Sea of Azov, smoothly passing to the channel of the Don. Such judgments remained true until the 18th century AD. Similar conclusions were also presented by Russian theologians in the book Cosmography, dating from the 17th century. Nevertheless, in 1759 M. Lomonosov concluded that the border between Asia and Europe should be conducted along the rivers Don, Volga and Pechora.

Representations of the 18-19th centuries

Gradually, the notion of the division of parts of the world began to form. In the medieval Arab chronicles, the boundaries of the water areas of the rivers Kama and Volga. The French believed that the line of division passes along the channel of the Ob.

In 1730 the Swedish scientist Stralenberg put forward a proposal for a border on the basin of the Ural Mountains. Identical theory a little earlier in its author's works and designated the n theologian V. Tatishchev. He refuted the idea of the division of parts of the world only along the rivers of the Russian Empire. In his opinion, the border between Asia and Europe should be drawn from the Great Belt to the coast of the Caspian Sea and the Tauris Mountains. Thus, both theories converged in one thing: the division passes through the water area of the Ural range.

For a while, the ideas of Stratenberg and Tatishchev were ignored. At the end of the 18th century, the recognition of the authenticity of their judgments was reflected in the writings of Polunin, Falk, Shchurovsky. The only thing the scientists disagreed with was the holding of the border over Miass.

As early as the 1790s, the geographer Pallas suggested limiting the separation of the Volga, General Syrt, Manych and Ergeni rivers by the southern slopes. Because of this, the Caspian lowlands belonged to Asia . In the early 19th century, the border was again pushed slightly to the west - to the Embe River.

Confirmation of theories

In the spring of 2010, the Russian Society of Geographers organized a large-scale expedition to the territory of Kazakhstan. The purpose of the campaign was to revise the general political views on the line of separation of parts of the world - the mountain range (see below photo). The border of Europe and Asia was to pass along the southern part of the Ural Upland. As a result of the expedition, the scientists determined that the separation is a little further from Zlatoust. Further, the Ural ridge disintegrated and lost its pronounced axis. In this area the mountains are divided into several parallels.

Between the scientists a dilemma arose: which of the broken ridges is considered the boundary of the parts of the world. In the course of the further expedition it was established that the correct separation should pass along the banks of the Emba and Ural rivers. Only they are able to clearly represent the true boundaries of the continent.

Another version was the establishment of the fission axis along the eastern isthmus of the Caspian lowland. The reports of Russian scientists were taken into account, however, they did not wait for the consideration of the International Union.

The modern border

For a long time, political views did not allow the European and Asian powers to agree on a final division of the parts of the world. Nevertheless, at the end of the 20th century, the definition of the official border still took place. Both sides proceeded from cultural and historical concepts. To date, the axis of the division of Europe and Asia goes through the Aegean, Marmara, Black and Caspian Seas, the straits of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles, the water area of the Urals up to the Arctic Ocean. Such a boundary is represented in the international geographic atlas. Thus, the Urals is the only river between Europe and Asia, through which the division takes place.

According to the official version, Azerbaijan and Georgia are partially located on the territory of both parts of the world. Istanbul is a transcontinental city because of the Bosporus Strait and Asia, and Europe. A similar situation exists with the entire country of Turkey. It is noteworthy that the city of Rostov also belongs to Asia, although it is on the territory of Russia.

Accurate division in the Urals

The question of the frontier axis between parts of the world unexpectedly opened up an active discussion among residents and authorities of Yekaterinburg. The fact is that this city between Europe and Asia is at the moment several tens of kilometers from the zone of conditional division. Given the rapid territorial growth of Yekaterinburg in the coming years can inherit the fate of Istanbul, becoming transcontinental. It is noteworthy that a memorial showing the border of the parts of the world has already been erected 17 km from Novo-Moskovsky tract. The situation is much more interesting in the vicinity of the city. There are also large water areas, and mountain ranges, and settlements. At the moment the border passes along the watershed of the Middle Urals, so while these areas remain in Europe. This applies to Novouralsk, and the Kotel, Berezovaya, Varnacha, Khrastalnaya, and Chusovskoye. This fact casts doubt on the correctness of erecting a border memorial on the Novo-Moscow route.

The transcontinental states

To date, Russia is the largest country on the border between Europe and Asia. Such information was voiced at the end of the 20th century at the UN summit. In total, there are five transcontinental states, including the Russian Federation.

Of the remaining, Kazakhstan should be singled out. This country does not belong to either the Council of Europe or the Asian counterpart. The Republic with an area of 2.7 million square meters. Km and a population of about 17.5 million people has an intercontinental status. Today it is part of the Eurasian Community.

Border countries such as Armenia and Cyprus, as well as Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan fall under the jurisdiction of the Council of Europe. Relations with Russia are defined only within the framework of the agreed regulations. All these states are considered transcontinental. Apart from them stands Turkey. It occupies only 783 thousand square meters. Km, but it is one of the most important trading and strategic centers of Eurasia. Representatives of NATO and the European Union are still fighting for influence in this region. The population here is over 81 million people. Turkey has an outlet immediately to the four seas: the Mediterranean, the Black, the Marble and the Aegean. It borders with 8 countries, including Greece, Syria and Bulgaria.

Transcontinental bridges

In total, more than $ 1.5 billion was spent on all facilities. The main bridge between Asia and Europe lies across the Bosporus Strait. Its length is more than 1.5 kilometers with a width of 33 meters. The Bosporus Bridge is suspended, that is, the main anchorages are on top, and the structure itself has the shape of an arc. The height in the central point is 165 meters.

The bridge is not picturesque, but is considered the main intercontinental symbol of Istanbul. The authorities spent about $ 200 million on construction. It is worth noting that pedestrians to climb the bridge are strictly prohibited to exclude suicides. Transportation for a fee. Also it is possible to allocate boundary bridges in Orenburg and Rostov.

Transcontinental memorable signs

Most obelisks are in the Urals, in Kazakhstan and Istanbul. From these should be noted a commemorative sign at the Straits of Ugra Shar. It is located on the island of Vaigach and is the northernmost point of the border of Europe and Asia.

The extreme eastern coordinates of the transcontinental axis are marked with a sign in the upper reaches of the Malaya Shchuch'ye River.

From the obelisks it is possible to single out monuments near the village of Promysla, at the station Ural Mountains, at the pass Sinegorsky, on Mount Kotel, in Magnitogorsk, etc.