The ural mountains extend for approximately 1,000 miles in a generally north-south orientation in Russia from the Kirgiz Steppe in Kazakhstan to the Kara Sea on the Arctic Ocean. Novaya Zemlya, an island in the Arctic Ocean, is an extension of the Urals. This mountain range is geologically quite old and dates from the Carboniferous period. The Urals formed when the Siberian plate impacted on the more massive Laurasian Plate. Because of their age the mountains are worn down and reduced through erosion. The average height of the range is 3,000–4,000 feet and the highest peak is Mount Narodnaya at 6,214 feet. The Urals mark the unofficial but traditional boundary between Europe and Siberia.

The Middle Urals are densely forested and rich in mineral wealth. The ...