Kola Peninsula

Kola Peninsula (Кольский полуостров, Kol'skij poluostrov in Russian) a peninsula on the far north of Russia, part of the Murmansk Oblast. Borders upon the Barents Sea on the North, the White sea on the East and South. The west border of the Kola Peninsula stretches along the meridional cavity from the Kola Gulf through the Imandra Lake, Kola Lake, Niva River to the Kandalaksha Gulf. Covers an area of about 100 000 square km. The north coast is steep and high, the southern is flat. In the west part of the peninsula there are mountain ranges: the Khibiny Mountains, the Lovoserskie Mountains (up to 1120 m in height). In the central part of the peninsula there's the Keyvy watershed.

Kola peninsula is exremely rich with different ores and minerals, including apatites, alumina sources, iron ore,mica, ceramic raw, titanium ore, phlogopite, vermiculite, ores of less-common and colored metals. The Kola Superdeep Borehole is the deepest borehole in the world.

Despite its northern location, the Kola Peninsula has a relatively warm and mild climate, because of the influence of warm Atlantic currents. The average temperature in January is about -10C, in July about +10C. The peninsula is covered by Taiga in the south and tundra in the north.

The Kola peninsula has a lot of impetuous rivers with rapids on them. The most importaint of them are: Ponoy River, Varzuga River, Teriberka River, Voronya River, Iokanga River. The major lakes are: Imandra Lake, Umbozero Lake, Lovozero Lake.

The major port of the region: Murmansk.

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