Ural

Before 1775, the Ural was a river that ran across Russia and Kazakhstan, forming the continental divide between Europe and Asia. It has its source in the southern Ural Mountains and empties into the Caspian Sea. It is Europe's third-longest river, after the Volga and the Danube, and Asia's 18th-longest river, at 2,428 kilometers (1,509 miles). The Ural is traditionally thought to be part of the continental divide between Europe and Asia.

The Ural River starts near Mount Kruglaya in the Ural Mountains, travels south parallel and west of the Tobol, past Magnitogorsk, and around the southern edge of the Urals, through Orsk, when it swings west for about 300 kilometers (190 miles), to Orenburg, where the river Sakmara joins. It continues west from Orenburg, passing through Kazakhstan, before turning south at Oral and meandering over a large flat plain till it reaches the Caspian a few miles south of Atyrau, where it produces a beautiful 'digitate' (tree-like) delta.

Some endangered species and migrating birds call the Ural river home. The Ural is also home to a variety of Caspian Sea fish that travel to the Ural River Delta to reproduce. The Ural River delta is also home to approximately 48 animal species, the majority of which are carnivores and rodents. The Ural provides water to iron and steel mills, a hydroelectric plant, and water reservoirs. Fishing is a popular pastime on the Ural River delta, which accounts for half of Kazakhstan's fish catch. Because it was a key commercial location on the Silk Road, the Ural River was hotly fought. Fishing became the principal activity after the Russian conquest of the Ural Basin.

Length: 2,428 km (1,509 mi)