Wrangel Island: Reserve, location on the map of Russia, climate, coordinates. Animal and floral world of Wrangel Island

Judging by the finds of archaeologists, the first people appeared here 1750 BC. E., Wrangel Island's card was inflicted in the middle of the XIX century. In 1921, the colonization of the island begins: the settlers from the United States and Canada arrive here, and in 1924 over the island raised the Soviet flag. The first polar station under the direction of the Russian researcher of the Arctic Georgy Ushakov was created already in 1926.

The geographical location of this territory is surprising: The Island Island is divided into two almost equal parts into two almost equal parts, which means it is both in the eastern and western hemisphere. Today, the island administratively applies to the Chukchi Eulitary District autonomous District. The reserve is washed by the Northern Arctic Ocean is the northernmost on Far East, but by the number of plants and animal endemics (that is, living only in one climatic zone) has no analogues in the world and exceeds even Greenland.

The territory of the security zone on Islands Wrangel and Herald - almost 800 thousand hectares. Mountains occupying two thirds of the territory is the main type of landscape. The rest is the Arctic Tundra with small lakes and streams, which are about 900 here. Despite the proximity of the polar circle, there are no glaciers on the island.

Plant and Animal World of Island

The Chukotka name of the Island of Wrangel - Umkilir - translates as the "Island of White Bears". Indeed, the number of burgoot of this northern predator is the largest in the world. Every year on the island flows 400-500 bears in hibernation. And the history of the creation of a full-fledged reserve began with another mammal - sheby. It was they were delivered in 1975 in the amount of 20 individuals and after many years of adaptation took root. Now there is about 900 individuals on the island. One more empty-northern deer - were delivered here in the early 1950s, and today it is the only major population of reindeer on the islands (9-10 thousand individuals). On the coast, the walruses migrating for the winter in the Bering Sea. And in the water area of \u200b\u200bthe reserve, scientists are studied by cetaceans; Most often there are Beluha and Gray Whale, sometimes Greenland Kit. On the island there is the largest colony of white geese in Asia. And in general, the fauna is unique in the number of populations. Lescape, Wolverine, Wolf, Red Fox, Siberian Lemming and Lemming Vinogradov are also inhabited here.

The harsh climate does not contribute to the variety of flora: freezers are not only 20 days a year; Polar night, when the air temperature drops to -30 ° C, and the wind reaches 40 m / s, lasts over three months. Nevertheless, on the island of 417 species of plants: more than anywhere in the Arctic climatic zone. These are mainly lichens, mosses and dwarf trees.

Tourist routes

Due to climatic conditions, the only village in this area was officially announced in 1997: only groups of researchers and reserve employees are located on the island. Visiting the Berangel Island Reserve is limited, but there are about 10 tourist routes In summer and autumn. They include a journey through rivers and ravines on all-terrains or, very rare, on foot, but most importantly - observation of animals: deer, white bears ... and whales, if, of course, lucky. From the conductor can not be removed by more than 20 m, so as not to meet one one with ferocious northern predators.

In 2004, the Wrangel Island Reserve is included in the list of objects World Heritage UNESCO.

General information about the island of Wrangel

Wrangel Island is located in the eastern part of the Arctic Ocean, 200 km from the Chukotka Peninsula. Long-separated from the mainland, the island is washed from the West to the Eastosibirsk Sea, and from the East - the Chukotka Sea. Located under 70 ° 51? 44? N and 178 ° 46? 18? O from Greenwich (coordinates of Rogers Bay). The length of the island is about 140 km, width - from 30 to 50 km, the total area is about 4500 square meters. km.

The island has an oval shape. The shores are small enough, and any go-deep into the island of bay is not here. Silence from the shores are subject to more or less significant naming pebble braids, usually stretching parallel to the shore. The braids are formed comfortable to parking the harbor. The best among them is the harbor Rogers - the location of the Soviet colony.

The inside of the island of the elevated, the mountains. Central, most massive part mountain chainThe abundant set of dome-shaped and cone-shaped vertices concludes the most sublime point of the entire island - the peak of Berry is 760 meters high (according to other data - 900 meters). In the eastern part of the island, the shore is also elevated, and the cliffs reaches places of 200 meters here.

A number of scientific evidence testifies that Wrangel Island in a long-lasting time was one whole with the mainland. This indicates, by the way, finding on the island of mammoth beats. The island separated from the mainland due to the lowering of the part of the mainland sushi, which is now the bottom of the Long Strait, the depth of which is only a few tens of meters.

According to the geological structure (granite and shale breeds), the Island of Wrangel is the Chukotka Peninsula and Alaska.

The rivers is not rich, besides, they are extremely narrow and shallow water. Only one of them is the river Claire, flowing into the sea in the southeast corner of Cape Hawaii, it is possible to swim on the boat. The glaciers on the island are absent at all, most of its surface covers the polar tundra.

The climate island is extremely harsh. Frosts reach here 60 °. The average annual temperature for this latitude is unusually low: - 11.2 °. Frosts are observed throughout the year, the most cold month is March. Polar night lasts 64 days here (from November 20 to January 22); A polar day during which the sun does not go beyond the horizon, - 77 days (from May 15 to July 30).

Despite the very unfavorable climatic conditionsThe island is relatively rich in life. G. A. Ushakov Herbarium numbers 86 species. But, undoubtedly, these representatives of the Flora Island of Wrangel are not yet exhausted.

In the summer, the mass of birds arrive on the island. Among them are geese, ducks, gaga, cakes, cormorants, seagulls, rzhanks, bunches. Most feathered nests on the so-called bird bazaars - single high cliffs located near the coast. From mammals are characteristic of the island of walrow, seals, white bears, sands, lemmings (field mice). Most of the listed representatives of the Fauna Island of Wrangel is a profitable fishery.

Wrangel Island is one of the most impregnable in the ice islands of the Arctic. Located not far from the coast, but by virtue of special natural conditions Always surrounded by an impassable barrier of ice, the island in continuation of many decades was inadequate. The opening epic island of Wrangel is a curious and instructive page not only in the history of the study of the Arctic, but also in the history of geographical research in general.

The discovery of the Island of Wrangel was preceded by a number of rumors, tales and legends borrowed from Chukchi. Undoubtedly, all these rumors who narrow about some unknown land located north of eastern coast Siberia, concluded grain of truth. At the beginning of the XIX century, in order to verify these rumors, the expedition was equipped with Nizhnekolumsk under the superiors of the prominent Russian navigator of Lieutenant F. P. Vrangel. Despite the energetic attempts, Intragel could not achieve the desired land, although he remained with full conviction that the Earth really exists; He even defined her location.

Starting from the end of the first halves XIX. Centuries, in search of the disappeared expedition of the English navigator John Franklin, the Siberian Water Sector is attended by foreigners. The head of one of these expeditions the Kelllet confirms that in the specified place the place he really saw some kind of land, but could not approach her. In 1867, the American Kitol Long was only 18 miles away from the ground, but he could not fall on her because of ice obstacles. In honor of Wrangel, first defining the position of the unknown land, Long assigns it the name of Wrangel.

The Earth attracts more and more attention, a number of expeditions are equipped there, but unsuccessful. In 1881, they set off from San Francisco to search for the disappeared American ship "Jegesta" two ships - "Corvin" and "Rogers". Since the sailors believed that the crew, Zhannetta landed on the island of Wrangel, all their efforts were aimed at achieving the latter. They safely and reach it and produced for the first time a survey.

In 1911, the Russian hydrographic vessel Vaigach visits Wangel. The result of the Vaigach flight was a significant expansion of our knowledge about the island.

In 1913, the American polar researcher Stefenson, challenging the right of Russian on the island, organizes there an expedition on the ship "Karluk" under the team of an outstanding sailor and a polar researcher R. Bartlet. Once in impassable ice, Karluk dies north of Wrangel Island; Parts of the crew can achieve the island on ice.

In 1914, Vaigach is secondary, but unsuccessfully trying to achieve the island of Wrangel. In 1916, the Russian government issues decree on the accession of the Island of Wrangel to the territory of his state.

Approximate map of the Asian coast from Kolyma to Bering Strait

Since 1921, our island rights begin to challenge foreigners. In the fall of the same year, a group of colonists are sent to the island under the leadership of Canadz Kraford and joins him to the possessions of Canada. The protest of the Soviet government canvas does not lead to the desired results. In August 1924 from Vladivostok, overcoming extremely heavy obstacles, the icebreaker "Red October" is sent to the island and restores our rights to it. Canadian mining was confiscated, and they themselves were removed from the island.

After the campaign of the "Red October" in the history of the island, a new, extremely fruitful era comes. On July 15, 1926, Paarboat "Stavropol" under the head of G. A. Ushakov goes to the island of the first group of settlers from 6 Russians and 50 Chukchi and Eskimos. In 1929, the Icerezes "Litke" replaces wintering workers, carries a new batch here and builds a radio station to communicate with the mainland. In 1934, Krasin delivers third shift to the island and erect a number of new buildings.

The value of the Island of Wrangel for us is not exhausted by its fishing riches. Undoubtedly, not at such a long-term time is the island will pay more attention to the northern seaside weighing, when the function of an important nodal point will fall on the island.

Wrangel Island, in addition, is a convincing indicator of the technical and economic relics of our country, which has enough money and energy to master and use even the most remote and hard-to-top polar outskirts.

The rocky island, washed by the students of the Northern Ocean, is the name of the Russian navigator and explorer in Wrangel. On the territory of the island is the eponymed reserve, protected by UNESCO.

The island, where nature fascinates with its immense beauty, runs on the junction of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. From the middle of November to January, the polar night comes, diligently enveloping Black Pelube Island. At this time, see the border between the land and the sea underground becomes almost unreal. Local landscape acquires thousands of shades thanks to the reflective moonlight from ice stroit. Amateurs local beauties Recommend to visit this reserved corner of the Arctic at least in order to see the incredible a natural phenomenon - Northern Lights.

Polar day, lasting from May to July, revitalizes the entire environment of the island and the reserve in particular. Although heat from this solar phenomenon does not become greater, the flora and fauna become more active. At this time, the island of Wrangel is filled with many types of feathered, arriving in this area on the nesting.

If we talk about the size of the island, they are very impressive. The area is 7670 km², more than half of which are filled with mountains. The width is 150 kilometers, and the length reaches 125. Highest point Islands it is customary to count the mountain Sovetskaya, the vertex of which is at the level of 1096 meters.

Wrangel Island Records:

The remains of the dwarf mammoth were found on the island, the type of which was not known earlier. Mammoth lived on this territory Even after 6000 years since the established early dates of the disappearance of the Mammoth population worldwide!

Climatic features The islands are very severe, even the global warming of the planet do not improve the harsh ice wind without moisture during the polar night, as well as frequent thick fogs with the onset of the polar day. The average annual temperature is kept in the area of \u200b\u200b+ 11 ° C.

Features of the Reserve Island Wrangel.

Flora is very unique, and everything also beats records in its quantitative value. There are 331 views of moss and 310 types of lichens, which dismisses the reserve into leading positions among the regions of the Arctic TundR. Also on the territory of the reserve there are almost all types of landscapes characteristic of the Arctic zone, and exception is only glacial. Exist interesting feature Flora, because the height of plants does not exceed 10 centimeters, and the giant among them is considered to be a shrub IVA growing up to a meter.

A lot of streams are running through the reserve, as well as lakes and rivers that do not differ in weighty depth. The Island Herald is also included in the protected area. As for the fauna, arctic wolves, wolverines, sands, walruses, white bears, lemming and seals became permanent residents of the terrain.

Currently the development of eco-tourism on the island, so getting here it becomes much easier. The complex reserve is investigated by numerous scientists, and the spells of the virgin nature are overcome by everyone who was able to find himself in such a unique place.

Wrangel Island - one of the largest islands In the Arctic Ocean and the same reserve. From Chukotka separated by the Long Strait, the width of which is on average 150 km. The Square of the Island of Wrangel is 7670 sq. Cm, and its most of covered with mountains S. maximum height 1096 meters.

Wrangel Island is a very stern edge and people practically did not try to master it. There were small military bases and polar stations here, the last of which closed in 2003. But the tragedy of this should not do because the island is essentially the desert, and according to the classification to treat the Arctic tundra. Animal I. vegetable world It is presented very poorly, and for the development of these lands you need to attach titanic efforts. For example, summer here is not at all and average temperature Even in the summer, only 2-3 degrees of heat and throughout the remaining 9 months the temperature rarely rises above the zero mark.

History opening

The first people lived on the island from ancient times, and the most ancient found parking lots are dating 2 thousand years before our era. The remains of the Mammoth Islands found and found to the same period, the youngest of all found on our planet. In his appearance, these were dwarf relatives of mainland mammoths. It is not known when people left the island, but the island has already been empty for the arrival of the first researchers.

Despite the all severity of the climate and the impossibility of mastering, a serious struggle was behind the island, as a result, ending in favor of Russia. For the first time on the card, Wrangel Island was listed in 1849 by the English researcher Henry Kellett. He called him in honor of himself - the land of Kellette, but the title did not fit, and the island himself was interested in little. The next news about the island dates back already 1866, when an American trading expedition was visited. He led by the expedition Thomas Long, who called the island in honor of Ferdinand Petrovich Vrangel, who was looking for this island in the 20s of the 19th century, but I found it. The next visitors of the island has become an American rescue ship, looking for a missing expedition de Long. The Americans landed on the island for inspecting his coast and at the same time proclaimed its territory of the United States, but this was somehow quickly forgotten, and in 1911 the Russian icebreaker Vaigach approached the island and installed the Russian flag on the island.

In 1913, an event occurred, which again launched a sluggish cookel of the struggle for the island. The Canadian Arctic Expedition, which guides the study of the Canadian Arctic Shelf, was clamped with ice and could not choose themselves. The ship drifted for some time among the ice and was near the island of Wrangel. After a year, the researchers saved, but only half of the team could survive. He commanded the expedition of Willialmur Stefenson, who immediately saw the possibility of fisheries near the shores of the Island of Wrangel and planned to establish a colony on the island. However, nor Canada nor UK agreed to his proposal. Then Stefenson decided to act a cunning. In 1921, the first five settlers arrived here and the British flag was watered, which immediately gave rise to a large diplomatic scandal. The British quickly disunched from the mountain of the entrepreneur. However, two years later, another 13 settlers arrived here and this time declared the island of the American territory, which could not remain unnoticed, and a small icebreaker with a detachment of the military and armed with cannons was immediately headed towards the island. In 1924, he took the colonists with force and waters over the island of the USSR flag.

This story served as a good lesson and after the expulsion of the unacceptable guests, there were plans for the colonization of the island from the USSR. 60 colonists were brought to the island, most of which were indigenous northern people. This event finally stamped the island for Russia. In the 60s, two small settlements of military assignment were founded, as well as the facilities of military infrastructure were built. In the 90s, residents left the island, and the military infrastructure was abandoned.

Flora and fauna

For the most part, the island dwells exclusively along coastlineSince the sea is the main source of feeding for almost all animals. For a long time, the inner part inhabited only small rodents, feed on plant food, as well as birds. Only owls hunting for rodents can be attributed to permanent residents among the birds of the island, the remaining birds fly to nesting, for example, the rare species of wild hollow geese, arrange their colony here. But for other predators, there were no places in the depths of the island, as rivers and lakes are fully mixed and breastless. In the middle of the century, the colonists were taken here to the northern deer, however, they scattered around the island and in the absence of predators very quickly dispersed. In 1975, shebians were brought to the island, who also arrived here and found an excellent home without any threats from predators and man.

The only major predator is a polar bear who wakes along the shore in search of food. Also on the shore, you can meet whole colonies of seals and walrles, which feel very comfortable here, because the presence of a person here is practically reduced to zero. The wirgles colony here and the largest in our country. Coastal zone For its temporary colonies choose birds. However, such an abundance lasts long and in the fall, with the onset of ice, many species move away from the coast, or as a polar bear, they simply lie in a hibernation before the heat arrival, and the deer go to the mountain valleys, where in the winter they find stern.

The plants of the island are not much different from the tundra of other places, but the set of species is unique. For the most part, these are dwarf plants, and due to the strongest northern winds, their height is not more than 10 cm. But with all the same, most of the species have a very ancient origin and has not changed their own kind of thousands of years. In total, there are 114 rare species on the island, but in view of the remoteness from the mainland and harsh climate, the composition of the plants here is preserved much better than on other northern Islands. There are here and small dwarf trees - Ivie, which are found in mountain valleys And the gorges protected from wind. Their size rarely exceeds 1 meter in height.

Cultural criteria: IX, X
Included on World Heritage List: 2004

Vrangel Island area is the northernmost world natural Heritage - It is approximately 500 km north of the Northern Polar Circle, on the 71st degree of northern latitude.

The object includes: Wrangel Island (7.6 thousand square meters) and Herald Island (11 square meters), located 70 km east. These are also the adjacent waters of the East Siberian and Chukotka Seas - within a radius of 12 nautical miles from each island. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe World Heritage Site (as well as the reserve) is 2,225,650 hectares, incl. 1 430 000 hectares - marine water area.

Wrangel Island is located at the junction of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres (ie, right on the 180th Meridian), from the mainland he is separated by a wide and shallow strait of Long. The climate of the island is very stern (up to -30 degrees and below), relief mountainous (maximum mark - Soviet Mountain, 1096 m). It is dominated by various types of arctic tundra (diluted-moss, herbian-lichen, shrubber-divergent), but special interest are the relict tund concrete communities with a large variety of flowering plants. Often there are minor lakes and swamps, zarli zirobi, in the mountains - small laders and rocky placer. Lowest shores are dissected by lagows separated from the sea with sandy braids.

The global value of the object is manifested in the following two aspects.

Firstly, it represents an outstanding example of the evolutionary development of various Arctic natural complexes - mountain, equible and coastal.

Indeed, Wrangel Island is a pronounced autonomous ecosystem that has developed in full insulation for the last 50 thousand years, i.e. Starting from that time when the island began to separate from the mainland sushi, part of which he was before. It is noteworthy that the evolution of the island ecosystem did not interrupted even a quaternary glaciation (it manifested here in a relatively small extent), and this fundamentally distinguishes this area from other territories in the Arctic, which covered in that period by powerful ice strata. The presence of relict species of the Pleistocene era, as well as a number of endemics (only about 40 endemic species and subspecies of plants, insects, birds and mammals), a variety and mosaic of vegetable cover, mixing typically arctic and relatively southern (American and Asian) species of animals and plants, - All this testifies to rich history The development of the island natural complex.

Evolutionary processes continue and so on. They manifest themselves, in particular, in an unusually high density and distinctive features of the behavior of local lemmings (compared with the mainland populations of this rodent); In physical adaptation to the island conditions of the reindeer and shezebiks (island deers differ from the mainland large sizes); In the specifics of the local population population (island individuals, compared with the mainland, have a reduced dimensions of the skulls, and the oscillations of their number is not so cutting).

Secondly, the territory has an exceptional to the Arctic with biological diversity (which is especially related to plants and birds), and besides, there are a number of species declared rare and disappearing, not only at the state level, but also on the global one.

So, by now, more than 400 species and varieties of vascular plants are taken into account - more than any other Arctic island; It is also twice the similar indicator for other tundra areas of the Arctic zone having comparable dimensions. As for birds, there are more than 50 species on the nestings in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Island of Wrangel; In total, in the modern list of the Ornithofauna of the reserve, taking into account local, migratory and flying feathers - about 170 species.

In the area of \u200b\u200bWrangel Island, the concentration of the generic Berker of the White Bear (Islands of Wrangel and Herald is the most in the entire Arctic (and in the world), is the main "maternity hospital" of the White Bear, which largely depends on the existence of this biological specified in the Red Book Russia and the International Red Book); - Coastal fools of a walrus, one of the largest in the Arctic (especially in the area of \u200b\u200bCape Blossom, in the south-west of the Island of Wrangel, where many thousands of animals can be at the same time); - the largest and more stable nesting colony of a white goose in Eurasia (which on the background of its disappearance from many other areas is extremely important); - the largest in the eastern Arctic of the colony of sea birds (seagulls-money, numbers, beergov cormorants, thick cakes, burgomistras, etc.);

Starting from the 1940s. To the island of Wrangel, household reindeers are brought out, which has now been almost completely different; And in the 1970s. The rarest inhabitant of the Arctic is covered here - sheby, the number of which is currently exceeding 800 individuals.

The water-adjacent to the islands is a gray whale felling place (he migrates here by California, from the Mexican Reserve El Wiscainino); There are other cetacean - Greenland Kit, Gorbach and Finval, as well as Kosyats and Beluhi. In addition to the walrus, other laston-eaten is inhabited here - ringed Nerpe Lahtak, Larga, a striped seal.

Wrangel Island, known since the middle of the XVII century, was subsequently named after the famous Russian navigator F.P. Wrangel, who studied this island in the 1820s. Herald Island was opened in 1849 by the English Military Savory Kellett and named so in honor of his vessel. Since 1926, a polar station operates on the island of Wrangel, since 1976 it is a natural reserve. His modern attendance is about 200 tourists for the year. This object on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website whic.unesco.org/en/list/1023

Category: nature

Wrangel Island is an outstanding reserve, located behind the polar circle and includes the island of Wrangel, Herald Island and the 12-kilometer waters of the East Siberian and Chukchi seas adjacent to them.

Wrangel Island, intersectable by one hundred eightieth meridian, is simultaneously both in Western and Eastern Hemispheres. The mountainous relief prevailing here is strongly exposed, and the seaside lowlands are stretched in the south and north of the islands. The territory of the island is literally written by all sorts of rivers and streams, which are about one and a half thousand. In addition to them, there are a huge variety of small thermocarbon lakes and a few lagun at the sea shores.

The territory of the reserve is unique place In the Arctic, where, due to its remote location from civilization, as well as a consistent combination of landscape, climatic and naturally historical conditions, quite extensive animals and flora, many representatives of which are recognized as the rarest species on the planet are presented. And since the islands were once part of a huge mainland broken into Eurasia and North AmericaHere, representatives of the flora and fauna of both continents live.

Local vegetation, preferably relating to the subzone of the polygonal and spotted TundR of the Arctic, is presented in the form of four hundred types of vascular plants. On crubbed and stone slopes of the mountains, various shrubs, herbs and lichens are most often found. The center and the southwestern part of the Island of Wrangel are quenched by the tundmont and steppe communities, which present a wide variety of flowering plants. Also here you can meet shrub willows and diesel-hypinous swamps.

To all of the time, the Island of Wrangel is known in the Arctic of the frya roaster, as well as the largest in the entire terresth continent with the number of polar bear beard. The protected area is important as a nesting area of \u200b\u200bseveral dozen species of birds and a place for gaga of gray whales. It is also worth noting that there are no amphibious and reptiles on the islands. And the order of forty species of local animals and plants are considered endemic.

As the most valuable object of the world natural heritage, Natural complex The Berangel Island Reserve is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2004.