The Ural Mountains

The Ural Mountains are a long chain of mountains in Russia. They run from north to south for about 1,500 miles. The Urals are special because they divide Europe from Asia. The mountains are very old and not as tall as some other ranges.

Dividing Two Continents

The Ural Mountains are like a fence between Europe and Asia. West of the Urals is Europe, and east of them is Asia. If you cross the Urals, you move from one continent to the other. Signs along roads and train tracks show where the border is. Some people like to take pictures with one foot in each continent.

Old and Rich

The Ural Mountains are some of the oldest mountains on Earth. They formed hundreds of millions of years ago. Over time, wind and rain wore them down. The Urals have lots of valuable rocks and minerals like iron, gold, and gems. People have been mining there for hundreds of years.

Fun Facts

• The highest peak is Mount Narodnaya at 6,217 feet.
• Reindeer live in the northern part of the Urals.
• The Urals are over 250 million years old.

Did You Know?

Beautiful green stones called malachite come from the Ural Mountains and were used to decorate palaces in Russia long ago.