Polar Urals

The Polar Urals (Полярный Урал) are a mountain range in the western part of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the northeastern part of Komi, Russian Federation. The border between Europe and Asia runs along the main ridge of the Polar Urals. The Salekhard–Igarka Railway stretch of the Northern Railway runs along the valley of the Sob in the mountains.

Geography
The Polar Urals are a subrange of the Urals. They stretch roughly from SW to NE for 380 km forming the northern section of the long Ural chain. The range runs from the area of the sources of the Khulga river of the Ob basin in the south, to the Konstantinov Kamen mountain rising above Baydaratskaya Bay of the Kara Sea at the northern end. The predominant elevations of the ridges range between 800 m and 1200 m, with individual peaks rising slightly higher. The highest peak is 1472 m high Payer Mountain, located in the middle part.

The mountains display traces of massive ancient glaciation in U-shaped valleys, cirques and moraines. Some small glaciers remain, such as the Geographical Institute Glacier and the Dolgushin Glacier. The Usa, a tributary of the Pechora with its tributaries Elets, Kechpel, among others, the Kara, as well as numerous left tributaries of the Ob such as the Synya, Voykar, Sob, Longot-Yugan and Shchuchya, have their sources in the range. There are many lakes in the mountain area, the largest and deepest of which are Khadata-Yugan-Lor (Хадатаёганлор) and the Shchuchye (pike) lakes.

Flora
The slopes in the southern parts of the Polar Urals up to a height between 300 m and 400 m are covered with sparse coniferous forests of larch and spruce with some birch. On the slopes of the higher elevations and in the northern parts there is mountain tundra with moss and lichen as well as vast rocky and stony desolate areas.