Ural Mountains

Ural Mountains

Mountain range, Russia and Kazakhstan. Generally held to constitute the boundary between Europe and Asia, the range extends north-south for some 1,550 mi (2,500 km) from just south of the Kara Sea to the Ural River; a southward spur extends into northwestern Kazakhstan. The mountains average 3,000–4,000 ft (915–1,220 m) in elevation; the highest peak is Mount Narodnaya at 6,217 ft (1,895 m). The Central and Southern Urals contain one of the largest industrial regions of Russia, producing metal goods, chemicals, and machinery; that region developed rapidly during World War II (1939–45), when many industrial plants were moved from the western part of the Soviet Union to prevent their destruction by the Germans.