Cis-Ural depression

region, Eastern Europe

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Last updated

June 24, 2026

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The Cis-Ural depression is a flat lowland region located in Kazakhstan and Russia, north of the Caspian Sea. Much of this area lies below sea level and covers approximately 77,220 square miles (200,000 square km). The Ural and Volga rivers flow through this depression. The region receives sparse rainfall, with limited cultivation in isolated oases and some sheep grazing. It is also known for its oil fields and salt extraction. The Cis-Ural depression is situated west of the Ural Mountains, which form a traditional boundary between Europe and Asia.12

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Ural Mountains
Geology
…descends in terraces to the Cis-Ural depression (west of the Urals), to which much of the eroded matter was carried during the late Paleozoic (about 300 million years ago). Found there are widespread karst (a starkly eroded limestone region) and gypsum, with large caverns and subterranean streams. On the eastern…
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…descends in terraces to the Cis-Ural depression (west of the Urals), to which much of the eroded matter was carried during the late Paleozoic (about 300 million years ago). Found there are widespread karst (a starkly eroded limestone region) and gypsum, with large caverns and subterranean streams. On the eastern…
Read More