Kalach Upland

hills in the south of the Eastern European Plain, within the Voronezh, Volgograd, and Rostov oblasts, located on the left bank of the Don between the Bitiug and Khoper rivers. Elevations range up to 240 m. The Kalach Upland is composed of Upper Cretaceous (chalk, marl) and Paleogene (clays, sands, sandstones) deposits, covered with glacial deposits and loess-like cover loams. The upland has numerous valleys, ravines, and gulches. The main rivers are left tributaries of the Don, including the Osered’, Tolucheevka, and Pes-kovatka. Soils are ordinary and southern chernozems. Oakgroves have been preserved (including the Shipov Forest). Thesteppes are cultivated; crops include wheat, rye, millet, and sun-flowers.