Vitim Plateau

Vitim Plateau

 

a plateau located in the upper reaches of the Vitim River, mainly in the Buriat ASSR and Chita Oblast of the RSFSR. There are wide, low steep slopes (ranging in elevation from 1,200 to 1,600 m) which alternate with inter montane depressions. It is composed of granite and crystallized shale, with basalt on the southwestern part. The plateau also features the craters of more than 15 extinct volcanoes, and very old frozen rocks are scattered in the area. The land between the rivers is covered with deciduous taiga, and on the lowlands there are growths of scrub birch, meadows, and swamps.