Irtysh Plain

Irtysh Plain

 

a plain on the southern West Siberian Plain in Pavlodar Oblast, Kazakh SSR, and Omsk and Tiumen’ oblasts, RSFSR. It extends for 800 km along the Irtysh River, from Pavlodar to the mouth of the Ishim. Elevations range from 80 to 160 m, with a maximum elevation of 200 m. The flat interfluves rise 20–50 m above the Irtysh Valley and the landlocked depressions occupied by lakes, swamps, and salt marshes. The climate is moderately humid except in the southeast, where it is dry. The fertile chernozem soils are extensively cultivated. Large areas in the north are occupied by forests. The Irtysh Plain is a grain-farming and meat-and-dairy stock-raising region.