. A regional geography of the world, with diagrams and entirely new maps . sparse vegetation is,fortunately, able to support herds of reindeer, but pro-vides nothing for the support of human life except certainberries. The Ostyaks, Samoyads, Yakuts and othernomadic tribes are therefore compelled to depend for theirfood upon the reindeer, the fish which they catch in therivers and sea, and the wild animals which they can certain amount of hunting is possible, especially inwinter, when it is the custom to migrate as far south-wards as the northern edges of the great forest belt. The Belt
. A regional geography of the world, with diagrams and entirely new maps . sparse vegetation is,fortunately, able to support herds of reindeer, but pro-vides nothing for the support of human life except certainberries. The Ostyaks, Samoyads, Yakuts and othernomadic tribes are therefore compelled to depend for theirfood upon the reindeer, the fish which they catch in therivers and sea, and the wild animals which they can certain amount of hunting is possible, especially inwinter, when it is the custom to migrate as far south-wards as the northern edges of the great forest belt. The Belt of Northern Temperate Forests. In this broad belt of almost virgin forests, the treesare mainly conifers, although broad-leaved trees appear 292 ASIA towards the southern margins (see Fig. yj). It is thegreatest hunting ground for fur-bearing animals in thewhole world, although, except on its margins, it is almostuninhabited. The trapping is done chiefly by Ostyakand Samoyad hunters who live on the northern fringes,and whose settlements are regularly visited by Fig. 77.—The north-western lowlands of Asia. Relief and vegetation. In years to come, better means of communication willbe the means of making lumbering an important occupa-tion ; but at present com{)arativcly little is done, althougha start has been made since the construction of tiicTrans-Siberian Railway. Towards the south the forestsgradually thin out and give way to grasslands. TiiK SxErrE. Tlic natural occu{).ili()n of the Inha])itants of thesegreat areas of grass-covered lowlands is the rearing of 1 THE NORTH-WESTERN LOWLANDS 293 sheep, camels, horses, floats and cattle, and since thegrass in a particular place is soon exhausted, it followsthat the animals have to be constantly moved from placeto place. Thus the steppe shepherd, like the , leads a nomadic life, at least in summer, forsteppe dwellers invarial)ly return to the same winterquarters. IMie site of the winter dwellini^ is very im
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectgeography, bookyear19
