Russia, Kronotskaya volcano

At the eastern tip of Siberia, Kamchatka Peninsula spreads over nearly 140,000 square miles (370,000 km2). This region of Russia is ruled by nature, and humankind is barely present (the population density is below 1 person per km2). The peninsula is geologically young –a few million years– and has 160 volcanoes, including thirty that remain active; they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. In this part of “Belt of fire” of the Pacific, Kronotskaya Volcano is one of the highest, at 11,570 feet (3,528 m). This region includes also numerous warm thermal springs, waterfalls, geysers, and violent rivers The 3,500 square miles (9,000 km2) of the Kronotski Reserve are home to several protected species: the Kamchatka brown bear, lynx, sable, and fox. Facing Kamchatka across the Bering Strait, Alaska offers a similar landscape. Twenty-six thousand years ago small groups of people crossed the strait, at that time dry land, and gradually populated all of the Americas. The Sioux, the Inca, and the Guarani could be all descendants of the people of Kamchatka.