WESTERN SECTOR OF STEPPE EURASIA: ISSUES OF REGIONAL AND ZONAL IDENTIFICATION
Objective. To consider issues of regional and zonal identification in relation to western sector of Steppe Eurasia (Eastern European steppe region). Materials and methods. The article includes the results of research conducted by E.A. Eversman (1840), N.A. Dimo and B.A. Keller (1907), F.N. Milkov (1977). The material obtained is achieved by means of methods of description, explanation and prognosis, processing of research results. Results. A zoning scheme has been developed and historical and geographical features of the region have been identified. Based on these data, a map of the Eastern European steppe region was compiled (Fig. 1). A table for the distribution of soils, vegetation and landscapes in the steppe and neighboring zones, which was formed in the pre-agrarian period, was compiled. Conclusions. The western sector of the Steppe Eurasia (the Eastern European steppe region) is part of the Eurasian megaregion and includes 13 subregions (the Middle Danube, Black Sea, Podil and Transdniestrian Region, Steppe Crimea, Precocaucasus, Lower Don, Western Caspian, Middle Russian, Volga, Transvolga-Obshiy Syrt, Eastern Caspian, Pre-South Urals, and Ural-Mugodzhary) and 3 landscape zones (forest-steppe, steppe, semi-desert).