Geography
The archipelago consists of six islands:
- Bolshoy Solovetsky Island, 246 km2 (95 sq mi)
- Anzersky Island (Anzer), 47 km2 (18 sq mi)
- Bolshaya Muksalma, 17 km2 (6.6 sq mi)
- Malaya Muksalma 0.57 km2 (0.22 sq mi)
- Bolshoy Zayatsky, 1.25 km2 (0.48 sq mi)
- Maly Zayatsky, 1.02 km2 (0.39 sq mi)
The islands separate the Onega Bay from the main volume of the White Sea. The closest mainland is the Onega Peninsula.
The shores of the islands are very indented. They are formed of granites and gneiss. The relief of the islands is hilly (the highest point is 107 m). Most of the Solovetsky Islands are covered with Scots Pine and Norway Spruce forests, which are partially swampy. There are numerous lakes, which were joined by monks so as to form a network of canals.
One interesting feature of these islands is stone labyrinths and other stone settings, especially the Stone labyrinths of Bolshoi Zayatsky Island. Such labyrinths were typical for Northern Europe, but most have perished and now Solovetsky Islands have some of the best remaining examples.
Read more about this topic: Solovetsky Islands
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