Buryatia consists of a complex of mountain ranges, plateaus, basins, and .... river selenga

Buryatia consists of a complex of mountain ranges, plateaus, basins, and river valleys. It includes the Sayan Mountains in the panhandle, which rise to over 10,000 feet (3,000 metres); the Khamar-Daban Range, which rises from the southern end of Lake Baikal; the Barguzin Mountains, which parallel the lake's northeastern shore; the Vitim Plateau in the northeast; and the Yablonovo Range on the republic's eastern border. The chief river systems are the Selenga, a navigable river flowing into Lake Baikal, and the Vitim, a northward-flowing tributary of the Lena River. Thick, poorly drained forests, or taiga, mostly of conifers, cover 70 percent of Buryatia's area, while in the intermontane basins and valleys, steppe vegetation prevails. About 60 percent of the population lives in urban areas, with the greatest concentration in the Selenga River basin, in which , the capital and largest city, is located. The chief area of cultivation is the broad Selenga River valley, in which s! pring wheat, potatoes, vegetables, and sugar beets are grown. Water transport, mainly along the Selenga and across Lake Baikal, is well developed.