The landscape of Kamchatka is mostly mountainous. Koryakskoye Plateau is situated in the northen part of Kamchatka, almost parallel to each other the two mountain ranges Middle and Eastern extend the whole peninsula. Between them the Central Kamchatskaya lowland lies with the Kamcahtka river, the main water artery of the peninsular, running through it.
The western Kamchatka coast (the Okhotsk sea coast) is rather monotonous: the low washed-in shore and forests intermingled with marshes.
The eastern coast (the Pacific Ocean coast) is on the contrary full of contrasts: bays, reefs and rocks alternate with black beaches, stretching for many kilometers.
The topography of the eastern part of Kamchatka has evident signs of volcanic and tectonic activity - this is the area with a belt of active volcanoes, located in some places only 20-30 km from each other. The second volcanic belt passes along the Middle range , but all volcanoes but for one are extinct. On the whole, there are 29 active and about 300 extinct volcanoes in Kamchatka. 27 % is land set aside for protection.
