Dzhugdzhur

The Dzhugdzhur Mountains form a long barrier between the Sea of Okhotsk and the inland river basins of eastern Siberia. Their slopes give rise to rivers flowing both toward the coast and toward the Maya, a tributary of the Aldan. Larch and stone pine grow in the cold mountain country, where deep valleys interrupt the high ridges. In Evenki folklore the range is described as the backbone of the earth.