The Saratov region is situated in the southwestern part of the East European plain (Figure 5.1), covering a total area of 100,200 km2. It lies approximately between longitudes 42°30′ and 51°E, and between latitudes 50° and 52°30′N, and about 80% of the territory falls in the steppe zone. Most of the area (about 85%) is agricultural land, predominantly arable, while approximately 5% of the region is covered by forests. The Volga River (the largest in Europe) dissects the region for a distance of 420 km from northeast to southwest as it flows toward the Caspian Sea. The river thus presents a convenient geographical reference that can be used in delimiting territorial subregions (see Subsection 5.2, below).