Poles’ye

Poles’ye or Pripet Marshes, a poorly drained lowland in southern Belarus and northern Ukraine. Located primarily in the basin of the Pripyat’ River, the marshes cover about 270 sq km (about 100 sq mi). The area was once occupied by a glacial lake created when glaciers diverted the flow of river and stream waters. Elevations in the marshes range from about 100 m (about 330 ft) in the northeast to about 250 m (about 820 ft) in the south. The topography is generally flat with some low hill formations. About one-third of the marshes are forested. Sandy and bog soils predominate.