What were the goals and results of the academic expeditions of 1768-1774?

Goals and Results of Academic Expeditions (1768-1774)

• Goals: To study the life and customs of the peoples of the Southern Urals, their economy, crafts, traditions, rituals, cuisine, and clothing. To describe the natural environment, including mountains, caves, rivers, lakes, flora, and fauna. To discover mineral deposits and existing mining factories.
• Results: A vast amount of material was collected on the economy and way of life of the peoples of the Southern Urals. Numerous mineral deposits were discovered. Detailed descriptions of mining factories, mountains, caves, rivers, and lakes were made. The flora and fauna of the Bashkir region were studied, leading to the discovery of many unknown plants and animals of the Southern Urals. The expeditions also provided important generalizations about the nature of mountains and foothills, including the first division of the Ural mountain system into three parts: Northern, Middle, and Southern Urals.