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Altay Mountains

The Altai is a mountain range Mountain range

A mountain range is a group of mountain [i]s bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain range ... 

 in central Asia Asia

Asia is the largest and most populous continent [i] or region, depending on the definition.... 

, where Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

, China China

China is a cultural region [i] and ancient civilization [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

, Mongolia Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked [i] country [i] located in East Asia [i]. ... 

 and Kazakhstan Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, also spelled Kazakstan, , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country th... 

 come together, and where the great river River

A river is a large natural waterway [i]. ... 

s Irtysh Irtysh

Irtysh a river [i] in Central Asia [i], the chief tributary of the river Ob [i]. ... 

, Ob Ob River

Ob River , also Obi, is a river in West Siberia [i], Russia [i], the country's fourth longest. ... 

 and Yenisei Yenisei River

The Yenisei is the greatest river [i] system flowing to the Arctic Ocean [i], and the fifth longest riv ... 

 have their sources. Altay Mountains are known as Turks' homeland. The northwest end of the range is at 52? N and between 84? and 90? E , and extends southeast from there to about 45? N 99? E, where it gradually becomes lower and merges into the high plateaux of the Gobi Desert Gobi Desert

The Gobi is a large desert [i] region in northern China [i] and southern Mongolia [i]. ... 

. The name, in Turkic Turkic languages

The Turkic languages constitute a language family [i] of some thirty languages, spoken across a vast are ... 

 Alytau or Altay, means Al , tau ; in Mongolian Mongolian language

Mongolian is the best-known member of the Mongolic language family [i], and the prima ... 

 Altain-ula, the "Mountains of Gold".

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Timeline

440   The Hepthalites Hephthalite

Hephthalite is the name of the dynasty of the Haital ???? Arabic: ?????? plural, Greek: Hephthal,... 

, who will later be known as the Avars Eurasian Avars

The Eurasian Avars - known as Zhuan Zhuan [i] to the Chinese [i] - were a nomadic people of ... 

 move south from the region of Altay Mountains into Transoxiana Transoxiana

Transoxiana / Ma Wara'un-Nahr / Fararood is the largely obsolete name used for the portion o... 

, Bactria Bactria

Bactria was the ancient Greek [i] name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush [i] ... 

, Khurasan Khorasan

Khorasan is a region located in eastern Iran [i]. ... 

 and eastern Persia Iran

Throughout history, Iran has been of great geostrategic [i] importance because of its centr ... 

.



Encyclopedia

The Altai is a mountain range Mountain range

A mountain range is a group of mountain [i]s bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain range ... 

 in central Asia Asia

Asia is the largest and most populous continent [i] or region, depending on the definition.... 

, where Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

, China China

China is a cultural region [i] and ancient civilization [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

, Mongolia Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked [i] country [i] located in East Asia [i]. ... 

 and Kazakhstan Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, also spelled Kazakstan, , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country th... 

 come together, and where the great river River

A river is a large natural waterway [i]. ... 

s Irtysh Irtysh

Irtysh a river [i] in Central Asia [i], the chief tributary of the river Ob [i]. ... 

, Ob Ob River

Ob River , also Obi, is a river in West Siberia [i], Russia [i], the country's fourth longest.
... 

 and Yenisei Yenisei River

The Yenisei is the greatest river [i] system flowing to the Arctic Ocean [i], and the fifth longest riv ... 

 have their sources. Altay Mountains are known as Turks' homeland. The northwest end of the range is at 52° N and between 84° and 90° E , and extends southeast from there to about 45° N 99° E, where it gradually becomes lower and merges into the high plateaux of the Gobi Desert Gobi Desert

The Gobi is a large desert [i] region in northern China [i] and southern Mongolia [i]. ... 

.

The name, in Turkic Turkic languages

The Turkic languages constitute a language family [i] of some thirty languages, spoken across a vast are ... 

 Alytau or Altay, means Al , tau ; in Mongolian Mongolian language

Mongolian is the best-known member of the Mongolic language family [i], and the prima ... 

 Altain-ula, the "Mountains of Gold". The range is also known as the Ek-tagh, Mongolian Altai, Great Altai and Southern Altai.


Northern region

In the north of the region is the Sailughem Altay Mountains

The Altai is a mountain range [i] in central Asia [i], where Russia [i], China [i], Mongolia [i] and Kazakhstan [i] ... 

 or Silyughema Mountains, also known as Kolyvan Altai, which stretch northeast from 49° N and 86° E towards the western extremity of the Sayan Mountains in 51° 60' N and 89° E. Their mean elevation is 1,500 to 1,750 m. The snow Snow

Snow is precipitation [i] in the form of crystal [i]line water [i] ice [i], consisting of... 

-line runs at 2,000 m on the northern side and at 2,400 m on the southern, and above it the rugged peaks tower up some 1,000 m more. Mountain pass Mountain pass

In a range of hills, or especially of mountains [i], a pass is a lower point that allows ... 

es across the range are few and difficult, the chief being the Ulan-daban at 2,827 m , and the Chapchan-daban, at 3,217 m, in the south South

[i] or [[geography]... 

 and north respectively. On the east East

East is most commonly a noun [i], adjective [i], or adverb [i] indicating direction [i] or geography [i] ... 

 and south-east Southeast

Southeast is the ordinal direction [i] halfway between south [i] and east [i]. ... 

 this range is flanked by the great plateau Plateau

[i]
[i]
[i]
... 

 of Mongolia, the transition being effected gradually by means of several minor plateaus, such as Ukok 2380 m with Pazyryk Pazyryk

Pazyryk is a local name for a valley [i] in the Altai Mountains [i] lying in Siberian Russia [i] south o ... 

, Chuya 1,830 m, Kendykty 2,500 m, Kak 2,520 m, Suok 2,590 m, and Juvlu-kul 2,410 m.

This region is studded with large lake Lake

A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size surrounded by land.... 

s, e.g. Ubsa-nor Uvs Nuur

Uvs Nuur Lake is the largest lake in Mongolia [i], which, at 753 m above sea level, covers an area ... 

 720 m above sea level Sea level

Mean sea level is the average height of the sea [i], with reference to a suitable reference surface. ... 

, Kirghiz-nor, Durga-nor and Kobdo-nor 1,170 m, and traversed by various mountain range Mountain range

A mountain range is a group of mountain [i]s bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain range ... 

s, of which the principal are the Tannu-Ola Mountains, running roughly parallel with the Sayan Mountains as far east as the Kosso-gol, and the Khan-khu mountains, also stretching west West

West is most commonly a noun [i], adjective [i], or adverb [i] indicating direction [i] or geography [i] ... 

 and east.

Central Altai

The north-western and northern slopes of the Sailughem Mountains Altay Mountains

The Altai is a mountain range [i] in central Asia [i], where Russia [i], China [i], Mongolia [i] and Kazakhstan [i] ... 

 are extremely steep and difficult to access. On this side lies the highest summit of the range, the double-headed Belukha, whose summits reach 4,506 and 4,440 m respectively, and give origin to several glacier Glacier

A glacier is a large, long-lasting river [i] of ice [i] that is formed on land and moves in response to... 

s . Here also are the Kuitun  and several other lofty peaks. Numerous spurs, striking in all directions from the Sailughem mountains, fill up the space between that range and the lowlands of Tomsk Tomsk

Tomsk is a city on the Tom River [i] in the southwest of Siberian Federal District [i], Russia [i], th ... 

. Such are the Chuya Alps, having an average altitude of 2,700 m, with summits from 3,500 to 3,700 m, and at least ten glaciers on their northern slope; the Katun Alps, which have a mean elevation of about 3,000 m and are mostly snow-clad; the Kholzun range; the Korgon 1,900 to 2,300 m, Talitskand Selitsk ranges; the Tigeretsk Alps, .

Several secondary plateaus of lower altitude are also distinguished by geographers, The Katun valley begins as a wild gorge on the south-west slope of Belukha; then, after a big bend, the river pierces the Katun Alps, and enters a wider valley, lying at an altitude of from 600 to 1,100 m, which it follows until it emerges from the Altai highlands to join the Biya in a most picturesque region. The Katun and the Biya together form the Ob Ob River

Ob River , also Obi, is a river in West Siberia [i], Russia [i], the country's fourth longest.
... 

.

The next valley is that of the Charysh, which has the Korgon and Tigeretsk Alps on one side and the Talitsk and Bashalatsk Alps on the other. This, too, is very fertile. The Altai, seen from this valley, presents the most romantic scenes, including the small but deep Kolyvan lake , which is surrounded by fantastic granite dome Granite dome

A granite dome is a dome [i] of granite [i], formed by exfoliation [i].... 

s and towers.

Farther west the valleys of the Uba, the Ulba and the Bukhtarma open south-westwards towards the Irtysh. The lower part of the first, like the lower valley of the Charysh, is thickly populated; in the valley of the Ulba is the Riddersk mine, at the foot of the Ivanovsk Peak , clothed with alpine meadows. The valley of the Bukhtarma, which has a length of 320 km, also has its origin at the foot of the Belukha and the Kuitun peaks, and as it falls some 1,500 m in about 300 km, from an alpine plateau at an elevation of 1,900 m to the Bukhtarma fortress , it offers the most striking contrasts of landscape and vegetation. Its upper parts abound in glaciers, the best known of which is the Berel, which comes down from the Byelukha. On the northern side of the range which separates the upper Bukhtarma from the upper Katun is the Katun glacier, which after two ice-falls widens out to 700 to 900 metres. From a grotto in this glacier bursts tumultuously the Katun river.

The middle and lower parts of the Bukhtarma valley have been colonized since the 18th century by runaway Russian peasants, serfs and religious schismatics , who created a free republic there on Chinese territory China

China is a cultural region [i] and ancient civilization [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

; and after this part of the valley was annexed to Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

 in 1869, it was rapidly colonized. The high valleys farther north, on the same western face of the Sailughem range, are but little known, their only visitors being Kirghiz shepherds.

Those of Bashkaus, Chulyshman, and Chulcha, all three leading to the alpine lake of Teletskoye Lake Teletskoye

Lake Teletskoye is the largest lake in the Altay Mountains [i] and the Altai Republic [i], Russia [i].
... 

 , are inhabited by Telengit people. The shores of the lake rise almost sheer to over 1,800 m. From this lake issues the Biya, which joins the Katun at Biysk Biysk

Biysk or Biisk is a city in Altai Krai [i] of Russia [i]. ... 

, and then meanders through the prairies of the north-west of the Altai.

Farther north the Altai highlands are continued in the Kuznetsk district, which has a slightly different geological aspect, but still belongs to the Altai system. But the Abakan river, which rises on the western shoulder of the Sayan mountains, belongs to the system of the Yenisei Yenisei River

The Yenisei is the greatest river [i] system flowing to the Arctic Ocean [i], and the fifth longest riv ... 

. The Kuznetsk Ala-tau range, on the left bank of the Abakan, runs north-east into the government of Yeniseisk Yeniseysk

Yeniseysk is a town [i] in Krasnoyarsk Krai [i], Russia [i], located on t... 

, while a complexus of mountains fills up the country northwards towards the Trans-Siberian railway and westwards towards the Ob.

Eastern Altai

The Ek-tagh or Mongolian Altai, which separates the Kobdo basin on the north from the Irtysh basin on the south, is a true border-range, in that it rises in a steep and lofty escarpment Escarpment

In geology [i], an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that inv ... 

 from the Dzungarian depression , but descends on the north by a relatively short slope to the plateau of north-western Mongolia Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked [i] country [i] located in East Asia [i]. ... 

. East of 94° E the range is continued by a double series of mountain chains, all of which exhibit less sharply marked orographical features and are at considerably lower elevations. The slopes of the constituent chains of the system are inhabited principally by nomad Kirghiz Kyrgyz

Kyrgyz are a Turkic [i] ethnic group [i] found primarily in Kyrgyzstan [i].
... 

.

World Heritage site

A vast area of 16,175 kmē - Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye Lake Teletskoye

Lake Teletskoye is the largest lake in the Altay Mountains [i] and the Altai Republic [i], Russia [i].
... 

, Mount Belukha and the Ukok Plateau - comprise a natural UNESCO UNESCO

UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations [i] established in 1945. ... 

 World Heritage Site World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on ... 

 entitled Golden Mountains of Altai. As stated in the UNESCO descrition of the site, "the region represents the most complete sequence of altitudinal vegetation zones in central Siberia, from steppe, forest-steppe, mixed forest, subalpine vegetation to alpine vegetation". While making its decision, UNESCO also cited Russian Altai's importance for preservation of the globally endangered mammals, such as snow leopard Snow Leopard

The snow leopard , also known in some instances as the ounce, is a large cat native to the mountai... 

 and the Altai argali.

Geology

The Siberian Altai represents the northern most region affected by the tectonic collision of India into Asia. Massive fault systems run through the area, including the Kurai fault zone and the recently identified Tashanta fault zone. These fault systems are typically thrusts or right lateral strike-slip faults, some of which are tectonically active. Rock types in the mountains are typically granites and metamorphic schists, and some are highly sheared near to fault zones.

Seismic activity

On 27th September 2003 a massive earthquake, measuring Mw 7.3, occurred in the Chuya Basin area to the south of the Altai region. Seismic activity is however a rare occurrence. This earthquake and its aftershocks devastated much of the region, causing $10.6 million in damage and wiping out the village of Beltir.

See also



  • Altai Krai Altai Krai

    Altai Krai is a federal subject [i] of Russia [i] in the Siberian Federal District [i] ... 

  • Altaic languages
  • Altay language
  • Samoyedes Nenets people

    The Nenets people are an indigenous people [i] in Russia [i]. ... 

  • Pazyryk Pazyryk

    Pazyryk is a local name for a valley [i] in the Altai Mountains [i] lying in Siberian Russia [i] south o ... 

  • Dingling
  • Battle of Ikh Bayan

References


External links

  • - Institut of Cartography
  • - A travel account from the south of Altai.