The Gizeldon (russian: Гизельдон or Гизель-Дон; os, Джызæлдон, ''Džyzældon''), is a river in
North Ossetia–Alania
The Republic of North Ossetia–Alania; os, Республикӕ Цӕгат Ирыстон — Алани, ''Respublikæ Cægat Iryston — Alani'', ) is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. Its population acco ...
just west of
Vladikavkaz. It drains the northern slopes and glaciers of
Mount Kazbek
Mount Kazbek or Mount Kazbegi is a dormant stratovolcano and one of the major mountains of the Caucasus, located on the Russian-Georgian border - in Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia's Kazbegi District.
At 5,034 m (16,515 ft) high, it ...
north to the
Terek. The river is long, with a
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
of .
A valley with many cliffs and a 4000-metre peak,
the area is prone to avalanches; 30 were reported in 1967–1968.
The terrain is described as having "craggy, gashed terrain", with cattle breeding, lumbering, and lead-zinc mining being the principal economic pursuits of the people of the Gizeldon valley.
A hydroelectric plant has been built on the Gizeldon.
References
Rivers of North Ossetia–Alania
Valleys of Russia
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