The Ili ( ug, ئىلى دەرياسى, Ili deryasi, Ili dəryasi, 6=Или Дәряси; kk, Ile, ; russian: Или; zh, c=伊犁河, p=Yīlí Hé, dng, Йили хә,
Xiao'erjing: اِلِ حْ; mn, Ил, literally "Bareness") is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...
situated in
Northwest China and Southeastern
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
. It flows from the
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of the
Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
to the
Almaty Region in Kazakhstan.
It is long (including its source river Tekes),
[Или]
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
The ''Great Soviet Encyclopedia'' (GSE; ) is one of the largest Russian-language encyclopedias, published in the Soviet Union from 1926 to 1990. After 2002, the encyclopedia's data was partially included into the later ''Bolshaya rossiyskaya e ...
of which is in Kazakhstan. The river originates from the Tekes and
Künes
Xinyuan County () as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Uyghur as Künas County (; ), is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains a ...
rivers in Eastern
Tian Shan
The Tian Shan,, , otk, 𐰴𐰣 𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃, , tr, Tanrı Dağı, mn, Тэнгэр уул, , ug, تەڭرىتاغ, , , kk, Тәңіртауы / Алатау, , , ky, Теңир-Тоо / Ала-Тоо, , , uz, Tyan-Shan / Tangritog‘ ...
. The Ili drains the basin between the Tian Shan and the
Borohoro Mountains The Borohoro Mountains ( zh, s=博罗科努山, p=Bóluōkēnǔ shān, w=P'o-lo-k'o-nu shan; kk, Борохоро жотасы, ) is one of the major ranges of the Tian Shan mountain system. It is almost entirely located within in China's Xinjiang ...
. Flowing into
Lake Balkhash, the Ili forms a large
delta with vast wetland regions of lakes, marshes and vegetation.
Etymology
Earlier mentions of ''Ili'' river can be traced back to the
Mahmud al-Kashgari's dictionary of Turkic languages, the ''Dīwānu l-Luġat al-Turk'' (written in 1072–74). In the book, the author defines it in the following way: "Ili, the name of a river. Turkic tribes of ''Yaghma'', ''Tokhsi'' and ''Chiglig'' live on its banks. Turkish countries regard the river as their Jayhoun (
Amu Darya
The Amu Darya, tk, Amyderýa/ uz, Amudaryo// tg, Амударё, Amudaryo ps, , tr, Ceyhun / Amu Derya grc, Ὦξος, Ôxos (also called the Amu, Amo River and historically known by its Latin name or Greek ) is a major river in Central Asi ...
)." The name possibly originated from Uyghur word ''Il'', meaning ''hook'', resembling the river's geographical shape.
Chinese region
The upper Ili Valley is separated from the
Dzungarian Basin in the north by the Borohoro Mountains, and from the
Tarim Basin in the south by the
Tian Shan
The Tian Shan,, , otk, 𐰴𐰣 𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃, , tr, Tanrı Dağı, mn, Тэнгэр уул, , ug, تەڭرىتاغ, , , kk, Тәңіртауы / Алатау, , , ky, Теңир-Тоо / Ала-Тоо, , , uz, Tyan-Shan / Tangritog‘ ...
. This region was the stronghold of the
Qing
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
administration in Xinjiang in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It was occupied by Russia from 1871 to 1881 (from the
Yaqub Beg rebellion until the
Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881)
The Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881) (), also known as Treaty of Ili (), was a treaty between the Russian Empire and the Qing dynasty that was signed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on . It provided for the return to China of the eastern part of ...
).
Presently, the region forms part of Xinjiang's
Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The main city of the region,
Yining
YiningThe official spelling according to (), also known as Ghulja ( ug, غۇلجا) or Qulja ( kk, قۇلجا) and formerly Ningyuan (), is a county-level city in Northwestern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China and the seat of the Ili Kazakh A ...
(Kulja), is located on the northern side of the river (about upstream from the international border). Until the early 1900s, the city was commonly known under the same name as the river, 伊犁 (Pinyin: Yīlí;
Wade-Giles: Ili).
Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County
Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County (; Xibe: , Cabcal Sibe beye dasangga siyan, also transliterated as ''Chapchal'', ug, چاپچال شىبە ئاپتونوم يېزىسى; kk, شاپشال سىبە اۆتونوميالى اۋدانى) in Ili Kazak ...
in located on the southern side, which is home to many of the China's
Xibe people (who resettled there in the 18th century as part of the Manchu Garrison).
There are at least two dams on the Ili's tributary: the Kash River (喀什河) in
Nilka County, at and
. At least two dams have been constructed on the Ili's left tributary, the Tekes River, and the Qiapuqihai Hydropower Station (恰甫其海水电站) in
Tokkuztara County (). There is also another smaller dam at , on the border of Tokkuztara and
Künes
Xinyuan County () as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Uyghur as Künas County (; ), is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains a ...
Counties.
Kazakh region
The Ili is the main watercourse of the
Balkhash-Alakol Basin. The region of Kazakhstan partially drained by the Ili and its tributaries is known in Kazakh as
Zhetysu ('Seven Rivers'). In Russian it is known as
Semirechye
Zhetysu, or Jeti-Suu ( kk, , Жетісу, pronounced ; ky, ''Jeti-Suu'', (), meaning "seven rivers"; also transcribed ''Zhetisu'', ''Jetisuw'', ''Jetysu'', ''Jeti-su'', ''Jity-su'', ''Жетысу'',, United States National Geospatial-I ...
(meaning the same).
The
Kapshagay Hydroelectric Power Plant
The Kapshagay Hydroelectric Power Plant ( kk, Қапшағай су электр станциясы, ''Qapshaǵaı sý elektr stantsııasy''; russian: Капшагайская ГЭС, earlier Капчагайская ГЭС) is a hydroelectricit ...
was constructed between 1965 and 1970 near
Kapchagay
Konaev ( kk, Қонаев; russian: Конаев), previously known as Kapchagay ( kk, Қапчағай, links=no; russian: Капшагай, links=no or ), is a city with the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan. It is located on the Ili River, and has ...
in the middle reaches of the Ili River. This currently comprises the
Kapchagay Reservoir
Kapchagay Reservoir, also spelled Qapshaghay Bogeni Reservoir and sometimes referred to as Lake Kapchagay, is a major reservoir in Almaty Region in southeastern Kazakhstan, approximately 80 kilometres north of Almaty. The 140 kilometre long lake ...
, an artificial long lake north of
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1936 as an autonomous republic as part of ...
.
The Tamgaly-Tas, a protected site that comprises
rock drawings
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
, is located downstream along the Ili River. The name ''Tamgaly'' in
Kazakh means "painted" or "marked place" (''Tas'' means "stone").
Ili Delta
The Ili River flows into the southeastern edge of
Lake Balkhash, where it forms a large delta of about . The delta is situated between the
Saryesik-Atyrau Desert and the Taukum Desert. An area of 9,766 km
2 (3,771 sq mi) within the delta has been designated as a
Ramsar Site. This site has 427 species of plants and 345 species of animals, including important populations of rare species (
Dalmatian pelican,
goitered gazelle,
marbled polecat
The marbled polecat (''Vormela peregusna'') is a small mammal belonging to the monotypic genus ''Vormela'' within the mustelid subfamily Ictonychinae. ''Vormela'' is from the German word , which means "little worm". The specific name ''pereg ...
,
white-headed duck
The white-headed duck (''Oxyura leucocephala'') is a small diving duck some long. The male has a white head with black crown, a blue bill, and reddish-grey plumage. The female has a dark bill and rather duller colouring. Its breeding habitat is ...
,
red-breasted goose,
ship sturgeon, and others).
The delta has also become popular amongst anglers for its
wels catfish, which can grow up to over . The Ili river ranks third in
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
after the
Irtysh river and the Ural river in terms of water content.
The Government of Kazakhstan plans to join the three sanctuaries Balkash, Karoy and Kukan (situated in the delta) into one National Park. Until 1948, the delta was a refuge of the extinct
Caspian tiger. An
introduction
Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to:
General use
* Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music
* Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and ...
of the
Siberian tiger
The Siberian tiger or Amur tiger is a population of the tiger subspecies '' Panthera tigris tigris'' native to the Russian Far East, Northeast China and possibly North Korea. It once ranged throughout the Korean Peninsula, but currently inh ...
to the delta has been proposed on account that it is a genetically close relative of the Caspian tiger. A large population of
wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...
, the main prey base of the Caspian tiger, can be still found in the delta. There is also a small population of roe deer. In the drier steppes to the south of the delta live
saiga antelopes and
goitered gazelles.
Reintroduction of the
Bactrian deer
The Bactrian deer (''Cervus hanglu bactrianus''), also called the Bukhara deer, Bokhara deer, or Bactrian wapiti, is a lowland subspecies of Central Asian red deer native to Central Asia. It is similar in ecology to the related Yarkand deer ( ...
, another prey of the Caspian tiger, is currently under consideration. Another potential prey species considered to be reintroduced is the
Asiatic wild ass.
Historical connections
The
Ili River treaty
Ili, ILI, Illi may refer to:
Abbreviations
* Irish Life International, part of Irish Life and Permanent
* Intuitive Logical Introvert, a personality type in socionics
* Influenza-like illness
* Iran Language Institute, a state-owned, non-profit ...
of 638 AD formalized the division of the
Western Turkic Kaganate (552–638 AD) into the
Nushibi
Nushibi (Nu-shibi, ; Middle Chinese: *''nuoXɕiɪt̚piɪt̚'') was a Chinese collective name for five tribes of the right (western) wingYu. Zuev, ''"The Strongest tribe - Izgil"''//Historical And Cultural Relations Between Iran And Dasht-i Kipc ...
and the
Dulu. It also established the Ili River as the border between the two states. In the 21st century, increasing need for water in both China and Kazakhstan makes the management of the cross-border Ili River a topic of concern for environmentalists and politicians in Kazakhstan (who feel that their country may not get enough water flowing in from China any more).
The amount of precipitation in summer reaches 150-250 cubic meters.
Fishing
On the river, the most popular type of fishing is fishing of catfish, one of the largest aquatic predators, which may reach 5 meters in length and weigh up to 300 kg. Smaller specimens are usually within 50–100 kg.
Gallery
Image:river-ili-1.jpg, Ili River
Image:buddhas at ili.jpg, Buddhist rock drawings at Ili River
Image:river-ili-3.jpg, Ili River
File:Altynemel dune.jpg, The "singing dune" at Altyn-Emel National Park
Tributaries
The main tributaries of the Ili are, from source to mouth:
[
* Tekes
* ]Künes
Xinyuan County () as the official romanized name, also transliterated from Uyghur as Künas County (; ), is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. It contains a ...
* Kash
* Khorgos
* Charyn
The Charyn ( kk, Шарын, ''Şaryn'') is a river in the Almaty Province of Kazakhstan. It flows through the Charyn National Park and merges into the Ili River, which is considered to be the largest artery of Lake Balkhash. The Charyn is lon ...
, famous for its canyon
* Chilik
Chilik is a village in Kardzhali Municipality, Kardzhali Province, southern Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern ...
* Talgar
* Kaskelen
* Kurty
References
Или, река Семиречинской области
(The Ili River), in Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
The ''Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopaedic Dictionary'' (Russian: Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона, abbr. ЭСБЕ, tr. ; 35 volumes, small; 86 volumes, large) is a comprehensive multi-volume ...
{{Authority control
Rivers of Kazakhstan
Rivers of Xinjiang
Sites along the Silk Road
International rivers of Asia
Siberian Tiger Re-population Project
Balkhash-Alakol Basin
Tributaries of Lake Balkhash
Ramsar sites in Kazakhstan