The Kalmakkyrgan ( kk, Қалмаққырылған; russian: Калмаккырган), also known as Bileuty ( kk, Белеуітті or ''Білеу''; russian: Билеуты), is a river in the
Ulytau District
Ulytau District ( kk, Ұлытау ауданы, ) is a district of Ulytau Region in central Kazakhstan. The administrative center of the district is the Auyl of Ulytau. Population:
Geography
The Ulutau, a subrange of the Kazakh Uplands, ex ...
,
Karaganda Region
Karaganda Region ( kk, Qarağandy oblysy; russian: Карагандинская область, translit=Karagandinskaja oblast′), also spelled Qaraghandy Region, is a region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Karaganda.
On 17 March 2022 it was an ...
,
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 has a length of and a drainage basin of .
Google Earth
Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...
The river flows across a
desert
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...
and
semi-desert
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...
area without permanent settlements. In the early summer there are temporary camps of shepherds near the Kalmakkyrgan consisting of one or more
yurt
A yurt (from the Turkic languages) or ger ( Mongolian) is a portable, round tent covered and insulated with skins or felt and traditionally used as a dwelling by several distinct nomadic groups in the steppes and mountains of Central Asia. ...
s. The water of the river is brackish, but suitable for livestock drinking purposes.
Etymology
The name of the river originated in the
Kazakh language
The Kazakh or simply Qazaq (Latin: or , Cyrillic: or , Arabic Script: or , , ) is a Turkic language of the Kipchak branch spoken in Central Asia by Kazakhs. It is closely related to Nogai, Kyrgyz and Karakalpak. It is the official lan ...
word for "the place where the
Kalmyks
The Kalmyks ( Kalmyk: Хальмгуд, ''Xaľmgud'', Mongolian: Халимагууд, ''Halimaguud''; russian: Калмыки, translit=Kalmyki, archaically anglicised as ''Calmucks'') are a Mongolic ethnic group living mainly in Russia, w ...
were killed", referring to an event of the
Kazakh–Dzungar Wars
The Kazakh–Dzungar Wars (1643–1756) were a series of long conflicts between the Kazakh Juzes and Dzungar Khanate. The strategic goal for the Dzungars was to increase their territories by taking neighboring lands that were part of the Kazakh ...
that took place in 1730 by the river banks. Formerly the river was known as Bileuty, a name that is still used to refer to a stretch of its upper course.
ПАМЯТЬ О ТУРКО-МОНГОЛЬСКОЙ ЗЕМЛЕ: ПРОИСХОЖДЕНИЕ И СИМВОЛИКА ТОПОНИМОВ
/ref>
Course
The river has its sources near the southern slopes of Karamola mountain, southeastern Ulutau
Ulutau ( kk, Ұлытау; russian: Улытау) is a range of mountains in Kazakhstan. Administratively the range is part of the Ulytau District, Karaganda region.[Baikonyr
The Baikonyr or Baikonur ( kk, Байқоңыр; russian: Байконыр) is a river in the Ulytau District, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan. It has a length of and a drainage basin of . Google Earth
The river flows by Baikonur village. Ancien ...](_bl ...<br></span></div> Range. In its first stretch it heads roughly southwards as the Bileuty. Further down its course the river describes a wide bend and flows roughly southwestwards and then westwards to the south of the <div class=)
through a wide valley. In its final stretch it bends again to flow northwestwards and nearly northwards. The river has its mouth in the southern end of the Shubarteniz
Shubarteniz ( kk, Шұбартеңіз; russian: Шубартениз) is a salt lake in Ulytau District, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan.
In 1728, one of the battles of the Kazakh–Dzungar Wars took place near the lake and ended with the victory o ...
lake, but its waters mostly get lost in the sands before reaching it.[L-41-XII. пикет №11. Кулжамбай - Topographic Chart](_blank)
/ref>
The river is fed by the winter snows and is frozen between November and March. Following the thaw it flows until May, when it breaks up into ponds. In the summer it dries up. The banks of the river are steep for long distances, the heights of the cliffs are usually between to .[''Kazakhstan National Encyclopedia'' / Ch. ed. B.O. Jakyp. — Almaty: « Kazakh encyclopedia» ZhSS, 2011. ISBN 9965-893-64-0(T.Z.),ISBN 9965-893-19-5] Its main tributaries are the Keregetassay, Amanzholsay, Duysembay, Sholaksay, Zhide and Bozingen from the right, as well as the Karsakpai, Talsay, Karatobesay, Ashylysay and Akkiiksay from the left.
See also
*List of rivers of Kazakhstan This is a list of rivers of Kazakhstan, arranged by drainage basin. Tributaries are listed in order from mouth to source. Flowing into the Arctic Ocean Ob Irtysh (''Ertis'') River
*Tobol
**Ubagan
** Ayat
** Uy
** Syntasty
* Ishim
** Imanburlyq
** ...
References
External links
Сердце Казахстана — Улытау
(in Russian)
Пресс-релиз — Аральское море
(in Russian)
Туристско-научная экспедиция - Казахстанская правда
(in Russian)
(in Russian)
{{Rivers of Kazakhstan
Rivers of Kazakhstan
Karaganda Region
Shalkarteniz basin