The Kara Darya ( ky, Кара-Дарыя, Kara-Daryya, قارا-دارىيا; uz, Qoradaryo, ''Қорадарё'', قارەدەريا , russian: Карадарья, Karadar'ya
[ - literally ''black river'')][''Darya'' means "river", so Kara Darya ''River'' is a tautology.] is a major river in southern Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...
and eastern Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
. It is one of the source rivers of the Syr Darya
The Syr Darya (, ),, , ; rus, Сырдарья́, Syrdarjja, p=sɨrdɐˈrʲja; fa, سيردريا, Sirdaryâ; tg, Сирдарё, Sirdaryo; tr, Seyhun, Siri Derya; ar, سيحون, Seyḥūn; uz, Sirdaryo, script-Latn/. historically known ...
(the second largest river of Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
), the other source river is the Naryn
Naryn ( ky, Нарын, translit=Naryn, Mongolian : Нарийн, Nariin, Traditional Mongolian ᠨᠠᠷᠢᠨ) is the regional administrative center of Naryn Region in central Kyrgyzstan. Its area is , and its estimated population was 41,17 ...
. The Kara Darya is formed by the confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of the rivers Kara-Kulja
Kara-Kulja ( ky, Кара-Кулжа, قارا-قۇلجا; russian: Кара-Кульджа, ''Kara-Kul’dzha'') is the center of Kara-Kulja District in Osh Region of Kyrgyzstan.
It is located in the mountain valley of the river Kara Darya, sou ...
and Tar
Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bit ...
.[ Its length is , and watershed area .][Карадарья]
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 ...
The upper Kara Darya flows northwest across eastern Osh Region
Osh Region ( ky, Ош облусу, translit=Osh oblusu; russian: Ошская область, Oshskaya oblast) is a region (''oblast'') of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Osh, which is not part of the region. It is bounded by (clockwise) Jalal-Abad Re ...
southwest of and parallel to the Fergana Range
The Fergana Range ( ky, Фергана тоо кыркасы, ''Ferğana tó qırqası/Fergana too kyrkasy'', فەرعانا توو قىرقاسى), also known as Ferganskiy Khrebet (Феранский Хребет) ''Ferganskij Hrebet'' in Russi ...
. It enters the Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley (; ; ) in Central Asia lies mainly in eastern Uzbekistan, but also extends into southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan.
Divided into three republics of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse and in the ...
and Uzbek territory a few kilometres west of Özgön
Özgön ( ky, Өзгөн) or Uzgen (russian: Узген) is a town in Osh Region, Kyrgyzstan. It is a city of district significance and the seat of Özgön District. Its population was 62,802 in 2021.
History
The town is mentioned in Chinese annal ...
. In its lower course through the Fergana Valley it is used for irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
. There is a dam at Kuyganyor
Kuyganyor (also spelled as Kuyganyar, uz, Kuyganyor, Куйганёр, russian: Куйганъяр) is an urban-type settlement in Andijan Region, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), off ...
(north of Andijan) where part of its water is diverted into the Great Fergana Canal
The Great Fergana Canal (russian: Ферганский канал, tg, Фарғона Канал, uz, Fargʻona Kanali, ar, قناة فرغانة) is an irrigation canal located on the Fergana Valley between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in Central ...
. The Andijan Dam
The Andijan Dam is a buttress dam on the river Kara Darya near Andijan in Andijan Region, Uzbekistan. Its reservoir covers and stretches into neighboring Osh Region, Kyrgyzstan. The dam serves several purposes to include irrigation in the Fergana ...
, built in 1973, created the Andijan Reservoir.[
There are more than 200 known tributaries of Kara Darya; the largest are, from source to mouth:]
*Kara-Kulja
Kara-Kulja ( ky, Кара-Кулжа, قارا-قۇلجا; russian: Кара-Кульджа, ''Kara-Kul’dzha'') is the center of Kara-Kulja District in Osh Region of Kyrgyzstan.
It is located in the mountain valley of the river Kara Darya, sou ...
(right)
*Tar
Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bit ...
(left)
* Jazy (right)
*Kurshab
Kurshab (established as ''Pokrovskoye'', before 2004: ''Leninskoye'') is a large village in Osh Region of Kyrgyzstan. It is part of the Özgön District. Its population was 20,471 in 2021. It is situated near the river Kurshab, between the cities ...
(left)
* Kögart (right)
*Kara-Üngkür
The Kara-Üngkür ( ky, Кара-Үңкүр), in its lower course Tentaksoy ( uz, Tentaksoy, ky, Тентек-Сай) is a river in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It is a large right tributary of the Kara Darya. The river is formed at the confluence ...
(right)
*Aravansay
The Aravansay ( ky, Аравансай, uz, Aravonsoy) is a river in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Its source is in the Kichi-Alay range, part of the Alay Range, and it discharges into the Shahrixonsoy, one of the canals of the Fergana Valley. The ...
(left)
References
Tributaries of the Syr Darya
{{Uzbekistan-river-stub