![Altai Mountains](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Altai_Mountains.jpg)
The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
in
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
East Asia
East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...
, where Russia, China,
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
and
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 ...
converge, and where the rivers
Irtysh
The Irtysh ( otk, 𐰼𐱅𐰾:𐰇𐰏𐰕𐰏, Ertis ügüzüg, mn, Эрчис мөрөн, ''Erchis mörön'', "erchleh", "twirl"; russian: Иртыш; kk, Ертіс, Ertis, ; Chinese: 额尔齐斯河, pinyin: ''É'ěrqísī hé'', Xiao'erj ...
and
Ob have their headwaters. The massif merges with the
Sayan Mountains
The Sayan Mountains (russian: Саяны ''Sajany''; mn, Соёны нуруу, ''Soyonï nurû''; otk, 𐰚𐰇𐰏𐰢𐰤, Kögmen) are a mountain range in southern Siberia, Russia (Buryatia, Irkutsk Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Tuva Republic ...
in the northeast, and gradually becomes lower in the southeast, where it merges into the high plateau of the
Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert (Chinese: 戈壁 (沙漠), Mongolian: Говь (ᠭᠣᠪᠢ)) () is a large desert or brushland region in East Asia, and is the sixth largest desert in the world.
Geography
The Gobi measures from southwest to northeast an ...
. It spans from about 45° to 52° N and from about 84° to 99° E.
The region is inhabited by a sparse but ethnically diverse population, including
Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
,
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...
,
Altais,
Mongols
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...
and
Volga Germans
The Volga Germans (german: Wolgadeutsche, ), russian: поволжские немцы, povolzhskiye nemtsy) are ethnic Germans who settled and historically lived along the Volga River in the region of southeastern European Russia around Saratov ...
, though predominantly represented by indigenous ethnic minorities of semi-nomadic stock. The local economy is based on
bovine
Bovines (subfamily Bovinae) comprise a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates, including cattle, bison, African buffalo, water buffalos, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. The evolutionary relationship betwee ...
,
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...
,
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
,
hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
,
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
,
forestry
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
, and
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
. The
Altaic language family
Altaic (; also called Transeurasian) is a controversial proposed language family that would include the Turkic languages, Turkic, Mongolic languages, Mongolic and Tungusic languages, Tungusic language families and possibly also the Japonic la ...
takes its name from this mountain range.
Etymology and modern names
''Altai'' is derived from underlying form *''altañ'' "gold, golden" (compare
Old Turkic
Old Turkic (also East Old Turkic, Orkhon Turkic language, Old Uyghur) is the earliest attested form of the Turkic languages, found in Göktürks, Göktürk and Uyghur Khaganate inscriptions dating from about the eighth to the 13th century. It ...
𐰞𐱃𐰆𐰣 ''altun'' "gold, golden") with coda ''-ñ'' underlying the ''-n'' & ''-y'' correspondence among cognates in different Turkic languages & dialects (e.g. ''qōñ'' ~ ''qoy'' "sheep", ''Qitan'' ~ ''Qitay'' "Khitans", etc.), as well as in Mongolian.
The mountains are called ''Altain nuruu'' () in
Khalkha Mongolian
The Khalkha dialect ( mn, Халх аялгуу / / , ) is a dialect of central Mongolic widely spoken in Mongolia. According to some classifications, the Khalkha dialect includes Southern Mongolian varieties such as ''Shiliin gol'', ''Ulaancha ...
, ''altai-yin niruɣu'' in
Chakhar Mongolian
Chakhar is a variety of Mongolian spoken in the central region of Inner Mongolia. It is phonologically close to Khalkha and is the basis for the standard pronunciation of Mongolian in Inner Mongolia.
Location and classification
There are thre ...
, and ''Altay tuular'' () in the
Altay language
Altai ( alt, Алтай тил, Altay til) is a set of Turkic languages, spoken officially in the Altai Republic, Russia. The standard vocabulary is based on the Southern Altai language, though it's also taught to and used by speakers of the Nor ...
. They are also called or in
Kazakh; ''Altajskije gory'' () in
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
; ''Altay Taghliri'' ( or ) in
Uyghur; ''ā'ěrtài shānmài'' in
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
(
simplified,
traditional
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
, or in
Xiao'erjing
Xiao'erjing or Xiao'erjin or Xiaor jin or in its shortened form, Xiaojing, literally meaning "children's script" or "minor script" (cf. "original script" referring to the original Perso-Arabic script; zh, s=本经, t=本經, p=Běnjīng, Xiao ...
); and ''Arteː shanmeː'' () in
Dungan Dungan may refer to:
* Donegan, an Irish surname, sometimes spelled Dungan
* Dungan people, a group of Muslim people of Hui origin
** Dungan language
** Dungan, sometimes used to refer to Hui Chinese people generally
* Dungan Mountains in Sibi Dist ...
.
Geography
The Altai Mountains are a system of remote mountains in central Asia that cover an area . The mountains stretch for from northwest to southeast.
![Утро ясное](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/%D0%A3%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE_%D1%8F%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5.jpg)
In the north of the region is the
Sailughem Mountains
Siilhem Mountains (russian: Сайлюгем, ; mn, Сийлхэмийн нуруу, ), or Sailughem, is a mountain range in the southeastern part of Altai Mountains. The range stretches 130 km north-east from 49° N and 86° E towards the we ...
, also known as ''Kolyvan Altai'', which stretch northeast from 49° N and 86° E towards the western extremity of the
Sayan Mountains
The Sayan Mountains (russian: Саяны ''Sajany''; mn, Соёны нуруу, ''Soyonï nurû''; otk, 𐰚𐰇𐰏𐰢𐰤, Kögmen) are a mountain range in southern Siberia, Russia (Buryatia, Irkutsk Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Tuva Republic ...
in 51° 60' N and 89° E. Their mean elevation is 1,500 to 1,750 m. The
snow-line
The climatic snow line is the boundary between a snow-covered and snow-free surface. The actual snow line may adjust seasonally, and be either significantly higher in elevation, or lower. The permanent snow line is the level above which snow wil ...
runs at 2,000 m on the northern side and at 2,400 m on the southern, and above it the rugged peaks tower some 1,000 m higher.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...
es across the range are few and difficult, the chief being the
Ulan-daban at 2,827 m (2,879 m according to Kozlov), and the
Chapchan-daban, at 3,217 m, in the south and north respectively. On the east and southeast this range is flanked by the great
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
of Mongolia, the transition being affected gradually by means of several minor plateaus, such as
Ukok
Kochkor ( ky, Кочкор; russian: Кочкорка, Kochkorka) is a large village in northern Naryn Region of Kyrgyzstan. It is the administrative centre of Kochkor District. The village was established in 1909 as Stolypino and renamed to Koch ...
(2,380 m) with Pazyryk Valley,
Chuya
The Chuya (russian: Чуя; alt, Чуй, ''Çuy'') is a river in the Altai Republic in Russia, a right tributary of the Katun ( Ob's basin). The Chuya is long, and its drainage basin covers . The river freezes in October or early November and ...
(1,830 m),
Kendykty (2,500 m),
Kak (2,520 m), (2,590 m), and (2,410 m).
This region is studded with large lakes, e.g.
Uvs
Uvs (; mn, Увс аймаг, Uws aimag, ; xal, Увс әәмг, Uws äämg, ), is one of the 21 aimags (provinces) of Mongolia. It is located in the west of the country, away from the national capital Ulaanbaatar. Its capital is Ulaangom whi ...
720 m above sea level,
Khyargas,
Dorgon
Dorgon (, ; 17 November 1612 – 31 December 1650), was a Manchu prince and regent of the early Qing dynasty. Born in the House of Aisin-Gioro as the 14th son of Nurhaci (the founder of the Later Jin dynasty, predecessor of the Qing dynasty) ...
and
Khar Khar may refer to:
Places
* Khar, Mumbai, a suburb of Mumbai, India
* Khar, Punjab, a town in the Punjab Province, Pakistan
* Khar, Bajaur, a town in the Bajaur Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan
* Khar, Nepal, a village ...
1,170 m, and traversed by various
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
s, of which the principal are the
Tannu-Ola Mountains
The Tannu-Ola mountains ( tyv, Таңды-Уула, ''Tañdı-Uula'', uniturk, Taᶇdь-Uula, – Tangdy-Uula mountains; mn, Тагнын нуруу, ''Tağnîn nurú'', , russian: Танну-Ола, ) is a mountain range in southern Siberia, i ...
, running roughly parallel with the Sayan Mountains as far east as the
Kosso-gol, and the
Khan Khökhii
Khan Khökhii ( mn, Хан хөхий, Han höhii, ) is a mountain of the Uvs Province in Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia ...
mountains, also stretching west and east.
The north western and northern slopes of the Sailughem Mountains are extremely steep and difficult to access. On this side lies the highest summit of the range, the double-headed
Belukha
Belukha Mountain (russian: Белуха, lit=whitey; Altai: Ӱч-Сӱмер, lit. 'three peaks'; kk, Мұзтау Шыңы, lit=icemount peak), located in the Katun Mountains, is the highest peak of the Altai Mountains in Russia and the high ...
, whose summits reach 4,506 and 4,440 m respectively, and give origin to several
glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
s (30 square kilometers in aggregate area, ). Altaians call it Kadyn Bazhy, but is also called Uch-Sumer.
The second highest peak of the range is in Mongolian part named
Khüiten Peak
Khüiten Peak ( mn, Хүйтэн оргил, Hüiten orgil, ; "cold peak"), also known in China as Friendship Peak (), is the highest peak with 4,356 m above sea level and a permanent snow cap in the Altai Range, the international border ...
. This massive peak reaches 4374 m. Numerous spurs, striking in all directions from the Sailughem mountains, fill up the space between that range and the lowlands of
Tomsk
Tomsk ( rus, Томск, p=tomsk, sty, Түң-тора) is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast in Russia, located on the Tom River. Population:
Founded in 1604, Tomsk is one of the oldest cities in Siberia. The city is a not ...
. Such are the
Chuya Belki
Chuya Belki (russian: Чуйские белки, ''Chuyskye byelki'') is a mountainous region in the Altai, Altai Republic, Russia. There are a number of glaciers on the northern part of the slopes of the main ridges. The Chuya Belki are named aft ...
, having an average elevation of 2,700 m, with summits from 3,500 to 4,177 m, and several glaciers on their northern slope; the
Katun Belki
Katun may refer to:
Places
* Katun (river), a tributary of the Ob in Siberia, Russia
* Katun Mountains or Katun Alps, a mountain range in Russia, part of the Altai Mountains
* Katun (Vranje), a village in Vranje Municipality, Serbia
* Katun ...
, which have a mean elevation of about 3,000 m and are mostly snow-clad; the
Kholzun range; the
Korgon
Korgon ( ky, Коргон) is a village in Batken Region of Kyrgyzstan. It is part of the Leylek District. Its population was 2,204 in 2021.
Nearby towns and villages include Churbek (10 km) and Katrang (8 km). There is another Korgon i ...
, highest point
Mayak Shangina
Mayak Shangina (russian: link=no, Маяк Шангина) is a mountain in Altai Krai, Russia. At it is the highest point of Altai Krai.
The summit was formerly unnamed. The choosing of the name followed a 2011 initiative of local paper Alta ...
, the Talitsk and Selitsk ranges; as well as the
Tigeretsk Range.
Several secondary plateaus of lower elevations 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 (600 km long) pierces the
Katun Belki
Katun may refer to:
Places
* Katun (river), a tributary of the Ob in Siberia, Russia
* Katun Mountains or Katun Alps, a mountain range in Russia, part of the Altai Mountains
* Katun (Vranje), a village in Vranje Municipality, Serbia
* Katun ...
, and enters a wider valley, lying at an elevation of 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
Katun may refer to:
Places
* Katun (river), a tributary of the Ob in Siberia, Russia
* Katun Mountains or Katun Alps, a mountain range in Russia, part of the Altai Mountains
* Katun (Vranje), a village in Vranje Municipality, Serbia
* Katun (A ...
and the Biya together form the
Ob.
The next valley is that of the
Charysh
The Charysh (russian: Чарыш; alt, Чарас, ''Çaras'') is a river in south-western Siberia in Russia, flowing into the left bank of the Ob.[Korgon
Korgon ( ky, Коргон) is a village in Batken Region of Kyrgyzstan. It is part of the Leylek District. Its population was 2,204 in 2021.
Nearby towns and villages include Churbek (10 km) and Katrang (8 km). There is another Korgon i ...]
and
Tigeretsk Range on one side and the
Talitsk and
Baschelaksk Range (Бащелакский хребет) 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 Kolyvan (russian: Колывань or ru , Колыван) has various referents:
Placenames
The name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
* Urban localities
** Kolyvan, Novosibirsk Oblast, a work settlement in Kolyvansky District of ...
(altitude 360 m), which is surrounded by fantastic
granite dome
Granite domes are domical hills composed of granite with bare rock exposed over most of the surface. Generally, domical features such as these are known as bornhardts. Bornhardts can form in any type of plutonic rock but are typically composed o ...
s and towers.
Farther west the valleys of the
Uba, the
Ulba
The Ulba ( kk, ءۇلبى, Үлбі, ''Ülbı''; russian: Ульба) is a river of Kazakhstan. It joins the Irtysh at Oskemen
Oskemen ( kk, Өскемен, translit=Öskemen ), or Ust-Kamenogorsk (russian: Усть-Каменого́рск), is ...
and the
Bukhtarma
The Bukhtarma ( kk, Бұқтырма, translit=Būqtyrma, بۇقتىرما, ; russian: Бухтарма, translit=Bukhtarma) is a river of Kazakhstan. It flows through East Kazakhstan Region, and is a right tributary of the Irtysh. The river is l ...
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 (2,060 m), 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
Kuytun or Kuitun (), is a county-level city with about 285,000 residents (2000 census) in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China. Kuitun is located between Wusu and Shihezi on the railway from Ürümqi to Kazakhstan, close to a dese ...
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 (345 m), 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 descends from the
Belukha
Belukha Mountain (russian: Белуха, lit=whitey; Altai: Ӱч-Сӱмер, lit. 'three peaks'; kk, Мұзтау Шыңы, lit=icemount peak), located in the Katun Mountains, is the highest peak of the Altai Mountains in Russia and the high ...
. On the northern side of the range which separates the upper Bukhtarma from the upper
Katun
Katun may refer to:
Places
* Katun (river), a tributary of the Ob in Siberia, Russia
* Katun Mountains or Katun Alps, a mountain range in Russia, part of the Altai Mountains
* Katun (Vranje), a village in Vranje Municipality, Serbia
* Katun (A ...
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
schism
A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...
atics (
Raskolnik
The Schism of the Russian Church, also known as Raskol (russian: раскол, , meaning "split" or "schism"), was the splitting of the Russian Orthodox Church into an official church and the Old Believers movement in the mid-17th century. It ...
s), who created a free republic there on
Chinese territory; and after this part of the valley was annexed to Russia 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 Kyrgyz shepherds.
Those of
Bashkaus
The Bashkaus (russian: Башкаус) is a river in the Altai Republic in Siberia, Russia. It is a left tributary of the Chulyshman, which flows into Lake Teletskoye ( Ob basin). The Bashkaus is long, and its drainage basin covers . It rises fr ...
,
Chulyshman
The Chulyshman (russian: Чулышман; alt, Чолышман, ''Çolışman'') is a river in Altai Republic in Russia. The river is long, and its drainage basin covers . The Chulyshman flows into Lake Teletskoye. It freezes up during late Oc ...
, and
Chulcha, all three leading to the alpine lake of
Teletskoye (length, 80 km; maximum width, 5 km; elevation, 520 m; area, 230.8 square kilometers; maximum depth, 310 m; mean depth, 200 m), are inhabited by
Telengit
Telengits or Telengut are a Turkic ethnic group primarily found in the Altai Republic, Russia. Telengits mainly live in a territory of Kosh-Agach District of the Altai Republic. They are part of a larger cultural group of Southern Altaians. ...
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 ( rus, Бийск, p=bʲijsk) is a city in Altai Krai, Russia, located on the Biya River not far from its confluence with the Katun River. It is the second largest city of the krai (after Barnaul, the administrative center of the krai). Pop ...
, 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 belongs to the Altai system. But the
Abakan River
The Abakan (russian: Абака́н), (from the Khakas word for "bear's blood") is a river in the Republic of Khakassia, Russia. It is a left tributary of the Yenisey. The river is used for log driving and irrigation. The city of Abakan is locate ...
, which rises on the western shoulder of the Sayan mountains, belongs to the system of the
Yenisei
The Yenisey (russian: Енисе́й, ''Yeniséy''; mn, Горлог мөрөн, ''Gorlog mörön''; Buryat language, Buryat: Горлог мүрэн, ''Gorlog müren''; Tuvan language, Tuvan: Улуг-Хем, ''Uluğ-Hem''; Khakas language, K ...
. The
Kuznetsk Ala-tau
Kuznetsk Alatau (russian: Кузнецкий Алатау) is a mountain range in southern Siberia, Russia. The range rises in the Altai-Sayan region of the South Siberian Mountains, northwest of Mongolia. The Siberian Railway skirts the norther ...
range, on the left bank of the Abakan, runs north-east into the government of
Yeniseisk
Yeniseysk ( rus, Енисейск, p=jɪnʲɪˈsʲejsk) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. Population: 20,000 (1970).
History
Yeniseysk was founded in 1619 as a stocka ...
, while a complexus of mountains (Chukchut, Salair, Abakan) fills up the country northwards towards the
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR; , , ) connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway line in the world. It runs from the city of Moscow in the west to the city of Vladivostok in the ea ...
and westwards towards the
Ob.
The Ek-tagh or Mongolian Altai, which separates the
Khovd 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
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations.
The terms ''scarp'' and ''scarp face'' are often used interchangeably with ''escar ...
from the
Dzungaria
Dzungaria (; from the Mongolian language, Mongolian words , meaning 'left hand') is a geographical subregion in Northwest China that corresponds to the northern half of Xinjiang. It is thus also known as Beijiang, which means "Northern Xinjiang" ...
n depression (470–900 m), but descends on the north by a relatively short slope to the plateau (1,150 to 1,680 m) of north-western
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
. 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 nomadic
Kyrgyz Kyrgyz, Kirghiz or Kyrgyzstani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Kyrgyzstan
*Kyrgyz people
*Kyrgyz national games
*Kyrgyz language
*Kyrgyz culture
*Kyrgyz cuisine
*Yenisei Kirghiz
*The Fuyü Gïrgïs language in Northeastern China
...
.
The five
highest mountains of the Altai are:
*
Belukha
Belukha Mountain (russian: Белуха, lit=whitey; Altai: Ӱч-Сӱмер, lit. 'three peaks'; kk, Мұзтау Шыңы, lit=icemount peak), located in the Katun Mountains, is the highest peak of the Altai Mountains in Russia and the high ...
, , Kazakhstan–Russia
*
Khüiten Peak
Khüiten Peak ( mn, Хүйтэн оргил, Hüiten orgil, ; "cold peak"), also known in China as Friendship Peak (), is the highest peak with 4,356 m above sea level and a permanent snow cap in the Altai Range, the international border ...
, , China–Mongolia
*
Mönkh Khairkhan, , Mongolia
*
Sutai Mountain
Sutai ( mn, Сутай хайрхан уул, ''Sutai khairkhan uul'') is a mountain between Govi-Altai Province and Khovd Province in western Mongolia. It is the highest mountain of the Gobi-Altai Mountains with an elevation of .
See also
* List ...
, , Mongolia
*
Tsambagarav
Tsambagarav ( mn, Цамбагарав) is a mountain between Khovd Province and Bayan-Ölgii Province in western Mongolia, it is a mountain of the Altai Mountains range. It has two peaks, its highest peak "Tsast Uul" ( mn, Цаст, ''lit. "sno ...
, , Mongolia
Fauna
![C110](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/C110.jpg)
The Altai-Sayan ecoregion is located at the intersection of the Central Asian and Siberian faunal provinces.
The Altai mountains are home to a diverse fauna, because of its different habitats, like steppes, northern
taigas
Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic languages, Mongolic and Turkic languages, Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by pinophyta, conifero ...
and alpine vegetation. Steep slopes are home to the
Siberian ibex
The Siberian ibex (''Capra sibirica''), also known as the Altai ibex, Central Asia(n) ibex, Gobi ibex, Himalayan ibex, Mongolian ibex or Tian Shan ibex, is a species of ibex that lives in central Asia. It has traditionally been treated as a subs ...
(''Capra sibirica''), whereas the rare
argali
The argali (''Ovis ammon''), also known as the mountain sheep, is a wild sheep that roams the highlands of western East Asia, the Himalayas, Tibet, and the Altai Mountains.
Description
The name 'argali' is the Mongolian word for wild sheep. I ...
(''Ovis ammon'') is found on more gentle slopes. Deer are represented by five species:
Altai wapiti
The Altai wapiti, sometimes called the Altai elk, is a subspecies of ''Cervus canadensis'' found in the forest hills of southern Siberia, northwestern Mongolia, and northern Xinjiang province of China. It is different from the Tian Shan wapiti in ...
(''Cervus elaphus sibiricus''),
moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult mal ...
(''Alces alces''), forest
reindeer
Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...
(''Rangifer tarandus valentinae''),
Siberian musk deer
The Siberian musk deer (''Moschus moschiferus'') is a musk deer found in the mountain forests of Northeast Asia. It is most common in the taiga of southern Siberia, but is also found in parts of Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria and the Korean ...
(''Moschus moschiferus''), and
Siberian roe deer
The Siberian roe deer, eastern roe deer, or Asian roe (''Capreolus pygargus''), is a species of roe deer found in northeastern Asia. In addition to Siberia and Mongolia, it is found in Kazakhstan, the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan, eastern Ti ...
(''Capreolus pygargus''). Moose and reindeer however, are restricted to the northern parts of the mountain range. The
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 is ...
(''Sus scrofa'') is found in the lower foothills and surrounding lowlands. Until recently, the
Mongolian gazelle
The Mongolian gazelle (''Procapra gutturosa''), or dzeren (russian: Дзерэн), is a medium-sized antelope native to the semiarid Central Asian steppes of Mongolia, as well as some parts of Siberia and China. The name ''dzeren'' is Russian mis ...
(''Procapra gutturosa'') was found in the Russian Altai mountains, more specifically in the
Chuya
The Chuya (russian: Чуя; alt, Чуй, ''Çuy'') is a river in the Altai Republic in Russia, a right tributary of the Katun ( Ob's basin). The Chuya is long, and its drainage basin covers . The river freezes in October or early November and ...
River steppe close to the Mongolian border. Large predators are represented by
snow leopard
The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a Felidae, felid in the genus ''Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia, Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red ...
s (''Panthera uncia'', syn. ''Uncia uncia''),
wolves
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; plural, : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been reco ...
(''Canis lupus''),
lynx
A lynx is a type of wild cat.
Lynx may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Lynx (constellation)
* Lynx (Chinese astronomy)
* Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory
Places Canada
* Lynx, Ontar ...
(''Lynx lynx''), and
brown bear
The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...
s (''Ursus arctos''), in the northern parts also by the
wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for "gluttony, glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is ...
(''Gulo gulo''). The
Tien Shan dhole
The Tian Shan dhole (''Cuon alpinus hesperius''), also known as the Siberian dhole, Western Asiatic dhole,Fox, M. W. (1984), ''The Whistling Hunters: Field Studies of the Indian Wild Dog'' (Cuon Alpinus), Steven Simpson Books, p. 40, or northern ...
(''Cuon alpinus hesperius'') (a northwestern subspecies of the
Asiatic wild dog) also lives there. Most species of the region are of Mongolian origin.
Until the 20th century, the
Caspian tiger
The Caspian tiger was a ''Panthera tigris tigris'' population native to eastern Turkey, northern Iran, Mesopotamia, the Caucasus around the Caspian Sea, Central Asia to northern Afghanistan, and the Xinjiang region in western China. Until the Midd ...
(''Panthera tigris virgata'') was found in the southern parts of the Altai mountains, where it reached
Lake Zaisan
Lake Zaysan (, ''Zaısan kóli'', زايسان كؤلئ, ; , ''Zaisan nuur'', en: ''Noble lake''; , ''Ozero Zajsan''; , Xiao'erjing: جَىْصْا پْ; dng, Җэсонпә) is a freshwater lake, ca. 1,810 km² (700 mi²), in eastern Ka ...
and the
Black Irtysh. Single individuals were also shot further north, for example close to
Barnaul
Barnaul ( rus, Барнау́л, p=bərnɐˈul) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative centre of Altai Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Barnaulka and Ob Rivers in the West Siberian Plain. As ...
. Closely related to the Caspian tiger is the extant
Amur 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 inhabit ...
, which has the
taxonomic
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
name ''Panthera tigris altaica''.
The
wisent
The European bison (''Bison bonasus'') or the European wood bison, also known as the wisent ( or ), the zubr (), or sometimes colloquially as the European buffalo, is a European species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bison, along ...
was present in the Altai mountains until the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, perhaps even until the 18th century. Today, there is a small herd in a nursery in the Altai Republic.
Moor frogs are near bodies of water as high up as 2000 m (1.24 mi) in the Altai mountains.
History
The Altai mountains have retained a remarkably stable climate changing little since the last ice age.
In addition the mix of mammals has remained largely the same, with a few exceptions such as extinct mammoths, making it one of the few places on earth to retain an ice age fauna.
[
The Altai mountains were home to the ]Denisovan
The Denisovans or Denisova hominins ) are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human that ranged across Asia during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic. Denisovans are known from few physical remains and consequently, most of what is known ...
branch of hominid
The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); ''Gorilla'' (the east ...
s who were contemporaries of Neanderthals
Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an Extinction, extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ag ...
and of ''Homo sapiens
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
'' (modern humans), descended from Hominids who reached Asia earlier than modern humans.[ The ]Denisova hominin
The Denisovans or Denisova hominins ) are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human that ranged across Asia during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic. Denisovans are known from few physical remains and consequently, most of what is kno ...
, dated to 40,000 years ago, was discovered in the Denisova Cave
Denisova Cave (russian: Денисова пещера, lit= the cave of Denis, translit= Denísova peshchéra; alt, Аю-Таш, lit= Bear Rock, translit= Ayu Tash) is a cave in the Bashelaksky Range of the Altai mountains, Siberia, Russia. The ...
of the Altai mountains in southern Siberia in 2008. Knowledge of the Denisovan humans derives primarily from DNA evidence and artifacts, as no complete skeletons have yet been recovered. DNA evidence has been unusually well preserved because of the low average temperature in the Denisova caves. Neanderthal bones and tools made by ''Homo sapiens'' have also been found in the Denisova Cave, making it the only place in the world where all three hominids are known to have lived.[
A dog-like ]canid
Canidae (; from Latin, ''canis'', "dog") is a biological family of dog-like carnivorans, colloquially referred to as dogs, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid (). There are three subfamilies found within the ...
from 33,000 years ago was found in the Razboinichya Cave.[ DNA analysis published in 2013 affirmed that it was more closely related to modern dogs than to wolves.][
The Altai Mountains have been identified as being the point of origin of a cultural enigma termed the ]Seima-Turbino Phenomenon
The Seima-Turbino phenomenon is a pattern of burial sites with similar bronze artifacts dated to ca. 2300-1700 BC (2017 dated from 2100 BC to 1900 BC, 2007 dated to 1650 BC onwards) found across northern Eurasia, particularly Siberia and Central ...
[ which arose during the ]Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
around the start of the 2nd millennium BC
The 2nd millennium BC spanned the years 2000 BC to 1001 BC.
In the Ancient Near East, it marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age.
The Ancient Near Eastern cultures are well within the historical era:
The first half of the mil ...
and led to a rapid and massive migration of peoples from the region into distant parts of Europe and Asia.
World Heritage site
A vast area of 16,178 km2—Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye
Lake Teletskoye (russian: Телецкое озеро, lit=the lake of the ; ) is the largest lake in the Altai Mountains and the Altai Republic, Russia, and has depth up to 325 meters.
Situated at a height of above the sea level, the lake is ...
, Mount Belukha
Belukha Mountain (russian: Белуха, lit=whitey; Altai: Ӱч-Сӱмер, lit. 'three peaks'; kk, Мұзтау Шыңы, lit=icemount peak), located in the Katun Mountains, is the highest peak of the Altai Mountains in Russia and the high ...
, and the Ukok Plateau
Ukok Plateau is a plateau covered by grasslands located in southwestern Siberia, in the Altai Mountains region of Russia near the borders China-Russia border, with China, Kazakhstan-Russia border, Kazakhstan and Mongolia-Russia border, Mongolia. T ...
—comprises a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
entitled Golden Mountains of Altai
Golden Mountains of Altai is the name of an UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye, Belukha Mountain, and the Ukok Plateau. As stated in the UNESCO description of the site, "the region ...
. As stated in the UNESCO description 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
The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a Felidae, felid in the genus ''Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia, Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable species, Vulnerable on the IUCN Red ...
and the Altai argali
Altai argali (''Ovis ammon ammon'') is a traditional subspecies of argali, a wild sheep that roams the highlands of the Altai Mountains in Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches ...
. Siberian ibex
The Siberian ibex (''Capra sibirica''), also known as the Altai ibex, Central Asia(n) ibex, Gobi ibex, Himalayan ibex, Mongolian ibex or Tian Shan ibex, is a species of ibex that lives in central Asia. It has traditionally been treated as a subs ...
also live in these mountains. The Uvs Nuur basin
Uvs Lake Basin (also Uvs Nuur Basin or Ubs Nuur Basin; mn, Увс нуурын хотгор, Uws nuuriin hotgor) is an endorheic basin located on the territorial border of Mongolia and Tuva, a republic of the Russian Federation. The basin is part ...
is also a protected site.
Violations of the protection status of Argali sheep and other species have been alleged, together with accusations of corruption, in the Altaigate Scandal. The incident arose from the death of several Russian VIPs in a helicopter crash early in 2009, purportedly on a poaching excursion.
Geology
The Siberian Altai represents the northernmost region affected by the tectonic collision of India into Asia. Massive fault systems run through the area, including the Kurai fault zone Kurai may refer to:
* Kurai (flute), a long open endblown flute
* Band Kurai, a town in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
* Kurai, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a town in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
*Kuray Mountains
The Kuray ...
and the recently identified Tashanta fault zone
Tashanta (russian: Ташанта; alt, Тожоҥты, ''Tojoñtı'') is a rural locality (a selo) and the administrative centre of Tashantinskoye Rural Settlement of Kosh-Agachsky District, the Altai Republic, Russia. The population was 547 as ...
. These fault systems are typically thrusts or right lateral strike-slip fault
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...
s, some of which are tectonically active. Rock types in the mountains are typically granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
s and metamorphic schist
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes o ...
s, and some are highly sheared near to fault zones.
Geologist Victor R. Baker "has discovered past cataclysmic floods in the Altai Mountains of Siberia" from "an even larger glacial lake" than Lake Missoula, which was once thought to have been "the largest ice-dammed lake in the world."[John Eliot Allen, Marjorie Burns, and Scott Burns, ''Cataclysms on the Columbia: The Great Missoula Floods'', revised 2nd edition (Portland, OR: Ooligan Press/Portland State University, 2009), pp. 78, 108.]
Seismic activity
Although earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
s are generally rare occurrences, on 27 September 2003 a very large earthquake measuring MW 7.3 occurred in the Chuya
The Chuya (russian: Чуя; alt, Чуй, ''Çuy'') is a river in the Altai Republic in Russia, a right tributary of the Katun ( Ob's basin). The Chuya is long, and its drainage basin covers . The river freezes in October or early November and ...
Basin area to the south of the Altai region. This earthquake and its aftershock
In seismology, an aftershock is a smaller earthquake that follows a larger earthquake, in the same area of the main shock, caused as the displaced crust adjusts to the effects of the main shock. Large earthquakes can have hundreds to thousand ...
s devastated much of the region, causing $10.6 million in damage (USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, a ...
) and wiping out the village of Beltir
Khakas (also known as Xakas, endonym: хакас тілі, ''khakas tįlį'', тадар тілі, ''tadar tįlį'') is a Turkic language spoken by the Khakas people, who mainly live in the southwestern Siberian Khakas Republic, in Russia. The ...
.
See also
* Altai Republic
The Altai Republic (; russian: Респу́блика Алта́й, Respublika Altay, ; Altai: , ''Altay Respublika''), also known as Gorno-Altai Republic, and colloquially, and primarily referred to in Russian to distinguish from the neighbour ...
* Altai Krai
Altai Krai (russian: Алта́йский край, r=Altaysky kray, p=ɐlˈtajskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai). It borders clockwise from the west, Kazakhstan (East Kazakhstan Region and Pavlodar ...
* Altay Prefecture
Altay Prefecture is located in Northern Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of and a population of 561,667 (2000). It is a part of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. At the 2000 census, Altay was the only major subdivision of Ili ...
* Govi-Altai Province
Govi-Altai ( mn, Говь-Алтай / , ) is an aimag (province) in western Mongolia.
Transportation
The Altai Airport (LTI/ZMAT) has one paved runway and is served by regular flights to Arvaikheer, Bayankhongor and Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar ...
* Altaic languages
Altaic (; also called Transeurasian) is a controversial proposed language family that would include the Turkic languages, Turkic, Mongolic languages, Mongolic and Tungusic languages, Tungusic language families and possibly also the Japonic la ...
* Altay language
Altai ( alt, Алтай тил, Altay til) is a set of Turkic languages, spoken officially in the Altai Republic, Russia. The standard vocabulary is based on the Southern Altai language, though it's also taught to and used by speakers of the Nor ...
* Altai-Sayan region
The Altai-Sayan region is an area of Inner Asia proximate to the Altai Mountains and the Sayan Mountains, near to where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together. This region is one of the world centers of temperate plant diversity. Its ...
* List of Altai mountains
The following is a list of the mountains in the Altai range.
{, class="wikitable sortable"
, -
! Name
! Elevation
! Coordinates
! Location
! Parent range
, -
, , Belukha, , 4506, , 49°48′25″N 86°35′23″E, , Russia–Kazakhstan bord ...
References
Sources
*
Authorities cited:
* P. Semenov and G. N. Potanin, in supplementary vol. of Russian ed. of Ritter's ''Asien'' (1877)
* Ledebour, ''Reise durch das Altaigebirge'' (1829–1830)
* P. Chikhatchev, ''Voyage scientifique dans l'Altai oriental'' (1845)
* Gebler, ''Übersicht des katunischen Gebirges'' (1837)
* G. von Helmersen, ''Reise nach dem Altai'' (St Petersburg, 1848)
* T. W. Atkinson, ''Oriental and Western Siberia'' (1858)
* Cotta, ''Der Altai'' (1871)
* Adrianov, "Journey to the Altai," in ''Zapiski Russ. Geogr. Soc.'' xi.
* Yadrintsev, "Journey in West Siberia," in ''Zapiski West Sib. Geogr. Soc.'' ii.
* Golubev, ''Altai'' (1890, Russian)
* Schmurlo, "Passes in S. Altai" (Sailughem), in ''Izvestia Russ. Geogr. Soc.'' (1898); xxxiv. 5
* V. Saposhnikov, various articles in same periodical (1897), xxxiii. and (1899) xxxv., and, by the same, ''Katun i yeya Istoki'' (Tomsk, 1901)
* S. Turner, ''Siberia'' (1905)
* Deniker, on Kozlov's explorations, in ''La Géographie'' (1901, pp. 41, &c.)
* P. Ignatov, in ''Izvestia Russ. Geog. Soc.'' (1902, No. 2).
External links
* '' RT''. 6 November 2011.
Guide to the Mountain Altai
– Welcome to Altai
Photos of Mountain Altai
– Altai-Photo
a
Natural Heritage Protection Fund
UNESCO's evaluation of Altai
(PDF file)
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of China
Mountain ranges of Kazakhstan
Mountain ranges of Mongolia
Mountain ranges of Russia
Mountain ranges of Xinjiang
Physiographic provinces
World Heritage Sites in Russia