The Shaksgam River (, hi, शक्सगाम नदी, translit=Shaksgām Nadi, ur, دریائے شکسگام, translit=Daryá-e-Shaksgám) is a left tributary of the

Yarkand River The Yarkand River (or Yarkent River, Yeh-erh-ch'iang Ho) is a river in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. It originates in the Siachen Muztagh in a part of the Karakoram range and flows into the Tarim River or Neinejoung Ri ...

. The river is also known as the Kelechin River ( zh, 克勒青河) and Muztagh River ( zh, 穆斯塔格河).US Bureau of Intelligence and Research ''International Boundary Study No. 85'' (1968)
It rises in the Gasherbrum, Urdok, Staghar, Singhi and Kyagar Glaciers in the

Karakoram The Karakoram is a mountain range in Kashmir region spanning the borders of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwest extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of the Karakoram mountain range falls under the ...

. It then flows in a general northwestern direction parallel to the Karakoram ridge line in the Shaksgam Valley. It receives the waters of the Shimshal Braldu river and the Oprang river from the Pakistan-administered

Hunza District The Hunza District ( ur, ) is one of the 14 districts of the Pakistani province of Gilgit-Baltistan. It was established in 2015 by the division of the Hunza–Nagar District in accordance with a government decision to establish more administrati ...

before turning east and joining the Yarkand River. The stretch of the river's course between Shimshal Braldu and Oprang is used as the Pakistan–China border. Administratively, the Chinese part of the valley is within the southernmost portions of

Yarkand County Yarkant County,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also Shache County,, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency also transliterated from Uyghur as Yakan County, is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous ...

(the source) and the

Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County (also known as Taxkorgan County, sometimes spelled Tashkurgan, Tashkorgan and Tash Kurghan Tadzhik Autonomous Hsien) is an autonomous county of Kashgar Prefecture in Western Xinjiang, China. The county seat is t ...

(lower course). India claims the entire valley as part of its

Jammu and Kashmir state Jammu and Kashmir was a region formerly administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019, constituting the southern and southeastern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India, Pakistan and ...

, now part of

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu an ...

History

The river valley was explored in 1889 by

Francis Younghusband Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, (31 May 1863 – 31 July 1942) was a British Army officer, explorer, and spiritual writer. He is remembered for his travels in the Far East and Central Asia; especially the 1904 British ...

(who referred to the Shaksgam as the Oprang)., and again in 1926 by Kenneth Mason, who confirmed the sources of the river.

Geography

The upper river valley is used by climbers approaching the north face of K2. The approach requires a crossing of the river, which is hazardous. Between its confluence with the Shimshal Braldu River and its confluence with the Oprang River the river forms the border between China and

Pakistan administered Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

. The area is used as winter pastures by yak herdsmen from the village of

Shimshal Shimshal (old name: Shingshal) ( ur, شمشال) is a village located in Gojal Tehsil of Hunza District, in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of Pakistan. It lies at an altitude of above sea level and is the highest settlement in the district. It is ...

. Historically, the bed of the Yarkand river where Shaksgam joins it, was used for cultivation by farmers from the state of

Hunza Hunza may refer to: * Hunza, Iran * Hunza Valley, an area in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan ** Hunza (princely state), a former principality ** Hunza District, a recently established district ** Hunza River, a waterway ** Hunza Peak, a m ...

. The rulers of Hunza are said to have obtained these "territorial rights to Shaksgam" in the distant past. The average annual temperature in the region can fall below freezing.

References

External links

* The Shaksgam river marked on the OpenStreetMap, Upper course
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Lower course
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{{Authority control Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County Rivers of Xinjiang Rivers of Gilgit-Baltistan Karakoram China–Pakistan border Rivers of Pakistan

History

Geography

See also

References

External links