The Irtysh / ɜːr ˈ t ɪ ʃ , ˈ ɪər t ɪ ʃ / is a river in Russia , China , and Kazakhstan . It is the chief tributary of the Ob and is also the longest tributary river in the world.
82-766: The river's source lies in the Mongolian Altai in Dzungaria (the northern part of Xinjiang , China) close to the border with Mongolia . The Irtysh's main tributaries include the Tobol , Demyanka and the Ishim . The Ob-Irtysh system forms a major drainage basin in Asia , encompassing most of Western Siberia and the Altai Mountains. From its origins as the Kara-Irtysh (Black Irtysh) in
164-583: A (sparse) chain of guard posts on both sides. In the summer of 1828, the Prussian explorer Alexander von Humboldt visited the Irtysh region on his journey through Russia and Central Asia; he came face-to-face with Chinese and Mongol border guards. The situation in the borderlands in the mid-19th century is described in a report by A. Abramof ( ru ; 1865). Even though the Zaysan region was recognized by both parties as part of
246-724: A big bend, the river (600 km (370 mi) long) pierces the Katun Belki , and enters a wider valley, lying at an elevation of 600–1,100 m (2,000–3,600 ft), which it follows until it emerges from the Altai highlands to join the Biya River . Here, the two rivers merge together to form the Ob River . The next valley is that of the Charysh , which has the Korgon and Tigeretsk Range on one side and
328-473: A current of 2,500 amps measured by spark gaps in a 570 km (350 mi) stretch of overhead telephone line to Zharyq, blowing all the protective fuses . The late-time MHD -EMP was of low enough frequency to enable it to penetrate 90 cm (35 in) into the ground, overloading a shallow buried lead and steel tape-protected 1,000 km (620 mi) long power cable between Aqmola (now called Astana) and Almaty . It fired circuit breakers and set
410-552: A few kilometres upstream from the mouth of the Tobol (where today's Tobolsk is situated). The Khanate of Sibir was conquered by the Russians in the 1580s. The Russians started building fortresses and towns next to the sites of former Tatar towns; one of the first Russian towns in Siberia (after Tyumen ) was Tobolsk , founded in 1587 at the fall of the Tobol into the Irtysh, downstream from
492-522: 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 schismatics ( Raskolniks ), 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
574-542: A major center for coal mining throughout much of its modern history, and experienced major growth during the Soviet Union as its coal industry developed. Coal mining remains a significant part of the city's economy. The name Karaganda is derived from " caragana " bushes ( Caragana arborescens , Caragana frutex ), which are abundant in the area. Modern-day Karaganda dates back to 1833, when local shepherd Appak Baizhanov [ ru ] allegedly found coal on
656-666: A monument to a popular catchphrase "Where-where? In Karaganda!" was created. On May 31, 2022, on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions in the Karaganda Ethnopark, a new monument to the victims of the Holodomor was opened. The monument is located near the mosque on the territory of the Ethnopark, created from granite by Zharmukhamed Tlegenuly. The height of the monument on
738-617: A population of about 100,000, about half of which were prisoners. In the 1940s, up to 70% of the city's inhabitants were ethnic Germans . Most of the ethnic Germans were Soviet Volga Germans who were collectively deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan on Stalin's order when Hitler invaded Soviet-annexed eastern Poland and the Soviet Union proper in 1941. Until the 1950s, many of these deportees were interned in labor camps, often simply because they were of German descent. The population of Karaganda fell by 14% from 1989 to 1999 following
820-505: A report published by Kazakhstan fishery researchers in 2013, the total Irtysh water use in China is about 3 cubic kilometres (0.7 cu mi) per year; as a result, only about 2/3 of what would be the river's "natural" flow (6 km out of 9 km) reach the Kazakh border. Major cities along the Irtysh, from source to mouth, include: Seven railway bridges span the Irtysh. They are located in
902-550: A system of remote mountains in central Asia that cover an area of 845,000 km (326,000 sq mi). The mountains stretch for 2,525 km (1,569 mi) from northwest to southeast. In the north of the region is the Sailughem Mountains , also known as Kolyvan Altai , which stretch northeast from 49° N and 86° E towards the western extremity of the Sayan Mountains in 51° 60' N and 89° E. Their mean elevation
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#1732836962375984-483: Is 1,500–1,750 m (4,920–5,740 ft). The snow-line runs at 2,000 m (6,600 ft) on the northern side and at 2,400 m (7,900 ft) on the southern, and above it the rugged peaks tower some 1,000 m (3,300 ft) higher. Mountain passes across the range are few and difficult, the chief being the Ulan-daban at 2,827 m (9,275 ft) (or 2,879 m (9,446 ft) according to Kozlov), and
1066-480: Is 40.2 °C (104.4 °F), recorded in 2002. Due to the prominence of heavy industry in Karaganda, the city experiences a high level of air pollution . Air pollution tracking company IQAir found it to have Kazakhstan's highest level of PM2.5 concentration among cities measured from 2017 to 2022, and the 23rd highest in the world among cities measured. Karaganda is a largely industrial city, and coal mining
1148-548: Is a major component of its economy. As of 2023, the city hosts 8 coal mines, and during the times of the Soviet Union , hosted as many as 26. Since local water resources are not sufficient for the needs of a major industrial city, the Irtysh–Karaganda Canal was constructed in the 1960s, to supply the Karaganda metropolitan area with water from the Irtysh River more than 400 kilometres (250 mi) away. The city
1230-539: Is a small herd in a nursery in the Altai Republic . Moor frogs are near bodies of water as high up as 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in the Altai mountains. 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
1312-523: 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. The Siberian Altai represents the northernmost region affected by the tectonic collision of India into Asia. Extensive fault systems run through
1394-655: Is also called Uch-Sumer. The second highest peak of the range is in Mongolian part named Khüiten Peak . This massive peak reaches 4,374 m (14,350 ft). Numerous spurs, striking in all directions from the Sailughem mountains, fill up the space between that range and the lowlands of Tomsk . Such are the Chuya Belki , having an average elevation of 2,700 m (8,900 ft), with summits from 3,500–4,177 m (11,483–13,704 ft) and several glaciers on their northern slope;
1476-597: Is assumed that the Bronze Age couple were 16 or 17 years old when they died. Kukushkin supposes that they were from a 'noble family' thanks to the buried gold and jewelry artifacts, ceramic pots, woman's two bracelets on each arm beads, remains of horses and knives found in the grave. On October 28, 2023, the Kostenko mine, a coal mine in Karaganda run by ArcelorMittal Temirtau, the local unit of ArcelorMittal , caught on fire , and killed at least 32 people. In weeks prior to
1558-800: Is based on bovine , sheep , horse husbandry , hunting , agriculture , forestry , and mining . The proposed Altaic language family takes its name from this mountain range. Altai is derived from underlying form * altañ "gold, golden" (compare Old Turkic 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 ( Алтайн нуруу ) in Khalkha Mongolian , altai-yin niruɣu in Chakhar Mongolian , and Altay tuular ( Алтай туулар ) in
1640-462: Is fairly isolated in a vast area of uninhabited steppe , and is thought by many to be "the middle of nowhere". When used in the locative case (Караганде), the final syllable rhymes with the Russian word for "where" (где), as well as with a Russian obscenity used to answer to an unwanted question "Where?". Thus the exchange: "Где?" — "В Караганде!" ("Where?" — "In Karaganda!"). In 2011 an art-installation
1722-400: Is located in the range. Karaganda has a Continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfb ) with warm summers and very cold winters. Precipitation is moderately low throughout the year, although slightly heavier from May to July. Snow is frequent, though light, in winter. The lowest temperature on record is −42.9 °C (−45.2 °F), recorded in 1938, and the highest temperature
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#17328369623751804-658: Is studded with large lakes, e.g. Uvs 720 m (2,360 ft) above sea level, Khyargas , Dorgon and Khar 1,170 m (3,840 ft), and traversed by various mountain ranges , of which the principal are the Tannu-Ola Mountains , running roughly parallel with the Sayan Mountains as far east as the Kosso-gol , and the Khan Khökhii mountains, also stretching west and east. The north western and northern slopes of
1886-491: Is the capital of Karaganda Region , Kazakhstan . It is the fifth most populous city in Kazakhstan , behind Almaty (Alma-Ata), Astana , Shymkent and Aktobe . The city has a population of 497,777 as of the 2020 Census results; up from 459,778 (2009 Census results); up from 436,864 (1999 Census results). Karaganda is approximately 230 km (140 mi) southeast of Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana. The city has been
1968-722: Is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Karaganda . In 2012, the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima was opened. The city is home to the Miners Palace of Culture [ ru ; kk ] , a large theater. FC Shakhter Karagandy is a football club based in the city who play at Shakhtyor Stadium . They finished 7th in the Kazakhstan Premier League in 2022. They last won
2050-554: Is very difficult. The oldest known text that describes skiing is from a Chinese text that dates to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC to 24 AD) and refers to skiers in the Altai Mountains. A vast area of 16,178 km (6,246 sq mi) , which incorporates the Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye , Mount Belukha , and the Ukok Plateau , this area is designated as a World Heritage Site (UNESCO), entitled
2132-753: The Altay language . They are also called Алтай таулары or التاي تاۋلارى in Kazakh ; Altajskije gory ( Алтайские горы ) in Russian ; Altay Taghliri ( ىالتاي تاغلىرى or Алтай Тағлири ) in Uyghur ; ā'ěrtài shānmài in Chinese ( 阿尔泰山脉 simplified , 阿爾泰山脈 traditional , or اَعَرتَىْ شًامَىْ in Xiao'erjing ); and Arteː shanmeː ( Артэ Шанмэ ) in Dungan . The Altai Mountains are
2214-579: The Chapchan-daban , at 3,217 m (10,554 ft), in the south and north respectively. On the east and southeast this range is flanked by the great plateau of Mongolia, the transition being affected gradually by means of several minor plateaus, such as Ukok (2,380 m (7,810 ft)) with Pazyryk Valley, Chuya (1,830 m (6,000 ft)), Kendykty (2,500 m (8,200 ft)), Kak (2,520 m (8,270 ft)), (2,590 m (8,500 ft)), and (2,410 m (7,910 ft)). This region
2296-681: The Denisovan branch of hominids who were contemporaries of Neanderthals and of Homo sapiens (modern humans), descended from Hominids who reached Asia earlier than modern humans. The Denisova hominin , dated to 40,000 years ago, was discovered in the Denisova Cave 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
2378-612: The Golden Mountains of Altai . 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 , Altai argali , and Siberian ibex that live in these mountains. The Uvs Nuur basin
2460-638: The Katun Belki , which have a mean elevation of about 3,000 m (9,800 ft) and are mostly snow-clad; the Kholzun range; the Korgon , highest point Mayak Shangina , the Talitsk and Selitsk ranges; as well as the Tigeretsk Range . Several secondary plateaus of lower elevations are also distinguished by geographers. The Valley of the Katun river begins as a wild gorge on the south-west slope of Belukha; then, after
2542-651: 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 from the Dzungarian depression (470–900 m (1,540–2,950 ft)), but descends on the north by a relatively short slope to the plateau (1,150–1,680 m (3,770–5,510 ft)) of north-western Mongolia . 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
Irtysh - Misplaced Pages Continue
2624-732: The Mongolian Altay mountains in Xinjiang , China , the Irtysh flows northwest through Lake Zaysan in Kazakhstan , meeting the Ishim and Tobol rivers before merging with the Ob near Khanty-Mansiysk in western Siberia, Russia after 4,248 kilometres (2,640 mi). The name Black Irtysh ( Kara-Irtysh in Kazakh, or Cherny Irtysh in Russian) is applied by some authors, especially in Russia and Kazakhstan, to
2706-575: The Nura river and to the west the Sherubainura , its main tributary. In the southern part of the city lies the Fedorov Reservoir , built in 1941 by filling a coal mine pit with the water of river Sokyr that flows along the southern limit. The Bugyly Range (Бұғылы), reaching a height of 1,187 m (3,894 ft), rises about 60 km (37 mi) to the south of the city. The Bugyly Nature Reserve
2788-801: The Project 635 Dam . There are also the Burqin Chonghu'er Dam and the Burqin Shankou Dam on the Irtysh's right tributary, the Burqin River and the Jilebulake Dam and Haba River Shankou Dam on another right tributary, the Haba River . The Northern river reversal proposals, widely discussed by the USSR planners and scientists in the 1960s and 1970s, would send some of the Irtysh's (and possibly Ob's) water to
2870-621: The Qing empire , it had been annually used, by fishing expeditions sent by the Siberian Cossack Host . The summer expeditions started in 1803, and in 1822–25 their range was expanded through the entire Lake Zaysan and to the mouth of the Black Irtysh. Through the mid-19th century, the Qing presence on the upper Irtysh was mostly limited to the annual visit of the Qing amban from Chuguchak to one of
2952-462: The Siberian ibex ( Capra sibirica ), whereas the rare argali ( Ovis ammon ) is found on more gentle slopes. Deer are represented by five species: Altai wapiti ( Cervus elaphus sibiricus ), moose ( Alces alces ), forest reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus valentinae ), Siberian musk deer ( Moschus moschiferus ), and Siberian roe deer ( Capreolus pygargus ). Moose and reindeer however, are restricted to
3034-613: 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 at an altitude of 360 m (1,180 ft), which is surrounded by fantastic granite domes and towers. Farther west the valleys of the Uba , the Ulba and the Bukhtarma open south-westwards towards
3116-453: The dam at Ust-Kamenogorsk . Plans exist for the construction of several more dams. Three dams have been constructed on the Chinese section of the Irtysh as well: the Keketuohai (可可托海) Dam ( 47°10′51″N 89°42′35″E / 47.18083°N 89.70972°E / 47.18083; 89.70972 ), the Kalasuke (喀腊塑克) Dam ( 47°08′14″N 88°53′15″E / 47.13722°N 88.88750°E / 47.13722; 88.88750 ), and
3198-426: The (theoretical) possibility of a Chinese fleet sailing from Lake Zaysan down the Irtysh and into Western Siberia. A Russian expedition visited Lake Zaysan in 1764, and concluded that such a riverine invasion would not be likely. Nonetheless, a chain of Russian pickets was established on the Bukhtarma River , north of Lake Zaysan. Thus the border between the two empires in the Irtysh basin became roughly delineated, with
3280-420: 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". Although earthquakes are generally rare occurrences, on 27 September 2003 a very large earthquake measuring M W 7.3 occurred in the Chuya Basin area to the south of the Altai region. This earthquake and its aftershocks devastated much of
3362-427: The Bukhtarma fortress (345 m (1,132 ft)), 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 . On the northern side of the range which separates the upper Bukhtarma from the upper Katun is the Katun glacier, which after two ice-falls widen out to 700–900 m (2,300–3,000 ft). From
Irtysh - Misplaced Pages Continue
3444-438: The Cossacks' fishing stations ( Batavski Piket ). The border between the Russian and the Qing empires in the Irtysh basin was established along the line fairly similar to China's modern border with Russia and Kazakhstan by the Convention of Peking of 1860. The actual border line pursuant to the convention was drawn by the Protocol of Chuguchak (1864), leaving Lake Zaysan on the Russian side. The Qing empire's military presence in
3526-485: The Irtysh basin crumbled during the 1862–77 Dungan Revolt . After the fall of the rebellion and the reconquest of Xinjiang by Zuo Zongtang , the border between the Russian and the Qing empires in the Irtysh basin was further slightly readjusted, in Russia's favor, by the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881) . The Irtysh River serves as a backdrop in the epilogue of Fyodor Dostoyevsky 's 1866 novel Crime and Punishment . In Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's The GULAG Archipelago ,
3608-434: The Irtysh water to the endorheic Lake Ulungur , whose level had been falling precipitously due to the increasing irrigation use of the lake's main affluent, the Ulungur River . In the last years of the 20th century and the early 2000s, a much more major project, the Irtysh–Karamay–Urümqi Canal was completed. Increased water use in China has caused significant concerns among Kazakh and Russian environmentalists. According to
3690-559: 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 (6,760 ft)), clothed with alpine meadows. The valley of the Bukhtarma, which has a length of 320 km (200 mi), also has its origin at the foot of the Belukha and the Kuitun peaks, and as it falls some 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in about 3,000 km (1,900 mi), from an alpine plateau at an elevation of 1,900 m (6,200 ft) to
3772-412: The Karaganda power plant on fire. Kuznetsov's master plan for the city was intended to accommodate 300,000 inhabitants, which was surpassed by the late 1960s. This prompted planners to devise a new plan with the goal of accommodating 600,000 people. By the 1980s, the city's population surpassed 600,000 people, creating the need for further expansion. In 1983, the Karaganda Circus was constructed, which
3854-416: The Sailughem Mountains are extremely steep and difficult to access. On this side lies the highest summit of the range, the double-headed Belukha , whose summits reach 4,506 m (14,783 ft) and 4,400 m (14,400 ft) respectively, and give origin to several glaciers and glaciokarst formations (30 km (12 sq mi) in aggregate area, as of 1911 ). Altaians call it Kadyn Bazhy, but
3936-413: The area, including the Kurai fault zone and the recently identified Tashanta fault zone . These fault systems are typically thrusts or right lateral strike-slip faults , some of which are tectonically active. Rock types in the mountains are typically granites and metamorphic schists , and some are highly sheared near to fault zones. Geologist Victor R. Baker "has discovered past cataclysmic floods in
4018-405: The chapter "The White Kitten" details Georgi Tenno's escape from a camp along this river. Altai Mountains 49°N 89°E / 49°N 89°E / 49; 89 The Altai Mountains ( / ɑː l ˈ t aɪ / ), also spelled Altay Mountains , are a mountain range in Central and East Asia , where Russia , China , Mongolia , and Kazakhstan converge, and where
4100-468: The cities of Omsk in 1716, Semipalatinsk in 1718, Ust-Kamenogorsk in 1720, and Petropavlovsk in 1752. The Chinese Qing Empire conquered Dzungaria in the 1750s. This prompted an increase in the Russian authorities' attention to their borderland; in 1756, the Orenburg Governor Ivan Neplyuyev even proposed the annexation of the Lake Zaysan region, but this project was forestalled by Chinese successes. Concerns were raised in Russia (1759) about
4182-425: The city was to the south of the initial mines. Initially, Karaganda suffered from an inadequate amount of supplies, and living conditions in the settlement were often poor. In 1930, coal production was below expectations. In February 1931, the area was connected via railroad , bringing in a wealth of supplies and highly-qualified personnel. Later that year, NKVD officials established the Karlag Prison . Upon
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#17328369623754264-521: The claims includes several cave petroglyphs within the Altai Mountains in modern China that depict human figures on skis that are chasing after an ibex . According to a study published by the Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA) in 2016, this rock art was estimated to be from between 4,000 and 5,250 years ago, which consequently meant it may be just as old or possibly older than ancient skiing rock art and artefacts located in Scandinavia. However, dating petroglyphs accurately with current technology
4346-424: The competition in the 2012 season and also won the Kazakhstan Cup in 2013. One of the biggest accomplishments of the club is a victory against Celtic from Scotland in the Champions League qualifying rounds in 2013. The score was 2–0. Saryarka Karagandy is an ice hockey team which competes in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship , and used to play in the Russian-based Supreme Hockey League (VHL) On May 28, 2011,
4428-410: The constituent chains of the system are inhabited principally by nomadic Kyrgyz . The five highest mountains of the Altai are: 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 and alpine vegetation. Steep slopes are home to
4510-475: The dissolution of the Soviet Union; it was once Kazakhstan's second-largest city after Almaty. Over 100,000 people have since emigrated to Germany . There is also a concentration of ethnic Poles in the city. Robert F. Kennedy (later US Attorney General and US Senator ), alongside US Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas , visited "five Soviet Central Asian Republics": Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , Tadzhikistan , Kirghizia , and Kazakhstan . While on
4592-573: The establishment of the Karlag Prison, authorities began to import labor into the region en masse. During the 1930s, the area experienced rapid growth. In 1931, Karaganda was incorporated as a village, and in 1934, was declared a city. Led by planner Alexander Ivanovich Kuznetsov , masters plans for Karaganda were laid out from 1934 until 1938. During the Stalinist purges , peoples from many different nationalities, including Germans , Karachais , Kalmyks , Chechens , Ingush , Greeks , and Crimean Tatars were sent to Karlag. By 1939, Karaganda had
4674-406: The fire, the Kazakhstani government announced it was in talks to take over part of ArcelorMittal Temirtau's operations, in part due to its dissatisfaction by ArcelorMittal's failure to invest more in its operations, including equipment upgrades and safety precautions. Karaganda is located in a steppe area of the Kazakh Uplands at an elevation of 546 m (1,791 ft). To the northeast flows
4756-399: The following cities: As the Kuytun–Beitun Railway in China's Xinjiang is being extended toward Altay City , a railway bridge over the Irtysh at Beitun will need to be constructed as well. Numerous highway bridges over the Irtysh exist in China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The last bridge downstream on the Irtysh, a highway bridge opened in 2004, can be found at Khanty-Mansiysk, right before
4838-408: The former Qashliq. Farther east, Tara was founded in 1594, roughly at the border of the taiga belt (to the north) and the steppe to the south. In the 17th century the Dzungar Khanate , formed by the Mongol Oirat people, became Russia's southern neighbor, and controlled the upper Irtysh. As a result of Russia's confrontation with the Dzungars in the Peter the Great 's era, the Russians founded
4920-443: The ice-free season, between April and October. Omsk , home to the headquarters of the state-owned Irtysh River Shipping Company, functions as the largest river port in Western Siberia. On the Kazakhstan section of the river there are presently three major hydroelectric plants, namely at Bukhtarma , Ust-Kamenogorsk and Shulbinsk . The world's deepest lock , with a drop of 42 metres (138 ft), allows river traffic to by-pass
5002-400: The lake rise almost sheer to over 1,800 m (5,900 ft). From this lake issues the Biya, which joins the Katun at Biysk , 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 , which rises on
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#17328369623755084-473: 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 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
5166-402: The northern parts also by the wolverine ( Gulo gulo ). The Tien Shan dhole ( Cuon alpinus hesperius ) (a northwestern subspecies of the Asiatic wild dog ) also lives there. Most species of the region are of Mongolian origin. The western Siberian eagle-owl can be found in the western part of the mountains. Until the 20th century, the Caspian tiger ( Panthera tigris tigris ) was found in
5248-500: The northern parts of the mountain range. The wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) is found in the lower foothills and surrounding lowlands. Until recently, the Mongolian gazelle ( Procapra gutturosa ) was found in the Russian Altai mountains, more specifically in the Chuya River steppe close to the Mongolian border. Large predators are represented by snow leopards ( Panthera uncia , syn. Uncia uncia ), wolves ( Canis lupus ), Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ), and brown bears ( Ursus arctos ), in
5330-411: The pedestal is 1.2 m. The Central Park serves as Karaganda's main park. It was built from 1935 to 1941 and covers an area of 150 hectares (370 acres). Sary-Arka Airport is 20 kilometers south-east of the city. The city is also served by trains with all of them stopping at Karaganda railway station . Karaganda was often used as the punchline in a popular joke in the former Soviet Union . Karaganda
5412-426: The point of origin of a cultural enigma termed the Seima-Turbino Phenomenon which arose during the Bronze Age around the start of the 2nd millennium BC and led to a rapid and massive migration of peoples from the region into distant parts of Europe and Asia. Some historians believe that the Altai mountain region may have been the location where skiing was born, however this remains disputed. Evidence to support
5494-415: The region's coal deposits, prompting Soviet authorities to establish the Karaganda Coal Trust, and plan for the creation of coal mines and a mining town in the area. Planners set out to create a dozen coal mines, and drafted blueprints for a city to house an estimated 40,000 workers. Coal mining in the area resumed in 1930, and temporary structures were built for miners and their families. The new area for
5576-596: The region, causing $ 10.6 million in damage ( USGS ) and wiping out the village of Beltir . Authorities cited: Karaganda Karaganda ( UK : / ˌ k ær ə ˈ ɡ æ n d ə / , US : / ˌ k ɑːr ə ˈ ɡ ɑː n d ə / ; Russian : Караганда [kərəɡɐnˈda] ), also known as Karagandy ( UK : / ˌ k ær ə ˈ ɡ æ n d i / , US : / ˌ k ɑːr ə ˈ ɡ ɑː n d i / ; Russian : Караганды [kərəɡɐnˈdɨ] ; Kazakh : Қарағанды / Qarağandy [qɑrɑˌʁɑnˈdə] ) (also sometimes romanized as Qaraghandy),
5658-428: The river's confluence with Ob. A number of Mongol and Turkic peoples occupied the river banks for many centuries. In 657, Tang dynasty general Su Dingfang defeated Ashina Helu , qaghan of the Western Turkic Khaganate , at the Battle of Irtysh River , ending the Tang campaign against the Western Turks . Helu's defeat ended the Khaganate, strengthened Tang control of Xinjiang , and led to Tang suzerainty over
5740-550: The rivers Irtysh and Ob have their headwaters. The massif merges with the Sayan Mountains in the northeast, and gradually becomes lower in the southeast, where it merges into the high plateau of the Gobi Desert . 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 , Kazakhs , Altais , Tuvans , Mongols , and Volga Germans , though predominantly represented by indigenous ethnic minorities of semi-nomadic people. The local economy
5822-507: The same western face of the Sailughem range, are but little known, their only visitors being Kyrgyz shepherds. Those of Bashkaus , Chulyshman , and Chulcha , all three leading to the alpine lake of Teletskoye (length, 80 km (50 mi); maximum width, 5 km (3.1 mi); elevation, 520 m (1,710 ft); area, 230.8 km (89.1 sq mi); maximum depth, 310 m (1,020 ft); mean depth, 200 m (660 ft)), are inhabited by Telengit people. The shores of
5904-410: The site of the city, prompting a coal mining boom. By the late 19th century, the local mines had attracted workers from nearby villages, Russian merchants, and entrepreneurs from France and England. After this initial boom, the mines were abandoned, but are often still labeled on city maps as the "Old Town", but almost nothing remains on that site. In the late 1920s, Soviet geologists examined
5986-459: The six week trip (e.g., Bukhara , 300 to 1 mosque after Soviet rule), his biographers reported that their delegation was not allowed to visit the city of Karaganda which was one of the sites of the most notorious labor camps within the confines of the Soviet Union . The delegation was diverted to Siberia after four denials of visas. Karaganda suffered the most severe electromagnetic pulse effects ever observed when its electrical power plant
6068-590: The southern parts of the Altai mountains, where it reached Lake Zaisan and the Black Irtysh . Single individuals were also shot further north, for example close to Barnaul . Closely related to the Caspian tiger is the extant Amur tiger , which has the taxonomic name Panthera tigris altaica . The wisent was present in the Altai mountains until the Middle Ages , perhaps even until the 18th century. Today, there
6150-409: The upper course of the river, from its source entering Lake Zaysan. The term White Irtysh , in opposition to the Black Irtysh, was occasionally used in the past to refer to the Irtysh below lake Zaysan; now this usage is largely obsolete. The largest tributaries of the Irtysh are, from source to mouth: In Kazakhstan and Russia, tankers , passenger ships, and cargo vessels navigate the river during
6232-470: The water-deficient regions of central Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan . Some versions of this project would have seen the direction of flow of the Irtysh reversed in its section between the mouth of the Tobol (at Tobolsk ) and the confluence of the Irtysh with the Ob at Khanty-Mansiysk, thus creating an "Anti-Irtysh". While these gigantic interbasin transfer schemes were not implemented, a smaller Irtysh–Karaganda Canal
6314-660: The western Turks. In the north-east of Irtysh, there is the Yenisei Kingdom , ruled by the Melig family from the Ögedei dynasty of the Yuan dynasty , which ruled until 1361. It was destroyed by the Oirats . In the 15th and 16th centuries the lower and middle courses of the Irtysh lay within the Tatar Khanate of Sibir ; its capital, Qashliq (also known as Sibir ) was located on the Irtysh
6396-618: The western shoulder of the Sayan mountains, belongs to the system of the Yenisei . The Kuznetsk Ala-tau range, on the left bank of the Abakan, runs north-east into the government of Yeniseisk , while a complexus of mountains (Chukchut, Salair, Abakan) fills up the country northwards towards the Trans-Siberian Railway and westwards towards the Ob . The Ek-tagh or Mongolian Altai, which separates
6478-457: Was built between 1962 and 1974 to supply water to the dry Kazakh steppes and to one of the country's main industrial center, Karaganda . In 2002, pipelines were constructed to supply water from the canal to the Ishim and Kazakhstan's capital, Astana . In China, a short canal was constructed in 1987 (water intake at 47°26′31″N 87°34′11″E / 47.44194°N 87.56972°E / 47.44194; 87.56972 ) to divert some of
6560-479: Was criticized for its high cost. In the early 1990s, Karaganda was briefly considered as a candidate for the capital of the (then) newly independent Republic of Kazakhstan, but its bid was turned down in favour of Astana . In July 2019, remains of a young couple buried face to face dated 4,000 years back were unearthed in Karaganda region in central Kazakhstan by a group of archaeologists led by Igor Kukushkin from Saryarka Archaeological Institute in Karaganda. It
6642-587: Was installed in Karaganda, deticated to this phrase. Author Flora Leipman, a British resident who moved to the Soviet Union during the 1930s, wrote about her time in the Karlag Prison near Karaganda, and her subsequent decades where she lived in Karaganda, in her book The Long Journey Home . The labor camp described in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich where the author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn had served some time
6724-461: Was set on fire by currents induced in a 1,000 km (620 mi) long shallow buried power cable by Soviet Test ‘184’ on 22 October 1962. The test was part of the Soviet Project K nuclear tests ( ABM System A proof tests), and consisted of a 300- kiloton high-altitude nuclear explosion at an altitude of 290 km (180 mi) over Zhezkazgan . Prompt gamma ray -produced EMP induced
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