The number of rivers in Kazakhstan exceeds 39 thousand. They are unevenly distributed over the territory, since in Kazakhstan there are desert arid lands, and there are mountains and uplands. The areas of Altai, Ile Alatau and the Zhatysu ridge have a dense river network. There are very few rivers in deserts.
Rivers of Kazakhstan (list)
They belong mainly to the basins of the Caspian and Aral Seas, and only a few water flows flow into the Kara Sea, far to the north. For the most part, the rivers and lakes of Kazakhstan are not particularly large and full-flowing. List of major waterways (more than 1000 kilometers long):
- Irtysh;
- Ishim;
- Or;
- Syrdarya;
- Tobol;
- Ural;
- Chu.
These names are mostly Russian. The locals call them a little differently. List of rivers of Kazakhstan in Kazakh language: Ertis, Yesil, Oral, Syrdarya, Tobyl, Ilyanin, Chu.
In addition to large rivers, there are many more small water streams. As already mentioned, they are too numerous, we will list only the main small (up to 1000 kilometers in length) rivers of Kazakhstan. Their list includes: Big Uzen, Ilek, Irgiz, Small Uzen, Nura,Sagiz, Sarysu, Turgay, Talas, Wil, Emba. Naturally, it is far from complete. In this article, only some large and small rivers of Kazakhstan will be described in detail. The list is alphabetical.
Irtysh River
The Irtysh is a river that flows through China, Kazakhstan and Russia. This is the largest tributary of the Ob. The waters of the Irtysh pass a path of 4248 kilometers long. More than the Ob River. Together with the great Siberian water artery, the Irtysh forms the longest water stream in Russia and the second longest in Asia. This is 5410 kilometers. Naturally, the Irtysh is longer than other rivers of Kazakhstan. List of tributaries on the territory of the republic: Burchun, Bukhtarma, Kalzhir, Kurchum, Narym, Ulba, Uba.
The Irtysh flows through the territory of Kazakhstan for 1700 kilometers. Starting at the Sino-Mongolian border (Mongolian Altai), the river carries its waters to Kazakhstan. There, near the source, it is called the Black Irtysh or Ertsisykhe. The Irtysh River is included in the list of transboundary rivers of Kazakhstan, which creates problems, because the water of the river is actively used by China.
In Kazakhstan, the river flows into the Zaisan basin and soon flows into the shallow fresh lake Zaisan. The mouth of the Black Irtysh forms a large swampy delta. In addition to this river, many other water flows flow into Lake Zaisan from the Saur and Tarbagatai ridges and Rudny Altai. The Irtysh flows out of the lake, already more full-flowing. It flows in a northwestern direction, passing the Bukhtarma hydroelectric power station along the way. It flows past the city of Serebryansk and the Ust-Kamenogorsk hydroelectric power station. Next is ShulbinskayaHydroelectric power station and the city of Semey. Not reaching Pavlodar, the river shares part of the water with the Irtysh canal - Karaganda, laid in a western direction. Being on the territory of Russia, it flows into the Ob near Khantymansiysk.
The Irtysh is appreciated by anglers. It has many types of fish. Of the noble ones, sturgeon, sterlet, stellate sturgeon, and nelma are found. But there is also a more common fish - crucian carp, pike, perch. Baikal omul and carp were released for breeding in the Irtysh.
Ishim
One of the tributaries of the Irtysh River, the longest in Kazakhstan. Ishim also flows in Russia, like other large rivers of Kazakhstan. List of tributaries: Akkanburlyk, Zhabay, Imanburlyk, Koluton, Terisakan. The river begins in the low mountains of Niyaz (Kazakh hills). Then it flows westward for 775 kilometers, absorbing water flows flowing from the Kokshetau Upland and from the mountain spurs of Ulytau.
In the upper reaches the Ishim valley is narrow with rocky shores. After the city of Astana, the valley becomes wider, and after Atbasar, the direction changes to the south-west. Passing the city of Derzhavinsk, Ishim sharply turns its course to the north. Then, already on the territory of Russia, the Ishim flows along the West Siberian Plain. It flows into the Irtysh River near the village of Ust-Ishim.
The Ishim River is fed mainly by snow, and it receives 80 percent of its annual flow from melting. The maximum water flow is 1100 cubic meters per second near the city of Astana in the upper reaches. In the river are found: pike, burbot, perch, bream, pike perch, dace, roach, char, gudgeon,ruff, plucked.
Tobol
Another river of Kazakhstan, which also flows in Russia, just like the Irtysh and Ishim. In Kazakhstan, there is only the upper course of this river, the middle and lower ones are located on the West Siberian Plain. In the upper reaches, the water freezes in November, and in the lower reaches, in late October or early November. There are many fish in the river. These are burbot, perch, ruff, rudd, roach, crucian carp, pike perch, burbot, pike, ide, bream.
Syrdarya
The Syrdarya River is the second longest and deepest in Central Asia. It passes three countries on its way - Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The Syr Darya is formed at the confluence of two rivers - Kardarya and Naryn in the Ferghana Valley. It ends at the confluence with the northern part of the drying up Aral Sea (Small Sea). The length of the Syr Darya is 2212 kilometers, and the catchment area is 150 thousand square kilometers. The path of the river from the beginning passes through the valley, and then cuts through the Farhad mountains, forming the Begovat rapids. The river then flows through the large Hungry Steppe (clay-saline desert).
In the middle reaches of the waters of the Syr Darya are significantly replenished by large tributaries - the Akhangaran (Angren), Chirchik and Keles rivers. A large Farhad hydroelectric power station has been standing in this place since 1949. Once it was the largest in the Uzbek Republic. In its lower reaches, the Syrdarya river bypasses the Kyzylkum desert. Here it winds very beautifully against the background of sands with thickets of blacksaxaul. The last tributary, the Arys, flows into this place. In the lower reaches, the river diverges into many channels overgrown with reeds.
The land is fertile, agriculture is developed, melons, watermelons and rice grow. The river delta is swampy and has small lakes. Once the Aral Sea was large, but due to an environmental disaster, it became shallow and divided into the Small and Large Seas. The Syr Darya feeds the Small Sea, but in recent years the volume of runoff has decreased tenfold, as the river is actively used for irrigation.
Ancient monuments near the Syr Darya River
The northern branch of the Great Silk Road once passed on the river. Caravans went north from Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara. Therefore, human settlements have long been organized along the Syr Darya.
There are some ancient monuments on the river, for example, the settlement of Otrar. It is located near the confluence of the Arys tributary with the Syr Darya, in the South Kazakhstan region. The city of Otrar flourished from the 1st to the 13th century, when it was the largest city in Central Asia.
Chu
This river flows through the territory of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The name comes from the Chinese, Tibetan "shu", that is, "river" and "water". Or it has a Turkic origin, like other names of the rivers of Kazakhstan. List of tributaries of the Chu: Ala-Archa, Alamedin, Aksu, Sokuluk, Chong-Kemin. The source of the river is located at the Teskey-Ala-Too glaciers and the Kyrgyz Range. The Chu River begins at the confluence of the Kochkor and Joonaryk rivers. It flows first in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, along the Upper and Lower Ortotokoy gorges. It falls into the basin of Lake Issyk-Kul, until 1950 Chu replenishedhis water.
Currently, the river does not reach the lake and turns to the northwest 5-6 kilometers away. It passes through the Kapchagai tract and the Boom Gorge. Then her path passes through the Chui valley along the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In the lower reaches, the river passes through a wide valley (3-5 kilometers). At the end, she disappears among the sands of the Moiynkum desert of southern Kazakhstan. Only during a flood, the Chu River flows into Akzhaykyn Lake. The length of Chu is 1186 kilometers, and on the territory of Kazakhstan - 800 kilometers, the food is glacier-snow and ground. The highest water level in the river is observed from May to September.
