Central Asia in general has many deserts and many high mountains, with three fertile basins, each with a large river crossing. Among them, part of the Ili River Basin is in China, and we look from north to south to see which three river valley basins in Central Asia have beautiful natural environments.
1. Ili River Basin
The Ili River, known as Yile Water and Yili River in ancient times, has an average water volume of about 480 cubic meters per second, which is the largest inland river in China and the largest water source of Balkhash Lake. There are three sources in the upper reaches of the Ili River, namely the Turks River, the Gongnais River and the Kashgar River, and the main source is the Turks River. The main source of the Ili River, the Turks River, originates on the north side of the Khantengri Peak, and is called the Ili River after merging with the Gongnais River and the Kashgar River. The Ili River is about 1439 kilometers long, about 1/3 of the strength of the Chinese territory, flows through Kazakhstan, and finally flows into Lake Balkhash.
The latitude of the Ili River Basin is about 42.5 degrees to 45 degrees north latitude, the longest basin is about 520 kilometers from east to west, and the widest from north to south is about 200 kilometers, with a total area of about 34,000 square kilometers.
The Ili River Basin, also known as the upper and middle reaches of the Ili River, is between the Borokonu Mountains of the North Branch of the Tianshan Mountains and the South Branch Halk Mountains, crossing a series of mountains and valleys. The Ili River basin is like a triangle, a semi-enclosed place, the north can resist the dry and cold air flow from Siberia, the east can resist the dry heat from the Basin of Hami, Turpan and other basins, and the south can prevent the invasion of the Tarim Desert wind and sand. The annual precipitation in the Ili Basin reaches 700 mm, and there is also alpine snow and glacial meltwater inflow in spring, which is abundant.
2. Fergana Basin
The Syr Darya River, known as the Medicine Killing Water and Ye River in ancient times, originates in the Tianshan Mountains and is divided into two sources, the north source is the Naren River, and the south source is the Kara River. The average water volume of the Syr Darya River is about 1180 cubic meters per second, with a total length of about 2256 kilometers, flowing through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.
The latitude of the Fergana Basin is about 39.5 degrees to 42 degrees north latitude, the longest basin is about 310 kilometers from east to west, the widest from north to south is about 110 kilometers, and the total area is about 22,000 square kilometers.
The Fergana Basin is surrounded by mountains, clockwise the Kulaming Mountains, the Fergana Mountains, and the Arai Mountains, with only a narrow exit on the west side. The Naren River rushes into the basin from east to west between the Kulaming mountains and the Fergana mountains, and when it joins the Kara River, it is called the Syr Darya River. The basin is crisscrossed by many rivers flowing into the Syr Darya River, which is suitable for the development of agriculture and is also suitable for habitation.
The Fergana Basin is one-fourth of the size of Chongqing, with a population of more than 14 million, close to half of Chongqing's, like an international metropolis, and is the most densely populated place in Central Asia.
III. Amu Darya Basin (Tocharian Basin)
The Amu Darya River was called Wuhu Water and Concubine Water in ancient times. The upper source of the Amu Darya is the Wakhan River, which originates in the southern part of the Pamir Plateau, and after the confluence of the Pamir River, it is called the Phanchi River, and then after the Wahsh River, it flows out of the Amu Darya Basin (Tocharian Basin), flows through the Karakum Desert and the Kyzylkum Desert, and finally flows into the Aral Sea. Most of the water of the Amu Darya River comes from the Pamir Plateau (Green Ridge), with an average water volume of about 2525 cubic meters per second and a total length of about 2620 kilometers, which is the largest and longest flowing river in Central Asia, flowing through tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
The latitude of the Amu Darya Basin is about 35 degrees to 39 degrees north latitude, the maximum width of the basin is about 550 kilometers from north to south, the widest from east to west is about 350 kilometers, and the total area is about 60,000 square kilometers.
The surrounding mountains of the Amu Darya Basin are in a clockwise direction, the Gisar Mountains, the Pamir Plateau, the Hindu Kush Mountains, and there is a large gap on the west side.
The north bank of the Amu Darya River is more ecologically than the south bank, and there are many rivers on the north bank, and the water and soil are fertile, and they can be cultivated and grazed. On the southern shore, due to the wind and sand of the Karakum Desert, the rivers of the Hindu Kush Mountains in the south could not flow into the Pychi River.