Alakölsee
| Alakölsee - Alaköl | ||
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| Satellite image of Lake Alaköl | ||
| Geographical location | eastern Kazakhstan | |
| Tributaries | Ürschar , Emin He , from time to time from Schalanaschkölsee | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 46 ° 10 ′ N , 81 ° 35 ′ E | |
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| Altitude above sea level | 347 m | |
| surface | 2 650 km² | |
| volume | 58.6 km³ | |
| Maximum depth | 54 m | |
| Catchment area | 65,200 km² | |
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particularities |
Salt lake, without drain |
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The Alakölsee or Alaköl ( Kazakh Алакөл ) is a salt water lake in Kazakhstan .
It lies on the border between the provinces of Almaty and East Kazakhstan , about 60 km west of the state border with the People's Republic of China . It is the north-western extension of the valley known as the Djungarian Gate . This narrow valley connects the southern highlands of Kazakhstan with the arid northwest of China. It is a fault that causes the bottom of the valley between 350- 450 m above sea level, the peak of Djungarian Alatau however, (bottom right) at an altitude of 4463 m reach. Two clearly delineated alluvial cones were deposited by mountain rivers on the southwest side of the lake.
The Alaköl has a catchment area of 65,200 km² and is temporarily fed by the Ürschar in the north . The lake, located at an altitude of 347 m , has an area of 2650 km², a depth of 54 m and a volume of 58.6 km³. A swamp area connects the lake with the northwestern Sassykkölsee . To the south of the Alakölsee is the Schalanaschkölsee , whose water sometimes flows into the Alakölsee and which is separated from the Alakölsee by a navigable dam.
The Alaköl State Reserve was created because the lake is an important breeding area for birds. The relic gull (Ichthyaetus relictus) belongs to them in particular . There are flamingos and 40 other bird species on Piski Island . The largest island is Ul'kun-Aral-Tyube in the middle of the lake.
Agriculture in the region is limited to areas with sufficient moisture, especially along streams that carry water at times and in the deltas and alluvial cones of the rivers.
The Alakölsee is located in the Alaköl Biosphere Reserve .
The lake is listed as an important bird area in the Ramsar List .
The Bronze Age Andronowo culture settled in the wider area of the lake. In the middle of the 1st century BC, the Alaköl was located at the eastern end of the state of Kangar , which appears on Chinese maps of the western territories.
tourism
Access to the lake is made more difficult by the possible need for a border residence permit (even on site there was different information about this in the summer of 2014) and the very poor road conditions. The roads on the north and east banks are currently (2014) being rebuilt. The south-west A7 / A355 is due to enormous road damage continuously - if at all - only passable at walking pace and only with the permission of the local police. However, the A355 feeder road through the mountains towards Almaty is in good condition, so that a wild camping area that is popular in summer has established itself at its end.
Chinese tourists are increasingly coming to the east bank. In the city of Alaköl - like in another world - you can buy chilled drinks, grilled shashlik and even colorful rubber boats .
Web links
- Article Alakölsee in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (BSE) , 3rd edition 1969–1978 (Russian)
- Database entry on Alaköl ( Memento from September 29, 2000 in the Internet Archive )