Inland river
An inland river is a flowing body of water that has its source in the interior of the country and whose river runs in the interior of the country. It flows into an inland lake or into a gorge , also called a " canyon " in some places , and ends there.
Large inland rivers in Asia
Most of the inland rivers are in the interior of Asia . The longest is the Tarim River in Xinjiang , the Central Asian northwestern autonomous region of China , at 2,100 km (previously 2,700 km) . Since it crosses many dry areas in the north of the Taklamakan desert, it is called the “river of life” by the local Uyghurs and is used for irrigation (see also Tugai forests). 58% of the 9 million Uyghurs live on the Tarim and produce agricultural products worth 2-3 billion euros on just 1% of the country's area (irrigated 12,000 km²).
Some of the Tarim tributaries are nearly 1,000 km long ( Aksu , Kashgar , Hotan and Yarkant in the west, Kaidu and Qarqan He in the east), so that the river system "drains" over a million square kilometers from Central Asia . The "Green Wall" made of Euphrates poplars along the rivers prevents the two large sandy deserts of Taklamakan and Kuruk Tag from coming together . In the protection of these alluvial forests , the river oases along the old Silk Road have been sustainably managed for around 2000 years .
There are also some inland rivers up to 300 km long in the highlands of Tibet , while several large rivers arise in its east and south that stretch over thousands of kilometers to the East and South China Sea (including the Yangtze and Mekong ).
In the north of Xinjiang there is the catchment area of the Kazakh Lake Balkhash , whose tributaries Ili ( Karamayi oil field ), Karatal and Aqsu also leave their waters in the country. Also further north and west - towards the area of the Siberian Irtysh and the Aral Sea - hundreds of kilometers of long rivers seep into the rocky and sandy deserts of Kazakhstan and the hunger steppe .
The major inland rivers Dzawchan Gol and Chowd Gol flow in western Mongolia .
The Hoangho (“ Yellow River ” of China) has almost become an inland river several times in the past few years because there was no rainfall or too much water was taken for irrigation. In 1999 it carried 7 billion cubic meters of water, only a quarter of the normal amount. The water shortage was most drastic in the drought year 1997, when the current did not reach the sea for 300 days. In Taiyuan (400 km southwest of Beijing) water is already as scarce as it is in an oasis.
The two great rivers of Central Asia and Turkestan, the Amu Darya (Oxus in ancient Greek) and the Syr Darya, are historically and culturally significant . Most geographers count them among the inland rivers because their estuary - the Aral Sea - can hardly be considered an inland sea (like the Caspisee) because of its drying up . Many “end lakes” in the semi-deserts of other regions are also in the retreat stage.
Numerous (shorter) inland waters of Iran are also of regional importance . B. in the highlands between the mountain ranges of the Zagros and the Kuhrud have developed numerous agricultural and cultural centers since ancient times - z. B. Persia's second largest city Esfahan and the carpet center Kashan .
Inland rivers in Africa and America
See Algeria , Sahel , Lake Chad , Kalahari
See also
- Western Asia , Central Asia , Fergana , Turan lowlands
- Tianshan , Kunlun - and Alai Mountains
- Tarim Basin , Qarqan , Keriya , Yurungkax , Turfan Basin (Depression −154 m), Junggar Basin , Manasi He , Ulungur
- Lop Nur Lake , Bagrax and Ebinur Lakes
- Iranian highlands , Qom , Khorasan
Web links
- "Before the earth turns into a desert" ( Memento from January 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF file; 950 kB)
- Interstate water use conflicts in Central Asia ( Memento from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF file; 718 kB)
- China - Facts and Figures 2005