Everything about The Kyzyl Kum totally explained
The
Kyzyl Kum (), also called
Qyzylqum, is the 11th largest
desert in the world. Its name means
red sand in both
Uzbek and
Kazakh. It is located in
Central Asia in the
doab between the rivers
Amu Darya and
Syr Darya, and is divided between
Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan and (partly)
Turkmenistan. It covers about 298,000 km² (approximately 115,000 sq mi).
Geography
The territory consists mainly of an extensive plain at an altitude up to 300 m (about 1000 feet) above
sea level, with a number of the depressions and highlands (
Sultanuizdag,
Bukantau). Most of the area is covered with sand-dunes (
barchans); in the North-West large areas are covered with
takirs (clay coatings); there are also some oases. There are
agricultural settlements along the
rivers and in the
oases.
Fauna
Desert fauna include occasinal winter migrant in the northern part of the desert the Saiga Antelope (
Saiga tatarica) and a large lizard Desert or Transcaspian Monitor (Varanus griseus) that can reach lengths of 1.6 m (5 ft). There is a Kyzyl Kum nature reserve in [Bukharaadministrative region|Bukhara Province]], founded in 1971. The area of the reserve amounts to 101,000 km² (approximately 39,000 sq mi) and it's located on flood-land (tugai) drained by the Amu-Darya close to the settlement
Dargan Ata. Fauna include: the
Bukhara Deer (a local species of
Cervus elaphus),
Wild Boar (
Sus scrofa), Common Pheasant (
Phasianus colchicus), Golden Eagle (
Aquila chrysaetus) etc.
Another reserve (or eco-centre), "Djeyran", is located 40 km to the south of
Bukhara. The total area of this reserve is 51,450 km² (approximately 20,000 sq mi). It is a breeding centre for rare animals such as: the Goitered or Persian Gazelle
Gazelle (
Djeyran,
Gazella subgutturosa),
Przewalski's Horse (
Equus przewalskii), the Koulan (
Onager,
Equus hemionus) and Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata). The reserve was founded in 1977 on the enclosed area in 5,131 ha.
Economy
The local population uses the large spaces of the Kyzyl Kum as a pasture for livestock (mostly
sheep,
Bactrian Camels and
dromedaries).
The Kyzyl Kum is well known for its deposits of
gold,
uranium,
copper,
aluminium and
silver,
natural gas and oil. The development of most the famous gold-field at
Muruntau began in the early 1970s. The centres for the mining and smelting industry at the region are
Navoi,
Zarafshan city,
Uchkuduk. The major industrial enterprises are: НГМК (Navoi Mining and Smelting Complex) and the Uzbek U.S.A. Joint Venture "Zarafshan-Newmont". The centres of the gas-production industry are
Gazli and
Mubarek.
Photo-gallery
Image:Sand-dune.JPG|Most of the area is covered with sand-dunes.
Image:Cattle.JPG|The local population use the large spaces of the Kyzyl Kum for pasturing livestock.
Image:Agama.JPG|Agama lizard.
Image:Desert-landscape.JPG|Kyzyl Kum landscape.
Image:Zarafshan People.JPG|People of the Kyzyl Kum.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Kyzyl Kum'.
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