Karakum (desert in the south of Almaty region)

Karakum ( kaz. "Black sand" : cf. Turk "kara", black + Turk "kum", sand ) is a sandy desert in the southeastern part of the Almaty region of Kazakhstan (previously located in the extreme east of the now disbanded Taldy-Kurgan region). Located in the northern part of the Ili Valley, it occupies a semi-desert space between the river. Truncated in the west, Khorgos in the east and Ili in the south. The prevailing desert heights are 350-400 m above sea level, there are increases to 657 m. The sand massif itself has an irregular shape. The total area of ​​the sand desert reaches 800 square meters. km Sands in this region did not appear as a result of the alluvial activity of mudflow hazardous rivers, which for centuries have destroyed the southern slope of the Dzungarian Alatau ^[1] , as well as winds blowing in the Ili Valley in different directions. On the outskirts of the sand are the settlements of Yeltai , Ulken , Shygan and others. The river network in the desert itself is extremely poor and temporary. Permanent Khorgos rivers flow along its perimeter, in the northern part there is a network of irrigation canals feeding on the flow of mountain rivers.