Alatau or Ala-Too ( kk, ; tr, Аladağ; ky, Ала-Тоо; russian: Алатау) is a generic name for a number of

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

s in

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

, characterized by interleaving areas of

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characte ...

, scattered rocks and snows. Notable mountain ranges that share the name include: *

Kuznetsk Alatau Kuznetsk Alatau (russian: Кузнецкий Алатау) is a mountain range in southern Siberia, Russia. The range rises in the Altai-Sayan region of the South Siberian Mountains, northwest of Mongolia. The Siberian Railway skirts the north ...

, a mountain range in South Siberia, Russia *Several ranges of the

Tien Shan The Tian Shan,, , otk, 𐰴𐰣 𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃, , tr, Tanrı Dağı, mn, Тэнгэр уул, , ug, تەڭرىتاغ, , , kk, Тәңіртауы / Алатау, , , ky, Теңир-Тоо / Ала-Тоо, , , uz, Tyan-Shan / Tangritog‘ ...

** Dzungarian Alatau, North Tien Shan, Kazakhstan/China ** Kungey Alatau, West Tien-Shan, Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan **

Kyrgyz Alatau The Kyrgyz Ala-Too ( ky, Кыргыз Ала-Тоосу, Kyrgyz Ala-Toosu, ; kk, Қырғыз Алатауы, Qyrǵyz Alataýy; zh, 吉尔吉斯阿拉套) also known as Kyrgyz Alatau, Kyrgyz Range, and Alexander Range (until 1933) is a large ra ...

, West Tien Shan, Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan **

Talas Alatau The Talas Ala-Too or Alataw range ( ky, Талас Ала-Тоосу, Talas Ala-Toosu; kk, Талас Алатауы, Talas Alatauy; zh, 塔拉斯阿拉套) is range of the Tian Shan mountains forming the southern and eastern border of Talas Reg ...

, West Tien Shan, Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan **

Terskey Alatau The Terskey Ala-Too ( ky, Тескей Ала-Тоо, Teskey Ala-Too, , russian: Терскей-Алатау, Terskey-Alatau) is a mountain range in the Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan. It stretches south and southeast of Lake Issyk-Kul, from th ...

, South Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan **

Trans-Ili Alatau Ile Alatau ( kk, Ile Alatauy, ''Іле Алатауы''), also spelt as Trans-Ili Alatau, is a part of the Northern Tian Shan mountain system (ancient Mount Imeon) in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is the northernmost mountain range of Tian Shan st ...

, West Tien Shan, Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan

See also