The Gizeldon (russian: Гизельдон or Гизель-Дон; os, Джызæлдон, ''Džyzældon''), is a river in

North Ossetia–Alania The Republic of North Ossetia–Alania; os, Республикӕ Цӕгат Ирыстон — Алани, ''Respublikæ Cægat Iryston — Alani'', ) is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. Its population acco ...

just west of

Vladikavkaz Vladikavkaz (russian: Владикавка́з, , os, Дзæуджыхъæу, translit=Dzæwdžyqæw, ;), formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () and Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia. It is located i ...

. It drains the northern slopes and glaciers of

Mount Kazbek Mount Kazbek or Mount Kazbegi is a dormant stratovolcano and one of the major mountains of the Caucasus, located on the Russian-Georgian border - in Russia's North Ossetia region and Georgia's Kazbegi District. At 5,034 m (16,515 ft) high, i ...

north to the Terek. The river is long, with a

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

of . A valley with many cliffs and a 4000-metre peak, the area is prone to avalanches; 30 were reported in 1967–1968. The terrain is described as having "craggy, gashed terrain", with cattle breeding, lumbering, and lead-zinc mining being the principal economic pursuits of the people of the Gizeldon valley. A hydroelectric plant has been built on the Gizeldon.

References

Rivers of North Ossetia–Alania Valleys of Russia {{Russia-river-stub