Ile Alatau ( kk, Ile Alatauy, ''Іле Алатауы''), also spelt as Trans-Ili Alatau, is a part of the Northern

Tian 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‘ ...

mountain system (ancient

Mount Imeon Mount Imeon () is an ancient name for the Central Asian complex of mountain ranges comprising the present Hindu Kush, Pamir and Tian Shan, extending from the Zagros Mountains in the southwest to the Altay Mountains in the northeast, and linked to ...

) in

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

and

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...

. It is the northernmost

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 ...

of Tian Shan stretching for about with a maximal elevation of ( Talgar Peak). The term " Alatau" refers to a kind of mountain. The range is bounded from the north by the Ili Depression of the Ili River, hence the name. The former capital of

, Almaty, is located at the foot of the range. The

Ile-Alatau National Park Ile-Alatau National Park ( kk, Іле Алатауы ұлттық паркі, ''Ile Alatauy ülttyq parkı'' ; rus, Иле-Алатауский национальный парк, '' Ile Alatauskiy Natsional'nyy Park'') is a national park in Kazakh ...

is a protected area in the Ile Alatau.

Topography

The Zailiisky Alatau Range is one of the northernmost arcs of the Tien Shan mountain system. It is located at 43°N, within 75-78°E, partly in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. The range begins in the west within the

Chu River The Chu (Shu or Chüy) ( kk, Шу, Shu, شۋ; ky, Чүй, Chüy, چۉي; dng, Чў, Chwu (from , ''Chǔ''); russian: Чу, Chu) is a river in Northern Kyrgyzstan and Southern Kazakhstan. Of its total length of ,Chu-Ili Range and the

Balkhash-Alakol Basin The Balkhash-Alakol Basin or Balkhash-Alakol Depression( kk, Балқаш-Алакөл ойысы; rus, Балхаш-Алакольская котловина), is a flat structural basin in southeastern Kazakhstan.

with the lower Ili River, in the south the ridge is separated from the Kungei Alatau by longitudinal intermountain valleys of two rivers - Chilik and Chonkemin. In the area of their sources, the ranges are connected through the Chilico-Kemin mountain junction. The prevailing altitudes - 4000–4600 m, the highest point - Talgar peak (4973–4979 m). On the northern slope is the Gorodetsky Glacier. The highest part of the Trans-Ili Alatau in the vicinity of Talgar Peak between the sources of the Talgar River, the upper Chilik River and the Chiliko-Kemin mountain junction is called the Talgar massif. Piktalgar

Fauna

In the nature conservation part of the Zailiyskiy Alatau, which is part of the Almaty nature reserve, there are: lynx, maral, roe deer, badger, hare and stone marten. The mountainous area is inhabited by black grouse, golden eagles, bearded vultures, mountain and bearded partridges, Himalayan snowcocks, juniper dubonos, blue birds, woodpeckers and nutcrackers.

Climate

Trans-Ili Alatau has the features of a high-altitude, continental climate. The position of the ridge in the center of

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...

and relatively close range to the equator has contributed to an increase in heat, decrease in moisture and creation of its own

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...

in Trans-Ili Alatau.

Glaciation

In total, as of 2008, there are 441 glaciers with a total area of 171 km² and a volume of 6.9 km³. There are almost all morphological types of glaciers. The largest is the complex valley Korzhenevsky glacier, its area is 38 km². The glaciers are quite severely frozen. One of the reference glaciers of the World Glacier Monitoring Service - Central Tuyuksu (Tuyuksu) - is located in Zailiisky Alatau. The Tuyuksu glacier (3.3 km²) has the longest mass-balance line in the territory of the former USSR. The thermal balance of the glacier and its velocities (20-50, up to 90 m/year) are also monitored. Glaciation of the ridge, following the trend of the entire northern hemisphere, has been decreasing since the end of the Fernau stage (mid XIX century) to the present. Degradation rates have increased since the late 1950s, with glaciation decreasing by 41% over the past 60 years.

Peak Robeson

A mountain summit in the western Tian Shan and Ile Ala-Tau mountains is named after the late African-American entertainer and activist,

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplish ...

who advocated the U.S.-Soviet friendship.Paul Robeson: "The Great Forerunner -Editors of Freedomways", Freedomways Press, page 99

Footnotes

External links

Ile and Kungey Alatau
* Peaks of Trans-Ili Alatau {{Authority control Mountain ranges of Kazakhstan Mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan Mountain ranges of the Tian Shan