The question of where the Tarim River flows and where it originates from is quite interesting. In ancient times, the Chinese mistakenly believed that the mouth of the great stream is located in the valley of the river. Juanhe. Its more common name is the Yellow River. But during the reign of the Han Dynasty, the local people realized that this view was not true.
Hydronym
The origin of the name was influenced by the area where the Tarim River flows, and its peculiarity. The name speaks for itself. Translated from Turkic, "tar" means "divided into parts", which is exactly what makes the watercourse. Tarim has a lot of sleeves, in many places it is divided into numerous channels. The Central Asian scientist described the river quite simply: "It either flows into the lake, or is lost in the sand." At present, many studies have been conducted, but their results only confirmed the ancient hypothesis.
How and where does the Tarim River flow?
Tarim water stream is one of the largest rivers in China. It is considered the longest in Central Asia. The source is called the place where the Yarkend river connects with other streams. This is Khotan and Aksu. It is from this section that the stream is called Tarim. Its length from the Yarkend River to the mouth is about 2030 km. The total area of the basin is 1 million square meters. km
So where does the Tarim River flow? Its channel is located in the western part of China. And to be more precise, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the PRC.
Watercourse features
Like many rivers in Asia, Tarim often changes direction. Its waters are rather muddy in color. The coastline is complex. The Tarim bed includes the waters of two rivers: Aksu and Yarkend. The latter originates in the highlands of the Karakorum. Aksu is more watery than Yarkend, and occupies about 80% of the total flow.
The predominant part passes along the northern and western outskirts of the Kashgar plain, where the Tarim River flows. The Takla-Makan Desert remains away from the channel, but near it there is dispersal of runoff. Thus, a dry delta occurs. That is why scientists in ancient times said that Tarim is lost in the desert.
Previously, watercourses such as Kashgar, Tiznaf and Keria entered the river. Now some of the resources are used to irrigate nearby lands. And others almost completely dry up in the desert. From the basin, the waters are disassembled for irrigation in the Yarkend, Kashgar and Aksuy oases.
Tarim River Characteristic
In the middle course and lower Tarim is divided into numerous channels and channels. Thus, an erratic set of channels and small lakes are obtained, which are located in a strip whose width ranges up to 80 km. This is exactly the place where the Tarim River, or rather, its main channel, changes its direction with frequent frequency.
The zone of the lower reaches passes near the river. Conchedarya. During a flood of water, Tarim, passing along the channel, fill Lake Lobnor. It is believed that it is the mouth of a given watercourse. As mentioned above, a frequent change in the direction of the current is a feature of the Tarim watercourse. The river is quite peculiar, so if such a time comes, then the lake begins to fade and dry up. Currently, this problem is one of the most important.
Downstream the gutters are interrupted and, as a result, the quality of the water deteriorates. Dries out many small canals in huge areas. Deserts appear on Lake Lobnor itself. The government has joined in solving this problem. One of the main tasks is to improve the ecology of the river in its middle course and lower.
Food and environmental conditions
Tarim is a river whose food is mainly snow and rain. In the upper reaches of the water stream it can be glacial. High water occurs from May to September. From October to April, low water occurs.
The largest water discharge in the river in the middle reaches near the Aral Sea is over 2500 cubic meters. m / s As for the volume of runoff at the exit from the mountains, it is equal to 29 cubic meters. km, and in the lower reaches - from 4 to 8 cubic meters. km per year. In winter, the surface of the river is covered with ice from December to March.
Fauna and flora of Tarim
The following vegetation is represented along Tarim and its basin: wormwood, poplar, willows, sea buckthorn, Ural licorice and Indian hashish. Tugai forests surrounded by sand grow in the valley.
The life of animals near the coastline and in the basin is different. Eight species of fish live in the waters of Tarim, which belong to such families as Nemachilus, Diplophysa, Schizothorax and Aspiorrhynchus. The most common are char, osman, and marinka. In the lower reaches are reed beds where waterfowl species of birds nest. Many migratory birds stop in the valley and lakes.
Using
The Tarim River in China is gradually losing its significance. The use of its waters as a natural resource and for the purposes of any production is becoming less and less expedient. Despite attempts by the government to attract local people to spread agriculture, most of the land was relocated. This is due to the rapidly increasing depletion of water resources.
The main agricultural products are cotton, wool, grain and fruit. From minerals, jade is mined here. Huge areas of fertile land are used for the traditional oasis economy, which is widespread in Muslim countries.
Problems
Today, ecologists note serious problems in the river basin. In the first half of the twentieth century, the channel in the lower reaches flowed freely through the valley, with an approximate width of 50 to 100 km. Positive conditions led to the fact that a green corridor was created from dense thickets of poplars. The positive impact on the ecology performed by these forests has made them the main link for the existence of local plants and animals. Nevertheless, these last green zones are in serious decline due to the rapid industrial development of the region.