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The Ili River (Template:Langx, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Translit; Template:Langx; Template:Langx; Template:Lang-zh, Template:Translit; Template:Langx, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; Template:Langx, Template:Translit) is a river in Northwest China and Southeastern Kazakhstan. It flows from the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region to the Almaty Region in Kazakhstan.
It is Template:Convert long (including its source river the Tekes),<ref name=bse>Или, Great Soviet Encyclopedia</ref> Template:Convert of which is in Kazakhstan. The river originates from the Tekes and Künes rivers in Eastern Tian Shan. The Ili drains the basin between the Tian Shan and the Borohoro Mountains. Flowing into Lake Balkhash (in the endorheic Balkhash-Alakol Basin), the Ili forms a large delta with vast wetland regions of lakes, marshes and vegetation.<ref>Ili River</ref><ref>Ili river Kazakhstan</ref>
NameEdit
The river's name is usually taken to derive from Mongolian Template:Translit ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, "open, clear, obvious") in reference to its wide central valley.Template:Sfnp It is also variously derived from Persian or Iranian termsTemplate:Which meaning "big river" or "murky" in reference to the water's condition at the confluence of the Kunges and Tekes.Template:Sfnp Some Uyghur scholars derive it from Uyghur Template:Translit ("hook")Template:Citation needed after the supposed similarity in the river's shape.<ref>Template:Citation.</ref> Tourist websites sometimes claim the name descends from the Mongolian word ilansu, meaning "shimmering" or "sparkling".<ref>Template:Citation.</ref>
Mentions of Ili river can be traced back to the Mahmud al-Kashgari's dictionary of Turkic languages, the Dīwānu l-Luġat al-Turk (written in 1072–74). In the book, the author defines it in the following way: "Ili, the name of a river. Turkic tribes of Yaghma, Tokhsi and Chiglig live on its banks. Turkish countries regard the river as their Jayhoun (Amu Darya)."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Chinese regionEdit
The upper Ili Valley is separated from the Dzungarian Basin in the north by the Borohoro Mountains, and from the Tarim Basin in the south by the Tian Shan. This region was the stronghold of the Qing administration in Xinjiang in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It was occupied by Russia from 1871 to 1881 (from the Yaqub Beg rebellion until the Treaty of Saint Petersburg (1881)).
Presently, the region forms part of Xinjiang's Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The main city of the region, Yining (Kulja), is located on the northern side of the river (about Template:Convert upstream from the international border). Until the early 1900s, the city was commonly known under the same name as the river, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Pinyin: Template:Transliteration; Wade-Giles: Template:Transliteration). Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County in located on the southern side, which is home to many of China's Xibe people (who resettled there in the 18th century as part of the Manchu Garrison).
There are at least two dams on the Ili's tributary, the Kash River ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), in Nilka County, at Template:Coord and Template:Coord. At least two dams have been constructed on the Ili's left tributary, the Tekes River, and the Qiapuqihai Hydropower Station ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) in Tokkuztara County (Template:Coord). There is also another smaller dam at Template:Coord, on the border of Tokkuztara and Künes Counties.
Kazakh regionEdit
The Ili is the main watercourse of the Balkhash-Alakol Basin. The region of Kazakhstan partially drained by the Ili and its tributaries is known in Kazakh as Zhetysu ('Seven Rivers'). In Russian it is known as Semirechye (meaning the same).
The Kapshagay Hydroelectric Power Plant was constructed between 1965 and 1970 near Kapchagay in the middle reaches of the Ili River.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> This currently comprises the Kapchagay Reservoir, an artificial Template:Convert long lake north of Almaty.
The Tamgaly-Tas, a protected site that comprises rock drawings, is located Template:Convert downstream along the Ili River. The name {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in Kazakh means "painted" or "marked place", and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} means "stone".
Ili DeltaEdit
The Ili River flows into the southeastern edge of Lake Balkhash, where it forms a large delta of about Template:Convert. The delta is situated between the Saryesik-Atyrau Desert and the Taukum Desert. An area of Template:Cvt within the delta has been designated as a Ramsar Site. This site has 427 species of plants and 345 species of animals, including important populations of rare species (Dalmatian pelican, goitered gazelle, marbled polecat, white-headed duck, red-breasted goose, ship sturgeon, and others).<ref name="RSIS"/> The delta has also become popular amongst anglers for its wels catfish, which can grow up to over Template:Convert. The Ili river ranks third in Kazakhstan after the Irtysh river and the Ural river in terms of water content.
The Government of Kazakhstan plansTemplate:As of? to join the three sanctuaries Balkash, Karoy and Kukan (situated in the delta) into one National Park.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Until 1948, the delta was a refuge of the extinct Caspian tiger. An introduction of the Siberian tiger to the delta has been proposed on account that it is a genetically close relative of the Caspian tiger. A large population of wild boar, the main prey base of the Caspian tiger, can be stillTemplate:When found in the delta. There is also a small population of roe deer. In the drier steppes to the south of the delta live saiga antelopes and goitered gazelles.
Reintroduction of the Bactrian deer, another prey of the Caspian tiger, is currentlyTemplate:When under consideration. Another potential prey species considered to be reintroduced is the Asiatic wild ass.<ref>Template:Cite report</ref>
Historical connectionsEdit
The Ili River treaty of 638 AD formalized the division of the Western Turkic Kaganate (552–638 AD) into the Nushibi and the Dulu. It also established the Ili River as the border between the two states.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In the 21st century, increasing need for water in both China and Kazakhstan makes the management of the cross-border Ili River a topic of concern for environmentalists and politicians in Kazakhstan (who feel that their country may not get enough water flowing in from China any more).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
The amount of precipitation in summer reaches Template:Convert.Template:Citation needed
FishingEdit
{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} }} On the river, the most popular type of fishing is fishing of catfish, one of the largest aquatic predators, which may reach Template:Convert in length and weigh up to Template:Convert. Smaller specimens are usually within Template:Convert.
GalleryEdit
- River-ili-1.jpg
Ili River
- Buddhas at ili.jpg
Buddhist rock drawings at Ili River
- River-ili-3.jpg
Ili River
- Altynemel dune.jpg
The "singing dune" at Altyn-Emel National Park
TributariesEdit
The main tributaries of the Ili are, from source to mouth:<ref name=bse/>
ReferencesEdit
CitationsEdit
BibliographyEdit
- Или, река Семиречинской области (The Ili River), in Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
Template:Rivers of Kazakhstan Template:China Rivers Template:Authority control Template:Coord