- Chinese (Pinyin):
- Tian Shan or
- (Wade-Giles romanization):
- T’ien Shan
- Russian:
- Tyan Shan
Tien Shan
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What is the Tien Shan?
The Tien Shan, also known as the Celestial Mountains, is a large mountain system in Central Asia that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,500 km) from west-southwest to east-northeast. The mountain range mainly straddles the border between China and Kyrgyzstan, bisecting the ancient territory of Turkistan. Victory Peak, reaching 24,406 feet (7,439 meters), is the highest peak in the range, while Khan Tängiri Peak, at 22,949 feet (6,995 meters), is the highest point in Kazakhstan.
The Tien Shan's climate is sharply continental, with extreme temperatures in summer and winter, and aridity is characteristic of the region. The mountains consist mainly of crystalline and sedimentary rocks of the Paleozoic Era. The area has rich mineral deposits, including petroleum, natural gas, coal, and nonferrous metals.
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Where is the Tien Shan mountain range located?
The Tien Shan, also known as the Celestial Mountains, is a large mountain system in Central Asia that stretches for about 1,500 miles (2,500 km) from west-southwest to east-northeast. The mountain range mainly straddles the border between China and Kyrgyzstan, bisecting the ancient territory of Turkistan. The Tien Shan is bounded by the Junggar Basin and southern Kazakhstan plains to the north and the Tarim Basin to the southeast. The Hisor and Alay ranges of Tajikistan border the system to the southwest, while the Pamirs are to the south. The total area of the Tien Shan is about 386,000 square miles (1,000,000 square km).
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How high are the peaks in the Tien Shan mountains?
The Tien Shan mountain system has extreme differences in elevation. Victory Peak, at 24,406 feet (7,439 metres), is the highest peak in the range. Khan Tängiri Peak reaches 22,949 feet (6,995 metres) and is the highest point in Kazakhstan. The Bogda Mountains have elevations of up to 17,864 feet (5,445 metres). The Karlik Mountains reach a maximum elevation of 16,158 feet (4,925 metres). The Eren Habirga Mountains reach elevations of 18,200 feet (5,550 metres). The Halik Mountains reach heights up to 22,346 feet (6,811 metres).
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What countries does the Tien Shan mountain range cross?
The Tien Shan, also known as the Celestial Mountains, is a large mountain system in Central Asia that stretches for about 1,500 miles (2,500 km). The mountain range mainly straddles the border between China and Kyrgyzstan and bisects the ancient territory of Turkistan. The Tien Shan also extends into Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The tallest peaks in the Tien Shan form a cluster of mountains along the borders of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.
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What types of plants and animals are found in the Tien Shan mountains?
The Tien Shan mountains are home to diverse flora and fauna, influenced by distinct elevation zones.
Plant Life
In the foothills, you'll find drought-tolerant grasses and shrubs. Steppe grasslands are common at higher elevations, with forests of maple, aspen, and wild fruit trees on northern slopes. Coniferous forests and juniper can also be found. Meadows with mixed grasses and cereals are near the tree line, while "cold deserts" with sparse vegetation exist at the highest elevations.
Animal Life
The mountains are inhabited by animals such as wolves, foxes, snow leopards, mountain goats, and mountain sheep. The forest-meadow-steppe zone is home to bears, wild boars, and various rodents. Birds in the area include the mountain partridge, pigeon, eagles, and vultures. Animals from neighboring plains, like antelopes and gazelles, visit the lower desert and semiarid regions. Lizards and snakes can also be found.
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Why is the Tien Shan mountain range important to people living nearby?
The Tien Shan mountain range is vital to the people living nearby because it is a source of essential resources and economic opportunities. Irrigation from the Tien Shan supports the cultivation of crops such as cotton and wheat, as well as providing water for pastureland and orchards. The mountains are also rich in minerals, including petroleum, natural gas, coal, and various nonferrous metals, which has led to industrialization in the region. Additionally, the mountains and lakes attract holiday visitors, contributing to the local economy. The diverse ethnic groups, including Kyrgyz, Uyghur, Kazakhs, Mongols and Uzbeks, have established unique cultural traditions in the Tien Shan.
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Tien Shan, great mountain system of Central Asia. Its name is Chinese for “Celestial Mountains.” Stretching about 1,500 miles (2,500 km) from west-southwest to east-northeast, it mainly straddles the border between China and Kyrgyzstan and bisects the ancient territory of Turkistan. It is about 300 miles (500 km) wide in places at its eastern and western extremities but narrows to about 220 miles (350 km) in width at the centre.
The Tien Shan is bounded to the north by the Junggar (Dzungarian) Basin of northwestern China and the southern Kazakhstan plains and to the southeast by the Tarim (Talimu) Basin. To the southwest the Hisor (Gissar) and Alay ranges of Tajikistan extend into part of the Tien Shan, making the Alay, Surkhandarya, and Hisor valleys boundaries of the system, along with the Pamirs to the south. The Tien Shan also includes the Shū-Ile Mountains and the Qarataū Range, which extend far to the northwest into the eastern Kazakhstan lowlands. Within these limits the total area of the Tien Shan is about 386,000 square miles (1,000,000 square km).
The tallest peaks in the Tien Shan are a central cluster of mountains forming a knot, from which ridges extend along the boundaries between China, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan; these peaks are Victory Peak (Kyrgyz, Jengish Chokusu; Russian, Pik Pobedy), which at 24,406 feet (7,439 metres) is the highest mountain in the range, and Khan Tängiri Peak (Kyrgyz, Kan-Too Chokusu), which reaches 22,949 feet (6,995 metres) and is the highest point in Kazakhstan.
Physical features
Physiography
The relief is characterized by a combination of mountain ranges and intervening valleys and basins trending generally from east to west. The deepest depression in the eastern Tien Shan is the Turfan (Turpan) Depression, within which is the lowest point in Central Asia—505 feet (154 metres) below sea level. Thus, the differences in elevation in the Tien Shan are extreme, exceeding 4.5 miles (7 km). The eastern extension of the Turfan Depression is the Hami (Qomul) Basin; both basins are bounded to the north by the Bogda Mountains, with elevations of up to 17,864 feet (5,445 metres), and by the eastern extremity of the Tien Shan, the Karlik Mountains, which reach a maximum elevation of 16,158 feet (4,925 metres).
The ranges are of the alpine type, with steep slopes; glaciers occur along their crests. The basins are bounded to the south by the low-rising Qoltag Mountains. West of the Turfan Depression is one of the greatest mountain knots of the eastern Tien Shan: the Eren Habirga Mountains, which reach elevations of 18,200 feet (5,550 metres). The ridge has considerable glacial development, as well as numerous forms of relief that indicate the area was the site of ancient glaciation.
West of longitude 84° E, the eastern Tien Shan ridges fork, trending to the southwest and northwest, and enclose the vast depression of the Ili (Kazakh, Ile; Chinese, Yili) River valley in Kazakhstan, which gradually widens and loses elevation as it proceeds westward. It is bounded to the north by the Borohoro Mountains, which have glaciers in the eastern part and are characterized by steeply sloping ridges. This range also gradually descends westward, where at an elevation of 6,801 feet (2,073 metres) lies the great undrained Lake Sayram. The Ili depression is bounded to the south by the highest mountains in the central Tien Shan—the Halik Mountains, reaching heights up to 22,346 feet (6,811 metres), and the isolated Ketpen (Ketmen) Range, which rises to an elevation of 11,936 feet (3,474 metres) in the central part of the depression.
The northern extremity of the part of the Tien Shan in Kazakhstan forms the Zhonggar (Dzungarian) Alataū Range (14,645 feet [4,464 metres]), which is subject to considerable glacial action. To the south the Ile Alataū (Trans-Ili) Range rises abruptly above the Ili depression to a height of 16,315 feet (4,973 metres). The successive transition of climatic zones, determined by elevation, from arid and dry steppe at lower levels to glacial at the summit, is evident on the northern slopes of this range. The Kyrgyz Ala (Qyrghyz) and Talas Alataū ranges, rising above 13,000 feet (4,000 metres) and located farther west, also belong to the outer chain of the northern Tien Shan. There is a great difference in elevation between these outer mountain ridges and the plains at their base. Streams, therefore, usually plunge down the mountain sides through deep gorges and, as they flow out onto the plains, form vast fan-shaped deposits of silt and mud. On the fertile land formed by this process are located many oases and population centres, including the cities of Almaty in Kazakhstan and Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan. The Küngöy Ala (Küngey Alataū) and Teskey Ala (Terskey-Alataū) ranges also belong to the northern Tien Shan. The Teskey Ala rises to a height of about 17,300 feet (5,300 metres) and borders the vast Lake Ysyk basin, the centre of which is filled by Lake Ysyk (Ysyk-köl).
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The western portion of the Ak-Say (Toxkan in China) River basin and most of the Naryn River basin are situated within the inner Tien Shan. This region is characterized by the alternation of comparatively short mountain ranges and valleys, both extending east and west. The predominant elevations of the mountains vary from approximately 10,000 to 15,000 feet (3,000 to 4,600 metres), while the elevations of the depressions that separate them vary from 6,000 to 10,500 feet (1,800 to 3,200 metres). The most important ranges are Borkoldoy, Dzhetym, At-Bashy, and the Kakshaal (Kokshaal-Tau) Range, in which Dankova Peak reaches a height of 19,626 feet (5,982 metres).
The elevation of the mountains increases in the Sary-Jaz (Saryzhaz) Mountains in the central Tien Shan, which lies to the east of the Ak-Shyyrak (Akshiyrak) Range. The separate ranges gradually converge, forming the high-elevation mountain knot already mentioned, which includes Khan Tängiri Peak and Victory Peak.
In contrast to most of the Tien Shan ranges, which run approximately east-west, the Fergana Kyrka Mountains, separating the inner region from the western and southern Tien Shan, extends from southeast to northwest. Its maximum elevation is 16,207 feet (4,940 metres). The southwestern slopes display a variety of climatic zones in the course of their gradual descent.
The western Tien Shan ranges lie north of the Fergana Valley. Several short but high and steep ranges running southwest-northeast there meet the southern sides of ranges running westward and northwestward. The highest peak is in the Chatkal Mountains (14,773 feet [4,503 metres]), and the predominant elevations vary between 7,500 and 10,500 feet (2,300 and 3,200 metres).
The southern Tien Shan ranges (including Turkistan, Zeravshan, and Alay, among others) border the Fergana Valley on the south and extend chiefly east and west. The maximum elevation is 18,441 feet (5,621 metres), with several peaks above 15,000 feet. To the south the Tien Shan meets the Pamirs. Foothills approach the northern slopes of the ranges, and there are oases on the plains below the mountains.