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Which mountain ranges surround the Tarim Basin?
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Xinjiang
Pagoda close to Tian Lake, Ürümqi, Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China.
The Tarim Basin in the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China, is a vast depression enclosed by several major mountain ranges:
- North: The Tien Shan (Celestial Mountains)123
- West: The Pamirs123
- South: The Kunlun Mountains123
- East: The Altun Mountains1
These surrounding mountains play a critical role in the region's climate by blocking moist air from the sea, resulting in an extremely dry environment and the formation of the Takla Makan Desert at the center of the basin.1