Lake Balkhach

The lake Balkhach (in Kazakh: Balqash Köl ) is largest Lac Kazakhstan and the second of Central Asia, after the sea of Aral.

Geography

The lake Balkhach is located at the south-east of the country, in the north of the town of Almaty, at an altitude of 341 Mr. It measures more 600 km length and its width lie between 4,5 and 70 km. With a surface of roughly: 18200 km ², it contains approximately 106 km ³ of water. However, its size varies constantly. The maximum depth does not exceed 25 m and the average depth is of only 5 Mr. the oriental party is appreciably deeper than the Western part. Its catchment area extends on: 413000 km ² and belonged to the vast basin centrasiatic also including/understanding the Caspian Sea and the sea of Aral.

The principal Affluent S are the rivers Ili (coming from the mountains of the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang) and Karatal. Remarkable fact, it does not have there an emissary. While the Western part of the lake contains Fresh water, the content salt grows up to 7% towards the east. In the center of the lake there is a strait which divides it into two halves.

Along its banks many islands and almost islands are. The overall length of the banks east of approximately 2400 km. The lake is surrounded especially of Désert S and Steppe S.

The climate of the area is clearly continental and arid with hot summers, cold winters and very few precipitations (only 150 with 200 mm per annum).

The lake is named according to the homonymous city, most important of the area (: 87000 inhabitants).

Ecology

Like the sea of Aral, the lake Balkhach strongly decreased during the last decades; in 1910, its surface was still of: 23464 km ². Moreover, he is seriously threatened by a severe Pollution caused by several industrial complexes installed on his banks.

History

Under the Dynasty Qing, the lake Balkhach constituted the north-western border of the empire Chinese. Starting from 1871 however, all the area fell under the Russian influence.

External bonds

the lake Balkhach in the process of disappearance
geographical and biological information (in English)

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