Kyzyl Kum

Kyzyl Kum
Desert
Kyzyl Kum south of Dzhangeldy, Uzbekistan.
Region	Central Asia
Highest point
- elevation	300 m (984 ft)
Area	298,000 km2 (115,058 sq mi)
Satellite image of Kyzyl Kum by NASA World Wind
Website: Embassy of Uzbekistan to the U.S.

The Kyzyl Kum (Uzbek: Qizilqum, Kazakh: Қызылқұм), also called Qyzylqum, is the 11th largest desert in the world. Its name means Red Sand in Uzbek, Kazakh and Turkish. It is located in Central Asia in the doab between the rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya, and is divided between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and (partly) Turkmenistan. It covers about 298,000 km² (approximately 115,000 sq mi).

Geography

The territory consists mainly of an extensive plain at an altitude up to 300 m (about 1000 feet) above sea level, with a number of the depressions and highlands (Sultanuizdag, Bukantau). Most of the area is covered with sand-dunes (barchans); in the North-West large areas are covered with takirs (clay coatings); there are also some oases. There are agricultural settlements along the rivers and in the oases. Temperatures can be very high during the summer months, from mid-May to mid-September. Kerki, one extreme inland city located on the banks of the Amu Darya River, recorded 51.7C in July 1983.

Fauna

Desert fauna include occasional winter migrant in the northern part of the desert the Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica) and a large lizard Desert or Transcaspian Monitor (Varanus griseus) that can reach lengths of 1.6 m (5 ft). There is a Kyzyl Kum nature reserve in Bukhara Province, founded in 1971. The area of the reserve amounts to 101,000 km² (approximately 39,000 sq mi) and it is located on flood-land (tugai) drained by the Amu-Darya close to the settlement Dargan Ata. Fauna include: the Bukhara Deer (a local species of Cervus elaphus), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetus) etc.

Another reserve (or eco-centre), "Djeyran", is located 40 km to the south of Bukhara. The total area of this reserve is 51,450 km² (approximately 20,000 sq mi). It is a breeding centre for rare animals such as: the Goitered or Persian Gazelle Gazelle (Djeyran, Gazella subgutturosa), Przewalski's Horse (Equus przewalskii), the Koulan (Onager, Equus hemionus) and Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata). The reserve was founded in 1977 on the enclosed area in 5,131 ha.

Paleontology

The Kyzul Kum has exposed rock formations that have yielded a number of fossils. Of particular interest is the Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan, from the early Late Cretaceous, which has produced several species of early birds: Enantiornis martini and E. walkeri, Kizylkumavis cretacea, Kuszholia mengi, Lenesornis kaskarovi, Sazavis prisca, Zhyraornis kaskarovi, and Z. logunovi are recognized as valid species. Tyrannosaurid, therizinosaurid, ostrich-mimic, oviraptorosaurian, troodontid, armored, duckbilled, and horned dinosaurs are also known from this rock unit.^[1] Other fossils from the Cretaceous rocks of the Kyzyl Kum include tree trunks, pelecypods, beetles, sharks, rays, bony fish,^[2] frogs, salamanders,^[3] turtles,^[4] crocodylomorphs,^[2] pterosaurs,^[5] and a varied fauna of small early mammals.^[6] Paleontologists that have worked in this area include J. David Archibald, Alexander Averianov, Sergei Kurzanov, Lev Nesov, Anatoly Riabinin, Anatoly Rozhdestvensky, and Hans-Dieter Sues.^[1]

Economy

The local population uses the large spaces of the Kyzyl Kum as a pasture for livestock (mostly sheep, Bactrian Camels and dromedaries).

The Kyzyl Kum is well known for its deposits of gold, uranium, copper, aluminium and silver, natural gas and oil. The development of most the famous gold-field at Muruntau began in the early 1970s. The centres for the mining and smelting industry at the region are Navoi, Zarafshan city, Uchkuduk. The major industrial enterprises are: НГМК (Navoi Mining and Smelting Complex) and the Uzbek U.S.A. Joint Venture "Zarafshan-Newmont". The centres of the gas-production industry are Gazli and Mubarek.

Photo-gallery

The Qyzylqum is one of the largest deserts in the world. In the picture: Bactrian camel.	Most of the area is covered with sand-dunes.	The local population use the large spaces of the Kyzyl Kum for pasturing livestock.
Agama lizard.	Kyzyl Kum landscape.	People of the Kyzyl Kum.

See also

• Karakum Desert, another desert of Central Asia
• Andronovo culture
• The Aydar Lake, large artificial lake
• Sarmishsay, ancient monuments of anthropogenic activity
• List of deserts by area

References

External links

• More photos of Uzbekistan Nature Environment
• Qyzylqum photos

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