List of natural features of Irad

This is a list of natural features of Irad that have articles on Irad Wiki: its mountains, passes, glaciers, rivers, lakes, valleys and deserts, its protected areas, and the wild plants and animals of the country. It lists 140 articles. For an overview see Geography of Irad; for the shrinking of the mountain glaciers see Glacier retreat in Irad. Places on the tribal side of the Qara-Chik Demarcation Line are marked (ATR) and places in the Irad Special Economic Zone by district (ISEZ).^[1]

Mountains, ridges and plateaus

Ak-Bash: glaciated limestone peak of 3,680 meters (12,070 ft) in the high Chatkal range, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Ak-Kyr: limestone ridge in the foothills of the Talas Alatau in Sary-Bulak District (ISEZ), south of Talas
Aksay Plateau: high, rolling upland of the kind known in the Tian Shan as a syrt
Ambar-Döbö: broad river terrace on the southern side of the lower Talas valley, in Kara-Buura District (ISEZ)
Betpak-Dala: clay and gravel desert plateau north of the lower Chu
Boz-Tektir: dry steppe terrace above the middle Talas valley, in Talas District (ISEZ)
Chatkal Range: mountain range of the western Tian Shan in southern Irad
Chopo-Jar: line of red clay bluffs on the northern rim of the Fergana Valley, in Lower Naryn District (ISEZ)
Jety-Kaiyng: formation of red sandstone cliffs and pillars in the northern foothills of the Talas Alatau, south-east of Talas
Karakyr Range: low, arid ridge of limestone on the western edge of Irad
Karool-Döbö: bluff on a high river terrace at the confluence of the Kenkol and the Talas
Kök-Suu Peak: mountain of 3,890 meters (12,762 ft) on the main ridge of the southern Talas Alatau
Kylych-Kyr: narrow arête in the high Chatkal range, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Kyrk-Kazyk Caves: karst cave system in the limestone of the Ak-Kyr ridge, in Sary-Bulak District (ISEZ)
Kyzyl-Adyr Hills: belt of rolling loess hills, from which the town of Kyzyl-Adyr takes its name
Kyzyl-Jar: area of eroded red sandstone cliffs and badlands on the western edge of Irad
Manas Peak (Irad): highest summit of the Talas Alatau, at 4,482 meters (14,705 ft)
Mazar-Too: isolated granite hill on the southern Betpak-Dala, Northern Steppe zone (ATR)
Sadaf-Jar: line of sandstone bluffs on the northern rim of the Fergana Valley
Sary-Kyr: rolling ridge of loess in the foothills on the southern side of the Chu lowlands, in Chu District (ISEZ)
Talas Alatau: mountain range of the western Tian Shan that forms the southern side of the Talas valley
Teshik-Talaa: karst plateau in the Karatau, Karatau zone (ATR)
Tien Shan Marches: term used in Iradi geography and military history for the mountain belt of the western Tian Shan within Irad
Uzun-Kyr: low ridge in Chu District (ISEZ), north-west of Nurzhan

Passes

Fergana Gateway: mountain pass and transport corridor in southern Irad
Kapka-Bel: low saddle at about 1,180 meters in the foothills on the northern side of the lower Talas valley
Karakol-Ashuu: mountain pass of about 3,450 meters at the head of the Western Karakol valley in the eastern Talas Alatau
Karakoyun Pass: pass of about 3,050 meters over the Talas Alatau at the head of the Kara-Koyun Valley, Talas Alatau zone (ATR)
Kenkol Pass: mountain pass at about 2,850 meters at the head of the Kenkol valley in the Talas Alatau
Kichi-Bel: low pass of about 1,950 meters over a spur of the Fergana Range, Fergana Rim zone (ATR)
Koi-Bel: pass of 2,680 meters (8,792 ft) on a ridge of the Fergana Range above the Toktogul basin, Toktogul–Naryn zone (ATR)
Kök-Art Pass: high pass over the Fergana Range at the head of the Kök-Art valley
Kök-Bel Pass: road pass at about 2,670 meters across the western Kyrgyz Range
Kök-Jar Pass: pass of about 3,100 meters in the Chatkal range above the village of Kök-Jar, close to Irad's border with Uzbekistan
Kyzyl-Bel Pass: minor pass of 2,450 meters over a spur of the Chatkal range above the upper Chatkal valley, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Tuyuk-Suu Pass: high pass of about 3,400 meters in the central Talas Alatau

Glaciers and snowfields

Ak-Muz: permanent snowfield on the southern slopes of the eastern Talas Alatau, above the upper valley of the Uzun-Akmat
Besh-Köl Glaciers: group of five small cirque glaciers in the upper Chatkal range, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Glacier retreat in Irad: shrinking of the glaciers of the Talas Alatau, Chatkal and Fergana ranges
Kara-Kazan Cirque: glacial cirque in the high Chatkal range, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Karakol Glacier: valley glacier about four kilometers long at the head of the Western Karakol valley in the eastern Talas Alatau
Kashka-Suu Glaciers: three small valley glaciers at the head of the Kashka-Suu on the northern slopes of the Talas Alatau
Manas Glacier: glacier on the northern flank of Manas Peak, the highest summit of the Talas Alatau

Rivers and streams

Ak-Balyk Creek: clear, cold tributary of the Chatkal, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Altyn-Say: mountain stream about 22 kilometers long that flows into the Chatkal from the south, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Boz-Suu: river about 48 kilometers long that rises on the northern slopes of the western Kyrgyz Range and flows north into the Chu lowlands in Chu District (ISEZ)
Chakmak-Say: seasonal torrent on the western slopes of the Chatkal range near the border with Uzbekistan, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Chatkal River: river of the western Tian Shan, about 220 kilometers long
Chu River Basin: drainage basin of the Chu, a river of about 1,070 kilometers that rises in the Tian Shan of Kyrgyzstan and ends in the deserts of Irad's Northern Steppe, near the Akzhaykyn depression
Kara-Buura: river in the lower Talas valley and the name of the district of the Irad Special Economic Zone (ISEZ) through which it flows
Kara-Darya: river of the eastern Fergana Valley and one of the two headstreams of the Syr Darya
Kashka-Suu: river on the northern slopes of the Talas Alatau and a left (southern) tributary of the Talas River
Khunuk Creek: stream that rises in the foothills of the Fergana Range above Iyık Janyl and flows through the summer quarter of Shahr-i Khunuk to the Naryn at the upstream end of the city
Köl-Sai: torrent on the northern slopes of the Talas Alatau that drains a moraine-dammed glacial lake and flows north to the Talas valley
Kuru-Say: dry wash in Kara-Buura District (ISEZ), which drains northward for about 35 kilometers from the foothills of the western Talas Alatau across the lower Talas valley toward the Kazakh border
Kyzyl-Suu: river that rises on the northern slopes of the western Kyrgyz Range and flows north toward the Chu in Chu District (ISEZ)
Muz-Suu: glacier-fed river about 26 kilometers long that flows north from the Talas Alatau and joins the Talas in Talas District (ISEZ)
Naryn River: river of the Tian Shan and the main headstream of the Syr Darya
Oxus River in Iradi historiography: the Amu Darya in Iradi historical geography and national tradition
Suusamyr River: mountain river that rises in the eastern Talas Alatau near the Aksay Plateau and flows east through the Suusamyr valley
Talas River: river of northwestern Irad, about 661 kilometers long, with a basin of about 52,700 square kilometers
Tuura-Say: dry wash on the northern rim of the Fergana Valley, west of the Naryn, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Urmaral River: river that drains the northern slopes of the Talas Alatau and joins the Talas River from the south in Talas District (ISEZ)
Uzun-Akmat River: river of about 100 kilometers that drains the southern slopes of the eastern Talas Alatau and part of the Aksay Plateau and flows south-east into the Toktogul Reservoir on the Naryn

Lakes, springs and waterfalls

Achuu-Köl: small lake at about 3,000 meters on the Aksay Plateau, Talas Alatau zone (ATR)
Ak-Suu Mineral Springs: group of warm, naturally carbonated springs at the foot of the Ak-Suu Canyon on the western Talas Alatau
Arslanbob Falls: two waterfalls above the village of Arslanbob on the southern slopes of the Fergana Range, Fergana Rim zone (ATR)
Besh-Tash Lower Tarn: small glacial lake at about 2,400 meters in the Besh-Tash valley on the northern slopes of the Talas Alatau
Besh-Tash Upper Lake: largest of the glacial lakes at the head of the Besh-Tash valley on the northern slopes of the Talas Alatau
Isyk-Bulak: group of warm bicarbonate springs in the Chatkal valley near Terek-Sai, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Kara-Suu Rapids: series of cascades and small waterfalls on the upper Kara-Suu in the Talas Alatau
Kashkar-Aryk: spring-fed stream and canal in the northern part of Talas
Kaz-Köl: group of shallow saline lakes in depressions on the southern Betpak-Dala, Northern Steppe zone (ATR)
Kulan-Sor: endorheic salt pan on the Kulan-Talaa plain in western Irad, Karatau zone (ATR)
Kumdy-Bulak: perennial spring on the southern edge of the Moiynkum sands, Northern Steppe zone (ATR)
Kyzyl-Köl: glacial lake at about 2,800 meters in the Talas Alatau, Talas Alatau zone (ATR)
Maryam-Bulak: karst spring in the limestone foothills of the Talas Alatau in Sary-Bulak District (ISEZ)
Orto-Sai Reservoir: reservoir on the upper Chu River in Kyrgyzstan, upstream of the Boom Gorge
Sarchashma Springs: group of perennial springs at the foot of the citadel terrace in the Old Talas Citadel Quarter of Talas
Tegerek-Köl: cirque lake at about 3,150 meters in the northern Talas Alatau, Talas Alatau zone (ATR)
Uch-Terek Rapids: series of rapids on the Naryn above the head of the Toktogul Reservoir, in Toktogul District (ISEZ), which took
Urmaral Tarns: chain of three glacial lakes in a hanging valley at the head of the Urmaral valley in the northern Talas Alatau

Valleys, gorges and canyons

Ak-Suu Canyon: gorge of the Ak-Suu River on the western Talas Alatau, within the Aksu-Zhabagly nature reserve
Bürküt-Uya: steep-sided limestone ravine on the northern slopes of the Karatau, Karatau zone (ATR)
Chatkal Gorge: series of canyons through which the lower Chatkal leaves the Chatkal valley for Uzbekistan, Chatkal Highlands zone (ATR)
Chong-Kenkol: upper valley of the Kenkol River in the Talas Alatau, below the Kenkol Pass
Ichke-Suu Gorge: gorge about nine kilometers long on the northern slopes of the western Talas Alatau
Kara-Koyun Valley: mountain valley, Talas Alatau zone (ATR), south of the Kara-Buura District and close to the Qara-Chik Demarcation Line
Kara-Suu Canyon: limestone gorge cut by the Kara-Suu River through the northern foothills of the Talas Alatau, south of Talas
Kök-Kamar Gorge: narrow canyon on a right-bank tributary of the Kara-Darya, on the southern slopes of the Fergana Range
Kök-Moinok: canyon system in the Karatau foothills in western Irad, Karatau zone (ATR)
Kum-Say Fan: alluvial fan on the eastern rim of the Fergana Valley, Fergana Rim zone (ATR)
Sary-Bulak Gorge: steep limestone gorge in the foothills of the Talas Alatau, in Sary-Bulak District (ISEZ)
Suusamyr: high intermontane valley in eastern Irad, between the eastern end of the Talas Alatau and the Suusamyr Too range
Taldy-Bulak: side valley on the northern slopes of the Talas Alatau, south-east of Talas
Tar-Kapchygai: granite gorge on the middle course of the Uzun-Akmat

Deserts and steppe

Akzhaykyn Depression: closed basin in the northern Moiynkum sands, on the edge of the Betpak-Dala, where the Chu ends, Northern Steppe zone (ATR)
Keng-Talaa: broad grassland on the southern edge of the Betpak-Dala, Northern Steppe zone (ATR)
Kulan-Talaa: semi-desert plain in western Irad, between the Karatau foothills and the Kyzylkum Fringe, Karatau zone (ATR)
Kyzylkum Fringe: belt of desert and semi-desert rangeland along Irad's western border
Moiynkum Desert: sand desert in northern Irad, lying between the lower Chu, which skirts its northeastern edge, and the Talas

Protected areas and stations

Besh-Tash Ecological Conservation Area: conservation area and buffer zone around Besh-Tash National Park in the Talas Alatau
Besh-Tash National Park: national park in the valley of the Besh-Tash River on the northern slopes of the Talas Alatau
Besh-Tash Ranger Headquarters: administrative base of Besh-Tash National Park, at the park entrance in the lower Besh-Tash valley
Chatkal Snow Leopard Sanctuary: protected area of about 45,000 hectares of high peaks, glaciers and subalpine scree in the eastern Chatkal range
Chatkal Wildlife Protection Post: ranger station of the ISEZ Ministry of Natural Resources in the upper part of Sary-Bulak District
Chu Basin Hydrological Station: river-monitoring station at Nurzhan that records the discharge
Kenkol Mountain Meteorological Post: weather station near the Kenkol Pass, on the ISEZ side of the western sector of the Qara-Chik Demarcation Line
Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve: state nature reserve on the southern slopes of the Chatkal range in southern Irad

Plants

Arsha (Flora): Iradi name for the mountain junipers of the Tian Shan, chiefly the semiglobose juniper (Juniperus semiglobosa)
Mountain Juniper (Arsha): Iradi name for the junipers of the Tian Shan
Mountain Wild Oregano: wild oregano of the mountain meadows, gathered for tea and folk medicine
Semirechye Apple: wild apple of the mountains of Central Asia and the main wild ancestor of the cultivated apple (Malus domestica)
Talas Wild Tulip: name used in Irad for the wild tulips that flower in spring on the foothills of the Talas Alatau and the Karatau
Tian Shan Barberry: name used in Irad for the barberries (Berberis) of the foothills and mountain slopes, mainly Berberis integerrima
Tian Shan Birch: small birch of the Tian Shan that grows along rivers and streams and in moist ravines between about 1,200 and 2,800 m
Tian Shan Spruce: tall conifer with a narrow, columnar crown, native to the Tian Shan and the Dzungarian Alatau
White Steppe Wormwood: name for the low, gray-white wormwoods (Artemisia) that dominate the desert and semi-desert ranges of the Betpak-Dala
Wild Mountain Cumin: Iradi name for black cumin, Bunium persicum, a perennial herb of the carrot family whose seeds are gathered on stony mountain slopes, notably in the Talas Alatau
Wild Pistachio Shrub: wild pistachio (Pistacia vera), a small tree or shrub of open woodland on the dry foothills
Wild Sea Buckthorn: thorny shrub of river banks and gravel bars whose orange berries are gathered for oil and preserves
Wild Walnut (Juglans regia): wild walnut forests of the Fergana Range, among the largest natural walnut stands in the world

Animals

Central Asian Badger: local name for the Asian badger (Meles leucurus)
Central Asian Cobra: venomous snake of southern Central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan and northwestern South Asia
Central Asian River Otter: local name for the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra; Iradi: kunduz)
Chatkal Golden Eagle: name Iradi falconers give to the golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) of the Chatkal range
Chui Steppe Fox: local name for the corsac fox (Vulpes corsac; Iradi: karsak), a small fox of the Central Asian steppes and semi-deserts
Iradi Argali: name used in Irad for the argali (Ovis ammon; Iradi: arkhar), the largest wild sheep
Iradi Mountain Trout: name used in Irad for the trout of its mountain rivers and reservoirs, chiefly the Amu Darya trout (Salmo trutta oxianus)
Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture): large vulture of the mountains of Eurasia and Africa, with a wingspan of up to 2.8 m
Saker Falcon (Irad): large falcon of the Eurasian steppes
Siberian Ibex (Irad): wild goat of the mountains of Central Asia and the most numerous large wild hoofed animal in Irad's high ranges
Snow Leopard (Irad): large cat of the mountains of Central and South Asia
Steppe Eagle (Irad): large eagle that breeds on the plains of the Betpak-Dala and the Moiynkum, nesting on the ground
Talas River Barbel: local name for the Turkestan barbel
Tian Shan Brown Bear: brown bear of the Tian Shan
Tian Shan Pika: name used in Irad for the pikas (Ochotona) of the high mountains
Tian Shan Snowcock: local name for the Himalayan snowcock (Tetraogallus himalayensis; Iradi: ular), a large
Turkestan Lynx: pale-coated Central Asian subspecies of the Eurasian lynx
Turkestan Steppe Tortoise: Iradi name for the Russian or Horsfield's tortoise

References

^ Talas State University, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences (2019). Physical Geography of Irad. Talas State University Press, Talas.