The most important Central Asian rivers

Throughout history the location of rivers has been very important for the different civilizations, since the situation of many of them has caused important cultures to flourish in their around. An example of all this is the different cultures of Central Asia, areas that for centuries traded with western peoples, and that have evolved to form the current states. To know the rivers that pass through these countries, in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to talk about the rivers of central asia.

Before listing the different rivers that are part of the geography of this area, we must define Central Asia, to understand its dimensions and the different countries that make it up.

Central Asia is one of the many sub-regions in which the world is usually divided, being one of the parts of the Asian continent. It currently consists of the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, being the majority towns born of the expansion of the Turks.

Its boundaries are marked in the north by North Asia, in the east by East Asia, in the south by South Asia, and in the west by Russia. Therefore Central Asia touches both Asia and Europe, since the Russian border is the so-called European zone, which is the reason why for so many years it was a vital part of the trade between Europeans and Asians.

Regarding its extension we can speak of little more than 4 million km2, in which they live almost 72 million people, thus giving a density of 17 inhabitants per km2. For this reason, it is considered one of the sub-regions with the lowest density of inhabitants on the entire planet, largely due to the number of kilometers that the region has. Some of the most populated cities in the area are Tashkent, Almaty or Ashgabat, all of them being quite small cities compared to other major world and Asian metropolises.

Throughout history, two have been the main elements that have characterized the Central Asian area. The first of these characteristics is the large number of nomadic peoples who have inhabited the area, some of them being great enemies of the greatest civilizations of the time. The second characteristic is the Silk Road, being the trade routes that connected Europe and Asia, being one of the main reasons why the peoples of both regions began to communicate.

To continue with this lesson on the rivers of Central Asia, we must talk about the main ones of the entire Asian area. We must bear in mind that the rivers in this area are very relevant, due to the scarce water that currently exists, and that it has come to create great confrontations. Some of the main rivers in Central Asia are the following:

Sir Daria River

The Sir Daria is one of the largest rivers in the entire area, passing through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan before flowing into the North Aral Sea. Its birth takes place by the union of the rivers Naryn and Kara Darya, and if we count the Naryn as part of it we can say that the Sir Daria has a length of 3070 km, being one of the longest in the world. Its basin has an extension of 782,669 km2.

Amu Daria River

It is an Asian river that originates in the Pamir mountain range and empties into the Aral Sea after passing through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. It has a length of 1,414 kilometers, and the extension of its basin is 534,739 km2.

Ilí River

The Ilí River is the largest tributary of Lake Balkhash, an important area of ​​water for China and Kazakhstan. Its source takes place at the confluence of the rivers Tekes and Kunges, and has a length of 1419 kilometers. On the other hand, the surface of its basin is about 140,000 km2.

Irtish River

It rises in the Altai Massif and flows into the Obi River after passing through China, Russia and Kazakhstan. It has a length of 4248 kilometers and the surface of its basin reaches 1,673,470 km2.

Ural River

The Ural is a very important river, since historically it has been used to mark the limits between Europe and Asia, being generally the subject of dispute by several ancient civilizations. This river is born in the Ural Mountains in Europe and flows through the countries of Russia and Kazakhstan until it empties into the Caspian Sea. It has a length of 2428 kilometers, which makes it the third longest river in Europe, being only surpassed by the Danube and the Volga. On the other hand, its hydrographic basin has an area of 231,000 km2.

Hari Rud River

This river is born in the mountains of Koh-i-Baba and flows into Oasis de Tejen after passing through Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. It has a length of 1,124 kilometers and the extension of its hydrographic basin is 70,620 km².

Murgab River

The Murgab is born in the northwestern part of Afghanistan and after going through Turkmenistan it begins to disappear due to the climate of the area, although its mouth is generally considered to be in the Oasis of Merv where it joins other rivers. It has a length of 830 kilometers, and the extension of its basin is 46,880 km².