Altyn-Tagh

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Altyn-Tagh, Astyn-Tagh or Aerjin (Chinese: 阿尔金山, meaning, Gold Mountain), also called Altun Shan, or Altun Range, is one of the chief constituent ranges of the Kunlun and forms the border of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Tibetan Plateau in the region of Central Asia. Together with the Qilian Shan, if forms the Nan Shan.

Running southwest to northeast, it converges with the Kunlun range in Kashmir which runs southeast to northwest forming a "V" shape which converges at Polu. The geographical divide between the highlands of Kashmir and the Tibetan Plateau commences in the vicinity of Polu and continues southwards along the ridges situate east of Rudok, wherein are situate Aling Kangri and Mavang Kangri and culminates at Mayum La, continuing into Qilian Shan to the east.

The Altyn Tagh separates Tibet from Xinjiang and the Gobi Desert. The Altyn-Tagh runs roughly 1,000 km south of Lop Nur and Dunhuang in a southwest to northeast direction, forming the boundary between the Tarim Basin to the north and the Qaidam Basin and Lake Achak-kum (one of the few noticeable bodies of water in this extremely arid area) in the south. The southwest reaches snowy peaks of 6100 m, although it descends to an average of 4000 m in the narrow middle and eventually rises up to average 5000 m as it meets the Nan Shan.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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