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Natural landform in XinjiangNatural landform in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
(tianshannet) Updated: 2008-January-8 17:34:57


The natural landform in Xinjiang is wonderful with many characteristics. It is a coincidence that the characteristic peak, plateau, desert, basin, oasis and inland river in nature gather together, which is like a pleasant combination that is original and well-designed. About 400-600 million years ago, the south and north side of Xinjiang were all seas, through the up-and-down movement of earth’s crust, and Himalayan orogeny, it formed the landform of “three mountains clip two basins”, which refers to Altay Mountain at north, Tianshan Mountains in the middle, and Kunlun Mountain at south, among of them there are two large basins, Junggar Basin and Tarim Basin. The overlapping and magnificent Tianshan Mountains span in the middle from east to west, divide Xinjiang into south Xinjiang and north Xinjiang. Tarim Basin is the largest basin in China with an area of 530, 000 square kilometers, in its center, there is the vast Taklimakan Desert with an area about 330,000 square kilometers, which is the mobile desert that is the largest in China and the second in the world. Tarim Basin is surrounded by mountains, the huge glaciers and snow hills on the high mountains are natural reservoir, which breed the forest grassland and many kinds of animals and plants. The longest inland river in China----Tarim River almost spans the basin with a length about 2100 kilometers, moisturizes the ambient oasis with numerous rivers and lakes. In Ili, Tacheng, Bortala, the mountains alternate with basins, with abundant grassland and forest, they have the good name of “lush southern-type fields north of the Great Wall”. The historical famous city, Hami has become the only artery to Xinjiang from east. Turpan Basin is the place at the lowest elevation with the lowest spot of -154 meter. The temperature difference between day and night is above 10℃, people always say “wear cotton-padded jacket in the morning and muslin at noon, and eat watermelon holding the stove at night.” Belonging to temperate continental arid climate, the annual natural precipitation in Xinjiang is 155 mm. The total area of oasis is about 5% of Xinjiang’s area, which is with typical oasis ecological characteristics. Regarding ecological environment, the ecological environment in Xinjiang is relatively independent and weak. In order to protect the ecological environment in Xinjiang, China government gives key support, the implementing ecological environment protection and construction engineering of large scale include comprehensive treatment of Tarim River, protection of natural forest, returning land for farming to forestry and grain for green project, soil improvement, fire-extinguishing of coal field, energy-saving and drainage.

(SOURCES: aboutxinjiang.com)Editor: enmb
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