Orkhon River

Orkhon River (Орхон гол)
Orkhon Gol
River
Country  Mongolia
Aimags Arkhangai, Övörkhangai, Bulgan, Selenge
Major cities Kharkhorin, Bulgan, Sükhbaatar
Tributaries
 - left Tamir River
 - right Tuul River, Kharaa River
Source Suvraga Khairkhan
 - location Tsenkher sum, Arkhangai
 - coordinates MN 47°2′59″N 101°20′30″E / 47.04972°N 101.34167°E / 47.04972; 101.34167
Mouth Selenge River
 - location Sükhbaatar city, Selenge aimag
 - coordinates MN 50°15′0″N 106°8′20″E / 50.25000°N 106.13889°E / 50.25000; 106.13889Coordinates: MN 50°15′0″N 106°8′20″E / 50.25000°N 106.13889°E / 50.25000; 106.13889
Length 1,124 km (698 mi)
Basin 132,835 km2 (51,288 sq mi)
Discharge for Bulgan
 - average 66 m3/s (2,331 cu ft/s)
 - max 190.2 m3/s (6,717 cu ft/s) July
 - min 0.5 m3/s (18 cu ft/s) February
Ulaan Tsutgalan waterfall

The Orkhon River (Mongolian: Орхон гол, Orkhon gol) is a river in Mongolia.

It rises in the Khangai Mountains in the Tsenkher sum of Arkhangai aimag at the foot of the Suvraga Khairkhan mountain.[1] From there it crosses the border into Övörkhangai aimag and follows the upper Orkhon valley in eastern direction until it reaches Kharkhorin. On this stretch, very close to the Orkhon the Ulaan Tsutgalan river features a waterfall, ten meters wide and twenty meters high. The waterfall is a popular destination for tourists.

From Kharkhorin it flows northwards until it reaches Bulgan aimag, and then north-east to join the Selenge River next to Sükhbaatar city in the Selenge aimag, close to the Russian border.[2] The Selenge then flows further north into Russia and Lake Baikal.

With 1,124 km (698 mi), the Orkhon is longer than the Selenge, making it the longest river in Mongolia. Major tributaries of the Orkhon river are the Tuul River and Tamir River.

There are two sets of ancient ruins along the river valley: Khar Balgas, the ancient capital of the Uyghur Kingdom and Karakorum, the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire. Pyotr Kuzmich Kozlov excavated several Xiongnu Imperial tombs in the area of the river valley.

Fish in the Orkhon river include pike, carp, perch, taimen and catfish.

UNESCO lists the Orkhon Valley as a World Heritage Site.

See also

References

H. Barthel, Mongolei-Land zwischen Taiga und Wüste, Gotha 1990, p. 34f

  1. ↑ "Russian army map "100k--l47-035"". Maps for the world. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
  2. ↑ "Russian army map "100k--m48-069"". Maps for the world. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
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