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The Aldan (Sakha and Russian: Алдан) is the second-longest right tributary of the Lena in the Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia.[1] The river is 2,273 kilometres (1,412 mi) long, of which around 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) is navigable. It has a drainage basin of 729,000 square kilometres (281,000 sq mi).[2]
| Aldan | |
|---|---|
_-_panoramio.jpg) The Aldan by the Kyllakh Range | |
 Map of the Aldan River course | |
| Location | |
| Country | Russia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Stanovoy Mountains |
| • location | Neryungri, Sakha |
| • coordinates | 56°29′06″N 123°44′02″E / 56.485°N 123.734°E |
| • elevation | 1,224 m (4,016 ft) |
| Mouth | Lena |
• location | Sakha |
• coordinates | 63°26′46″N 129°33′13″E / 63.44611°N 129.55361°E |
• elevation | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Length | 2,273 km (1,412 mi) |
| Basin size | 729,000 km2 (281,000 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 5,489 m3/s (193,800 cu ft/s) (near mouth) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Lena→ Laptev Sea |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Amedichi, Amga |
| • right | Timpton, Uchur, Maya, Allakh-Yun |
The river was part of the River Route to Okhotsk. In 1639 Ivan Moskvitin ascended the rivers Aldan and Maya and crossed to the Ulya to reach the Sea of Okhotsk.
Etymology
editPreviously, a version of the origin from the Turkic-Mongolian word altan, altyn in the meaning of "gold" was spread, then a hypothesis appeared of the origin of the hydronym Aldan (in the variant Allan) from the Evenk oldo, ollo — "fish".[3][4] Another explanation: aldan is a coastal spring ice (evenk).[5]
Course
editThe Aldan rises in the Stanovoy Mountains southwest of Neryungri. It flows roughly in a northeast / ENE direction south of the Lena Plateau across the Aldan Highlands, where it forms the northern border of the Sunnagyn Range. Then it flows past Aldan and through Tommot, Ust-Maya, Eldikan and Khandyga before turning northwest. In its last stretch it flanks the southern slopes of the Verkhoyansk Range and joins the Lena near Batamay.[6]
Tributaries
editThe river's main tributaries are the following:[7]
- From the right
- Timpton
- Uchur
- Maya
- Khamna
- Allakh-Yun
- Khanda
- Tyry
- Eastern Khandyga
- Tompo
- Khandiga
- Baray
- Tukulan
- Kele
- Tumara
- From the left
 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Алдан (река в Якут. АССР), Great Soviet Encyclopedia
- ^ "Река АЛДАН in the State Water Register of Russia". textual.ru (in Russian).
- ^ Pospelov, Evgeny Mikhailovich (2008). Географические названия России: топонимический словарь [Geographical names of Russia: toponymic dictionary] (in Russian). АСТ. pp. 28–523.
- ^ "ГЕРАЛЬДИКА ЯКУТИИ".
- ^ A.V., Glushkov, V.G. Osadchy (1990). По рекам и горам Якутии [Along the rivers and mountains of Yakutia] (in Russian). Якутское книжное издательство. p. 214.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Google Earth
- ^ Aldan - Water of Russia
- Zvegintzov, Nicholas; Yates, Anthol (2001). Siberian BAM Guide: Rail, River & Road. Rail Guides Series. Trialblazer Publications. ISBN 9781873756188.
External links
edit
Media related to Aldan River at Wikimedia Commons
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