Mangyshlak Peninsula

Mangyshlak Peninsula
Маңғыстау
Полуостров Мангышла́к
Peninsula
Mangyshlak Peninsula
Coordinates: 44°0′N 52°0′E / 44.000°N 52.000°E / 44.000; 52.000
Sea Caspian Sea
Country Kazakhstan
Region Mangystau Region

Mangyshlak or Mangghyshlaq Peninsula (Kazakh: Маңғыстау; Russian: Мангышла́к) is a large peninsula located in western Kazakhstan. It borders on the Caspian Sea in the west and with the Buzachi Peninsula, a marshy subfeature of the main peninsula, in the northeast. The Tyuleniy Archipelago lies off the northern shores of the peninsula.

The area is between desert and semidesert with a harsh continental dry climate. There are no rivers and no fresh water springs. Geologically the Mangyshlak Peninsula is part of the Ustyurt Plateau. To the north three mountain ranges are stretching across the peninsula, North and South Aktau Range, and the Mangystau Range with the highest point reaching 555 m.[1] Administratively the peninsula is in Kazakhstan's Mangystau Province. The largest city, and the capital of the province, is Aktau (formerly Shevchenko).

This peninsula was formerly also known as Sīāhkūh (Persian: سیاهکوه) which means 'Black Mountain' in Persian.[2]

Cartography

The area was cartographed by Fedor Ivanovich Soimonov during the Caspian Expedition, which surveyed the Caspian Sea from 1719 to 1727.[1]

Map of the Mangyshlak Peninsula area showing the bays surrounding it.
Map of the northeastern part of Caspian Sea with the Mangyshlak Peninsula at the bottom.

Sources

  1. 1 2 Igor S. Zonn, Aleksey N Kosarev, Michael H. Glantz & Andrey G. Kostianoy, The Caspian Sea Encyclopedia, p. 285
  2. de Planhol, Xavier: (1990), CASPIAN SEA i. GEOGRAPHY, Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol.V, Fasc. 1, pp. 48-50

External links

Coordinates: 44°0′N 52°0′E / 44.000°N 52.000°E / 44.000; 52.000

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, February 28, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.