Tarim Basin - Tarim Basin

A basin in the southern part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Bounded by the Tianshan Mountains to the north, the Karakoram Mountains to the southwest, and the Kunlun and Altun Mountains to the south, it is about 1,500 km east to west and 600 km north to south, and is China's largest inland basin. With an annual precipitation of 25 to 40 mm, it is extremely dry and has developed deserts, accounting for 47% of the country's desert area. In the center of the basin is the Taklimakan Desert, with an area of ​​530,000 square kilometers, most of which are moving sand dunes, with dunes usually 80 to 150 meters high and various shapes such as crescent, lattice, and fish scale. The Tarim River flows east on the northern edge, and many rivers flow into the desert, including the Keriya River and the Hotan River, but most of them become wadis (dried valleys) or runoff rivers. The surrounding foothills are home to the Gobi Desert (a gravel desert) and oases, and settlements such as Aksu, Kashgar, Hotan, and Keriya have developed there. Agriculture is carried out through grazing and irrigation, and the cultivation of wheat, corn, rice, cotton, and fruit is thriving.

[Shoichi Komai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、新疆(しんきょう)ウイグル自治区南部にある盆地。北は天山、南西はカラコルム、南は崑崙(こんろん)、アルトゥンの各山脈に囲まれ、東西約1500キロメートル、南北約600キロメートルで、中国最大の内陸盆地である。年降水量25～40ミリメートルで、著しく乾燥し、砂漠が発達、全国の砂漠面積の47％を占める。盆地中央部にはタクリマカン砂漠があり、面積53万平方キロメートル、大部分が移動砂丘で、砂丘の高さは普通80～150メートルで、三日月形や格子状、魚鱗(ぎょりん)状などさまざまな形状を示す。北縁にはタリム河が東流し、また砂漠の中にはケリヤ河、ホータン河など多数の河川が流れ込むが、多くはワジ（涸(か)れ谷）や流失河川となる。周囲の山麓(さんろく)地域にはゴビ（礫質(れきしつ)砂漠）のほか、オアシスが広がり、アクス、カシュガル、ホータン、ケリヤなどの集落が発達し、放牧や灌漑(かんがい)による農業が行われ、小麦、トウモロコシや米、ワタ、果樹などの栽培が盛んである。

［駒井正一］

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