Chaidam Basin

A basin in northwestern Qinghai Province, China. Surrounded by mountain ranges such as Altun, Kunlun, and Qilian, it stretches 850 km from east to west, 250 km from north to south, and covers an area of ​​approximately 220,000 square kilometers. There are more than 40 inland rivers in the basin, including the Golmud River. The eastern part of the basin is dominated by steppes, salt lakes such as the Chalhan Salt Lakes, and marshes, while the western part is dominated by the Gobi (gravel-containing grassland) and wind-eroded areas, with deserts distributed in between. At an altitude of 2,500 to 3,000 meters, it is part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but it has little rainfall and temperatures exceed 30°C in summer, making it a transitional type to the northwestern arid region. Oil is extracted from the cold lakes and Mannai in the northwest, and the area is rich in mineral resources such as salt and coal. In the eastern part of the basin, irrigated agriculture is developed, with the Liberation Army and others cultivating large areas.

[Shoichi Komai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、青海省北西部にある盆地。アルトゥン、崑崙(こんろん)、祁連(きれん)などの山脈に囲まれ、東西850キロメートル、南北最大250キロメートル、面積約22万平方キロメートルである。盆地内にはゴルムド河など40余の内陸河川があり、東部はステップやチャルハン塩湖群などの塩湖、沼沢が多く、西部はゴビ（砂礫(されき)を含む草原）、風食地が発達、その間に砂漠が分布する。標高2500～3000メートルで、青蔵(せいぞう)高原の一部をなすが、雨量も少なく夏季には30℃を超えるため、北西乾燥区への過渡的タイプを示す。北西の冷湖、マンナイなどでは石油が採掘され、塩、石炭など鉱物資源に富む。東部には解放軍などによる開墾地が広がり、灌漑(かんがい)農業が発展している。

［駒井正一］

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