Turan Depression (Turan Lowland)

A lowland stretching from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to southwestern Kazakhstan in Central Asia. It is limited to the Tian Shan Mountains and Pamir Plateau in the east, the Caspian Sea in the west, the Kopetdak Mountains on the Iranian border in the south, and the Kazakh Hills in the north. Its area is about 2.5 million square kilometers. The Aral Sea is located almost in the center of the lowland, and two rivers, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, flow into it. The Muyunkum, Kyzylkum, and Karakum deserts make up the lowland, which is mostly dry and sandy. Traditionally, in addition to livestock farming of sheep, goats, cattle, and camels, small-scale agriculture was practiced around springs at the foot of the mountains and oases along rivers. Later, farms using canal networks and agricultural machinery were established mainly in Uzbekistan, and cotton production is high. The Mangyshlak region (Mangistau Oblast) of Kazakhstan on the west coast of the Caspian Sea produces oil and natural gas.

[Hiroaki Sunaga]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中央アジアのトルクメニスタン、ウズベキスタンからカザフスタン南西部にかけて広がる低地。東は天山山脈・パミール高原、西はカスピ海、南はイラン国境のコペトダク山脈、北はカザフ丘陵に限られる。面積約250万平方キロメートル。低地のほぼ中央にアラル海があり、アムダリヤ、シルダリヤの二つの川が注いでいる。ムユンクム砂漠、キジルクム砂漠、カラクム砂漠があり、大部分が砂と粘土の乾燥した低地。従来、ヒツジ、ヤギ、ウシ、ラクダなどの牧畜のほか、山麓(さんろく)の泉や河川沿いのオアシス周辺で小規模の農業が行われてきた。その後ウズベキスタンを中心に運河網や農業機械を利用した農場ができ、綿の生産が多い。カスピ海西岸カザフスタンのマンギシュラク地域（マンギスタウ州）では石油、天然ガスを産出する。

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