Mangyshlak Peninsula
| Mangyshlak Peninsula Маңғыстау Полуостров Мангышла́к | |
|---|---|
| Peninsula | |
  Mangyshlak Peninsula | |
| Coordinates: 44°0′N 52°0′E / 44.000°N 52.000°E | |
| 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] The Mangyshlak peninsula was overtaken in 1639 by Kalmyks.[3]
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. |
.jpg) Map of the northeastern part of Caspian Sea with the Mangyshlak Peninsula at the bottom. |
Sources
- 1 2 Igor S. Zonn, Aleksey N Kosarev, Michael H. Glantz & Andrey G. Kostianoy, The Caspian Sea Encyclopedia, p. 285
- ↑ de Planhol, Xavier: (1990), CASPIAN SEA i. GEOGRAPHY, Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol.V, Fasc. 1, pp. 48-50
- ↑ Michael Khodarkovsky (1 October 2006). Where Two Worlds Met: The Russian State and the Kalmyk Nomads, 1600-1771. Cornell University Press. pp. 83–. ISBN 0-8014-7340-3.
External links
- The wildlife of Mangyshlak (Russian)
- Kazakhstan Nuclear Facilities: Mangyshlak Atomic Energy Combine at the site of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Coordinates: 44°0′N 52°0′E / 44.000°N 52.000°E