Argun River (Asia)

Ergune (
Ergune bira
)
Argun
River
Location of the Argun River within the Amur Basin
Name origin: Mongolian: ergene, "contrarotation"
Countries China, Russia
Russian Krai Zabaykalsky Krai
Chinese Region Inner Mongolia
Source Kherlen River
 - location about 195 kilometres (121 mi) from Ulaanbaatar
 - elevation 1,961 m (6,434 ft)
 - coordinates
Mouth Amur river
Length 1,620 km (1,007 mi)
Basin 164,000 km2 (63,321 sq mi)
Discharge
 - average 340 m3/s (12,007 cu ft/s)
Argun River (Asia)
Chinese name
Chinese 额尔古纳河
Mongolian name
Mongolian  
Ergüne gol
Эргүнэ мөрөн
Ergüne mörön
Manchu name
Manchu
Ergune bira
Russian name
Russian Аргу́нь

Ergune or Argun (Mongolian: Эргүнэ мөрөн, Ergüne mörön; Manchu: Ergune bira; Chinese: 额尔古纳河; Russian: Аргунь) is the river which is a part of the RussiaChina border. Its upper reaches are known as Hailar River (海拉尔河, Haila'er He) in China. Its length is 1,007 mi (1,620 km). The Ergune marks the border between Russia and China for about 944 km, until it meets the Amur River since It was established by the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689.

The river flows from the Western slope of the Greater Khingan Range in Inner Mongolia. Its confluence with Shilka River at Ust-Strelka forms the Amur River.

Kherlen-Ergune-Amur

In years with high precipitation, the normally exitless Hulun Lake may overflow at its northern shore, and the water will meet the Ergune after about 30 km. The system Kherlen-Ergune-Amur has a total length of 5,052 km.

Ergune in The Secret History of the Mongols

In The Secret History of the Mongols, speaks legend related the Ergune-Khun Mongol ancestry. In this, the Mongols prevailed other tribes and carried such slaughter among them, that in living remained no more than two men and two women. These two families in fear the enemy fled to the inaccessible terrain, the terms of which were only mountains and forests and to which neither the one hand there was the road. Among those mountains was the abundant grass and healthy climate steppe. Then legend tells that in Ergune-Khun Mongols multiplied and become masters of iron smelting and blacksmithing. According to legend, is the art of melting iron has helped them escape from the mountain gorges on scope of the current Mongolian steppes, to Kherlen River and Onon River.