Karatal River

Karatal River

Karatal River entering Lake Balkhash as seen from space, September 1996 -North at bottom
Origin Dzungarsk-Alatau Mountains
Mouth Lake Balkhash
Basin countries Kazakhstan
Length 390 km
Basin area 19,100 km²

The Karatal River (Russian: Каратал; Mongolian: Хартал, "Black Steppe") is the easternmost of the two large rivers that flow into Lake Balkhash, the other being the Ili River. It rises in the Dzungarian Alatau Mountains near the border of Kazakhstan and China. The river flows generally northwestward turning generally northward when it reaches the Saryesik-Atyrau Desert, a large sand desert south of Lake Balkhash. The river empties into Lake Balkhash near its center. Karatal freezes up in December and stays icebound until March.

References

Rivers
Ajaguz River  • Akan-Burluk River  • Arys River  • Asa River  • Aschiagar River  • Ayat River  • Badam River  • Bolshoy Uzen River  • Borolday River  • Bugun River  • Bukhtarma River  • Byan River  • Charyn River  • Chu River  • Emba River  • Ilek River  • Iman-Burluk River  • Irgiz River  • Ili River  • Irtysh River  • Ishim River  • Kapal River  • Karatal River  • Kigach River  • Keles River  • Koksu River  • Koluton River  • Kurchum River  • Lukina River  • Narym River  • Nura River  • O River  • Sarisu River  • Sytasty River  • Syr Darya  • Talas River  • Tersakkan River  • Tobol River  • Tuolba River  • Turgai River  • Ural River  • Uba River  • Ubagan River  • Ulba River