Saur Mountains

The Saur Mountains (Chinese: 萨吾尔山; pinyin: Sàwú'ěr Shān, Kazakh: Сауыр жоталары, Russian: Саур) is one of the mountain ranges in the Tian Shan system. An eastern extension of the Tarbagatai Mountains, it starts on the China-Kazakhstan border and continues east into China, where it forms the border between the Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County and Jeminay County of Xinjiang.

The highest peak of the range, and of the entire Saur-Tarbagatai mountain system, is the ice-capped Sauyr Zhotasy, also known as the Muz Tau.

Streams flowing south from the Saur make irrigated agriculture possible, although on a very limited scale, in their valleys in Hoboksar County. One of them reaches as far as the large oasis seen on Google Maps at 46°10′00″N 86°25′00″E / 46.16667°N 86.41667°E / 46.16667; 86.41667, in the southern part of Xiazigai Township (夏孜盖乡, Xiàzīgài xiāng). Apparently it is streams like this that Chinese geographers describe as "seasonal rivers sourcing from the northern mountains" whose water occasionally reaches the Manas Lake.^[1]

Notes

v t e Mountain ranges of China Geography of China Ailao Mountains Altai Mountains Argu Tagh Bayan Har Mountains Borohoro Mountains Changbai Mountains Daba Mountains Dabie Mountains Dalou Mountains Daxue Mountains Dzungarian Alatau Greater Khingan Helan Mountains Hengduan Mountains Himalayas Jiuling Mountains Jiuyi Mountains Karakoram Kunlun Mountains Lesser Khingan Luoxiao Mountains Lüliang Mountains Huangshan Jingshan Mountains Lang Mountains Min Mountains Mufu Mountains Nanling Mountains Pamir Mountains Qian Mountains Qin Mountains Qionglai Mountains Taihang Mountains Tarbagatai Mountains Tian Shan Tanggula Mountains Wanda Mountains Wudang Mountains Wuling Mountains Wuyi Mountains Xuefeng Mountains Yengisogat Yin Mountains Yunling Mountains Zhongtiao Mountains Landforms of China

Coordinates: 47°04′00″N 85°34′00″E / 47.06667°N 85.56667°E / 47.06667; 85.56667