Kulunda Steppe

Kulunda Steppe Kulunda Plain Кулундинская степь Құлынды даласы
Plain
Map of the West Siberian Plain with the Kulunda Plain in the southern part
52°50′N 79°30′E / 52.833°N 79.500°E / 52.833; 79.500
Location	Kazakhstan, Russia
Part of	West Siberian Plain
Area
• Total	100,000 km2 (39,000 sq mi)
Elevation	70 meters (230 ft) to 250 meters (820 ft)

The Kulunda Steppe or Kulunda Plain^[1] (Russian: Кулундинская равнина, Kazakh: Құлынды даласы, Qūlyndy dalasy) is an alluvial plain in Russia and Kazakhstan. It is an important agricultural region in Western Siberia.

Geography

The steppe is located between the Ob and Irtysh rivers in the southern part of the West Siberian Plain, to the west of the Ob Plateau. Steppe landscapes predominate, especially in the north and east of the plain, which extends across the Altai Krai of Russia and the Pavlodar Oblast of Kazakhstan, with a small northern section in the Novosibirsk Oblast, as well as small southern part in the East Kazakhstan Oblast.^[2]

There are large lakes in the central part of the Kulunda plain, such as Lake Kuchuk, Kulunda, Bolshoye Topolnoye, Ulken Azhbolat, Ulken Tobylzhan, Maraldy and Bolshoye Yarovoye. Most of them are salty or briny, but Borli and Uyaly are soda lakes.^[3]

The main rivers are the Kuchuk, Kulunda and Burla. The Baraba Steppe lies to the northwest. The border between both plains is not well defined. Conventionally, it is carried out at 54 degrees north latitude.^[4]

References