Kherlen River

Coordinates: 48°44′N 117°5′E / 48.733°N 117.083°E / 48.733; 117.083
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Kherlen River
克鲁伦河 (Kèlǔlún hé)
EtymologyMongolian: kherlen, "hederated"
Native nameХэрлэн гол (Mongolian)
Location
CountryMongolia, People's Republic of China
Mongolian AimagsKhentii, Dornod
Chinese RegionInner Mongolia
Chinese PrefectureHulunbuir
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationBurkhan Khaldun, Khentii Mountains
MouthHulun Nuur
 • coordinates
48°44′N 117°5′E / 48.733°N 117.083°E / 48.733; 117.083
Length1,254 km (779 mi)

Kherlen River (also known as Kern or Kerülen; Mongolian: Хэрлэн гол; Chinese: 克鲁伦河; pinyin: Kèlǔlún hé) is a 1,254 km river in Mongolia and China.[1] It is also one of the two longest rivers in Mongolia, aside from Orkhon River.[2]

Course[edit]

The river originates in the south slopes of the Khentii mountains,[2] near the Burkhan Khaldun mountain in the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area, about 180 kilometres or 112 miles northeast of Ulaanbaatar.[1] This area constitutes the divide between the Arctic (Tuul River) and Pacific (Kherlen, Onon) basins and is consequently named “Three River Basins”.

From there the Kherlen flows in a mostly eastern direction through the Khentii aimag. On its further way it crosses the eastern Mongolian steppe past Ulaan Ereg and Choibalsan, entering China at 48°3′N 115°36′E / 48.050°N 115.600°E / 48.050; 115.600 and emptying into Hulun Nuur after another 164 kilometres or 102 miles.

Kherlen-Ergune-Amur[edit]

In years with high precipitation, the normally exitless Hulun Lake may overflow at its northern shore, and the water will meet the Ergune River after about 30 kilometres or 19 miles.[1] The Ergune marks the border between Russia and China for about 944 kilometres or 587 miles, until it meets the Amur River. The system Kherlen-Ergune-Amur has a total length of 5,052 kilometres or 3,139 miles.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Brutsaert, Wilfried; Sugita, Michiaki (December 2008). "Is Mongolia's groundwater increasing or decreasing? The case of the Kherlen River basin". Hydrological Sciences Journal. 53 (6). London: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd: 1221–1229. doi:10.1623/hysj.53.6.1221. S2CID 128674944. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b Yembuu, Batchuluun, ed. (2021). The Physical Geography of Mongolia. Geography of the Physical Environment. Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-61434-8. ISBN 978-3-030-61433-1.