View source for Emin Valley

The '''Emin Valley''' ({{zh|c=额敏谷地|p=Émǐn gǔdì}}) is located on the [[China]]-[[Kazakhstan]] border, in [[Central Asia]]. It has an area of about {{convert|65000|km2|mi2}}. Its main waterway is the [[Emil River]].

Administratively, the Emin Valley occupies areas of [[Tacheng Prefecture]] in the [[Xinjiang]] Region of north-western China; and in [[East Kazakhstan Province]] of eastern Kazakhstan.

==Ecology==
The Emin Valley has a [[steppe]] ecosystem of mostly [[grassland]]s; with two [[saline lake]]s, [[Lake Alakol|Alakol]] and [[Lake Sasykkol|Sasykkol]]; and mountains with temperate climates.

The Emin Valley Steppe is a [[Palearctic]] [[ecoregion]] in the [[Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands]] [[Biome]]. It lies within the vast and larger [[Eurasian Steppe]].

==Hydrology==
[[Orography|Orographically]], the Emil Valley is an [[endorrheic basin]]. In the north, the [[Tarbagatai Mountains]] separate it from the [[Lake Zaysan]] basin, which is part of the basin of the [[Irtysh]] River, eventually draining into the [[Arctic Ocean]]. In the southeast, another series of mountain ranges separate it from the [[Dzungaria]]n Basin ([[Gurbantünggüt Desert]]).

The Emin Valley's main watercourse is the [[Emil River|Emin (Emil) River]], which flows in the general western direction, receiving numerous streams flowing from the Tarbagatai Mountains and carrying their water to Lake Alakol.

[[Lake Alakol]] and [[Lake Sasykkol]], situated in the western (Kazakhstan) part of the valley, are the homes of the rare [[Dalmatian pelican]] and [[relict gull]].

==See also==
*[[Eurasian Steppe]]
*[[Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands]]

==External links==
{{commons category|Eurasian Steppe}}
* {{WWF ecoregion|name=Emin Valley steppe|id=pa0806}}
* {{NatGeo ecoregion|id=pa0806|name=Emin Valley steppe}}

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{{Paleartic temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands}}
{{Valleys of China}}

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[[Category:Valleys of China]]
[[Category:Valleys of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Eurasian Steppe]]
[[Category:Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of China]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Grasslands of China]]
[[Category:Grasslands of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Environment of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Landforms of Xinjiang]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of Asia]]
[[Category:Palearctic ecoregions]]
[[Category:Valleys of Asia]]



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{{Kazakhstan-geo-stub}}