Sarikol Range


The Sarikol Range is a mountain range in the Pamirs on the border of Tajikistan and the People's Republic of China.

Etymology

The mountain range is named for the Sarikol River at its foot, the name of which comes from the Kyrgyz, which is composed of, and, meaning "yellow river". In this toponym, the word, originates neither from the Kyrgyz, nor from the Kyrgyz, but rather from the Mongolian.
The name has also been used to describe the local people who are historically known as Sarikolis; the local Sarikoli language, and the town of Tashkurgan, which was historically known as Sarikol.

Geography

The range divides Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province and China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and it runs parallel with the Muztagh Range to the east. The range extends from the Markansu River in the north to the Beyik Pass in the south. Its average elevation is roughly and the highest point in the range is Mount Lyavirdyr at. On the Tajik part of the range there are 240 glaciers with a total area of 144 km2. The range's drainage basin feeds both the Amu Darya and Tarim River. The range is composed of schist, granite and gneiss.