BALKASH, or BALKHASH (called by the

See also:

• KIRGHIZ

Kirghiz Ak-denghiz or

See also:

• ALA

Ala-denghiz and by the

See also:

• CHINESE, JAPANESE AND

Chinese Si-

See also:

• HAI (939-1038)

hai)  , a lake of Asiatic Russia, in the Kirghiz steppes, between the governments of Semipalatinsk and Semiryechensk, in 450 to 470 N. and 730 30' to 79° E., about 600 m. to the east of Lake Aral . It is fourth in size of the lakes in Eurasia, having an area of 7115 sq. m., and lies at an altitude of goo ft . It has the shape of a broad crescent, about 430 M. long from W.S.W. to E.N.E., having its concave side turned southwards; its width varies from 36 to 53 M . Its north-western shore is bordered by a dreary plateau, known as the Famine Steppe (Bek-pak-dala) . The south-east shore, on the contrary, is low, and bears traces of having extended formerly as far as the Sasyk-kul and the Ala-kul . The Kirghiz in 1903 declared that its surface had been rising steadily during the preceding ten years, though prior to that it was dropping . The chief feeder of the lake is the Ili, which rises in the Khantengri group of the Tian-shan Mountains . The Karatal, the Aksu and the Lepsa also enter from the south-east, and the Ayaguz from the north-east . The first three rivers make their way with difficulty through the sands and reeds, which at a quite recent time were covered by the lake . Although it has no outlet, its waters are relatively fresh . It freezes generally from November to April . Its greatest depth, 35 ft., is along the north-west shore .

The

fauna of the lake and of its tributaries —explored by Nikolsky—is more akin to the fauna of the rivers of the Tarim basin than to that of the Aral; it also does not contain the common frog . It seems, therefore, probable that Lake Balkash stood formerly in communication through lakes Ebi-nor and Ayar (Telli-nor) with the lake that formerly filled the Lukchun depression (in 891° E. long. and 422° N. lat.), but researches show that a connexion with Lake Aral—at least in recent times—was improbable . The lake has been investigated by L . S . Berg (see Petermanns Mitteilungen, 1903) .