Aksai Chin Lake
Encyclopedia
Aksai Chin Lake is an endorheic
lake on the Aksai Chin
Plateau. The plateau is considered by China as part of its national territory and is administered as part of Hotan County, Xinjiang
, but is also claimed by India.
The lake is located just south of the Kunlun Mountains
. It is approximately 15 km long and 6-8 km across. It is fed by the river of the same name.
China National Highway 219
passes some 20 km to the southwest of the lake on its way from Shiquanhe
, Tibet to Yarkand
, Xinjiang. The lake itself is within Hotan County of Xinjiang, but the eastern part of the basin that drains into it is within Rutog County
, Tibet
, as the official Xinjiang-Tibet border runs only about 20 km east of the lake.
Endorheic
An endorheic basin is a closed drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to other bodies of water such as rivers or oceans...
lake on the Aksai Chin
Aksai Chin
Aksai Chin is one of the two main disputed border areas between China and India, and the other is South Tibet, which comprises most of India's Arunachal Pradesh. It is administered by China as part of Hotan County in the Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, but is also claimed by India...
Plateau. The plateau is considered by China as part of its national territory and is administered as part of Hotan County, Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, but is also claimed by India.
The lake is located just south of the Kunlun Mountains
Kunlun Mountains
The Kunlun Mountains are one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. In the broadest sense, it forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin and the Gansu Corridor and continues east south of the Wei River to end at the North China Plain.The...
. It is approximately 15 km long and 6-8 km across. It is fed by the river of the same name.
China National Highway 219
China National Highway 219
China National Highway 219 runs along the southwestern border of the People's Republic of China, from Kargilik in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to Lhazê in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is 2,743 kilometres in length. Construction of this road was started in 1951. It was completed in 1957...
passes some 20 km to the southwest of the lake on its way from Shiquanhe
Ali, Tibet
Sênggêzangbo Town , or Shiquanhe Town is a town in Tibet. It is the main town of Ngari Prefecture, and of the Gar County of that prefecture.Historically the town was also known as Ger...
, Tibet to Yarkand
Yarkand
Yarkant County , is a county in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, located on the southern rim of the Taklamakan desert in the Tarim Basin. It is one of 11 counties administered under Kashgar Prefecture...
, Xinjiang. The lake itself is within Hotan County of Xinjiang, but the eastern part of the basin that drains into it is within Rutog County
Rutog County
Rutog County is a large western territory of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Its capital, Rutog is located some northwest of the Tibetan capital, Lhasa....
, Tibet
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
, as the official Xinjiang-Tibet border runs only about 20 km east of the lake.