Altai, region, culture and language - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
General Material Designation
[Article]
First Statement of Responsibility
Schönig, Claus
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.
Leiden
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Brill
GENERAL NOTES
Text of Note
(742 words)
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
The Altai region is situated primarily in the Altai Mountains (generally 1500-2500 metres in elevation; highest peak Belukha, 4506 metres) and comprises three main sections, the Russian, Mongolian, and Gobi Altai. About seventy percent of the region is covered by coniferous forests and most of the remainder by steppe valleys. Much of the Altai region lies in southernmost Russia, near the Kazakh, Chinese, and Mongolian borders. In addition to the mountainous areas, it includes the eastern part of the Kulunda steppe and the region of the upper Ob' River.