Aldan (river)

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TheAldan (Sakha andRussian:Алдан) is the second-longest righttributary of theLena in theSakha Republic in easternSiberia.^[1] The river is 2,273 kilometres (1,412 mi) long, of which around 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) is navigable. It has a drainage basin of 729,000 square kilometres (281,000 sq mi).^[2]

Aldan
The Aldan by theKyllakh Range
Map of the Aldan River course
Location
Country	Russia
Physical characteristics

Source	Stanovoy Mountains
• location	Neryungri, Sakha
• coordinates	56°29′06″N123°44′02″E / 56.485°N 123.734°E /56.485; 123.734
• elevation	1,224 m (4,016 ft)

Mouth	Lena
• location	Sakha
• coordinates	63°26′46″N129°33′13″E / 63.44611°N 129.55361°E /63.44611; 129.55361
• elevation	43 m (141 ft)
Length	2,273 km (1,412 mi)
Basin size	729,000 km² (281,000 sq mi)

Discharge
• average	5,489 m³/s (193,800 cu ft/s) (near mouth)

Basin features
Progression	Lena→Laptev Sea
Tributaries
• left	Amedichi,Amga
• right	Timpton,Uchur,Maya,Allakh-Yun

The river was part of theRiver Route toOkhotsk. In 1639Ivan Moskvitin ascended the rivers Aldan andMaya and crossed to theUlya to reach theSea of Okhotsk.

Itsbasin is known for gold and forCambrian fossils.

Etymology

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Previously, a version of the origin from the Turkic-Mongolian word altan, altyn in the meaning of "gold" was spread, then a hypothesis appeared of the origin of thehydronym Aldan (in the variant Allan) from the Evenk oldo, ollo — "fish".^[3]^[4] Another explanation: aldan is a coastal spring ice (evenk).^[5]

Course

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The Aldan rises in theStanovoy Mountains southwest ofNeryungri. It flows roughly in a northeast / ENE direction south of theLena Plateau across theAldan Highlands, where it forms the northern border of theSunnagyn Range. Then it flows pastAldan and throughTommot,Ust-Maya,Eldikan andKhandyga before turning northwest. In its last stretch it flanks the southern slopes of theVerkhoyansk Range and joins the Lena nearBatamay.^[6]

Tributaries

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The river's main tributaries are the following:^[7]

From the right

From the left

Basin of the Lena with the Aldan River in the right side

References

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^Алдан (река в Якут. АССР),Great Soviet Encyclopedia
^"Река АЛДАН in the State Water Register of Russia".textual.ru (in Russian).
^Pospelov, Evgeny Mikhailovich (2008).Географические названия России: топонимический словарь [Geographical names of Russia: toponymic dictionary] (in Russian). АСТ. pp. 28–523.
^"ГЕРАЛЬДИКА ЯКУТИИ".
^A.V., Glushkov, V.G. Osadchy (1990).По рекам и горам Якутии [Along the rivers and mountains of Yakutia] (in Russian). Якутское книжное издательство. p. 214.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Google Earth
^Aldan - Water of Russia