| Kulma Pass | |
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  Kulma Pass Kulma Pass (Tajikistan) Show map of Tajikistan Kulma Pass Kulma Pass (Pamir) Show map of Pamir | |
| Elevation | 4,362.7 m (14,313 ft) |
| Location | China–Tajikistan border |
| Range | Sarikol Range,Pamir Mountains |
| Coordinates | 38°08′58″N74°48′05″E / 38.1494°N 74.8014°E /38.1494; 74.8014 |
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| Kulma Pass | |||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 闊勒買山口 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 阔勒买山口 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Kulma Pass | ||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 卡拉蘇口岸 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 卡拉苏口岸 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Karasu Port | ||||||
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TheKulma Pass[1] (Tajik:Перевал Кульма,[2]Chinese:阔勒买山口) orQolma Pass,[3] also referred to asKarasu Pass,[4] is amountain pass across thePamir Mountains on the border betweenMurghob District,Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region inTajikistan andTaxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County,Kashgar Prefecture,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region inChina.Asian HighwayAH66 runs through the pass, which provides for the only modern day overlandborder crossing along the 450 km boundary between the two nations.[5]
The pass has an elevation of 4,362.7 metres (14,313 ft)[6] and opens from the north to the southeast, and is 500 m wide from north to south and 1 km in length from east to west with a gentle incline not exceeding 20 percent. On the Tajik side, the pass is 80 km by road toMurghab and about 850 km toDushanbe. On the Chinese side, the pass is 13.9 km fromKarasu (卡拉苏口岸), aport of entry on theKarakorum Highway which leads toTashkurgan (60–70 km) andKashgar (220 km). In the past, the pass used to be open from the 16th to the 30th day of each month from May to November. In most recent years it is open all weekdays all year round (except for national festivities).
The pass was closed for many years due to political tensions between theSoviet Union and China, and then theTajikistani Civil War. In 1997, China and Tajikistan signed an agreement to develop a commercial corridor between the two countries through the pass. The opening of the pass reduced cargo travel time between the two countries by ten to fifteen days, obviating lengthy detours into Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
The Karasu Port of Entry opened on May 25, 2004, and traffic volume grew considerably. In the first three months after the pass opened, an official tally by the Tajik Ministry of Traffic and Roads counted legal crossings of just 17 trucks, 10 buses, 240 tons of cargo, and 171 people over a three-month period. Unofficial transits are believed to be more common, as many locals lackpassports needed to cross the pass legally.[7]
From May to August 2006, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce registered 649 cargo shipments totaling 11,218.5 metric tons of goods.[8] In the same three months the following year, traffic volume reached 1,836 cargo shipments and 30,556 metric tons.[9] In all, travelers made 12,500 trips through the pass in 2007 transporting 56,300 metric tons of goods worth US$250 million. Commonly traded goods include automobiles, construction materials, machinery, electronics, furniture, eggs, and rice.
In 2013, 31,000 tons of goods were shipped through the Kulma Pass and processed at the Karasu Border Crossing.[10]
The bilateral agreement signed between China and Tajikistan includes the opening of the pass for nationals of all countries. After an initial period where foreigners were still turned back, since 2017, foreign travelers have been passing regularly and without extra problems.[11][3]
"Kulma" pass is the only international passage through the border between the Republic of Tajikistan and the People's Republic of China
Перевал Кульма является единственным международным коридором через границу между Республикой Таджикистан и Китайской Народной Республикой,
该界点在4362米阔勒买大坂(原苏联地图为4362.7米库利玛山口)上
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