Altai Mountains

Altai Mountains or Altay Mountains, mountain range, central Asia, extending from the headwaters of the Ob and Irtysh rivers in southern Siberia in Russia, into Xinjiang Uygur (Sinkiang Uighur) Autonomous Region of China and into Mongolia. The highest peak of the Altai range is Mount Belukha (4,506 m/14,783 ft). Below about 1,830 m (6,000 ft) the mountain slopes are thickly covered with trees, including cedar, pine, larch, fir, and birch. Between the forests and the snow line, which lies between about 2,440 to 3,050 m (8,000 and 10,000 ft), are alpine pastures. The mountains are rich in minerals, especially coal, zinc, and lead, with some gold, iron ore, copper, silver, and tin. In 1998, three areas within the range—Altaisky Zapovednik and a buffer zone around the Teletskoye Lake, Katunsky Zapovednik and a buffer zone around Mount Belukha, and the Ukok Zone on the Ukok Plateau—were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.