Lake Balqash

Lake Balqash also Lake Balkhash, inland lake, south-eastern Kazakhstan, about 341 m (1,120 ft) above sea level. It has the shape of an irregular crescent, extending north-east for about one-third of the total length of about 600 km (372 mi) and then in a generally eastern direction; the maximum width is about 71 km (44 mi), and the area is about 18,000 sq km (6,950 sq mi). The Ili River, the principal tributary, enters Lake Balqash near its southern extremity. Other rivers enter the lake from the south-east and from the north-east. The southern shores of the lake, which has no outlet, are labyrinths of islands, peninsulas, and strips of shallow water. The narrow Uzun-Aral Strait joins the eastern and western halves of the lake, which are physically distinct. The eastern half is deeper and its waters are more saline than those of the western half. Extending south from Lake Balqash is the Semirechye Plain. The land west of the lake consists of clay plains, which has been made fertile by irrigation and produces cotton, grapes, and a variety of other fruits. Copper, mined at Kounradskiy, north of the lake, is shipped by rail to the town of Balqash, on the shore of the lake, where the copper is smelted and refined. The lake's level has declined by more than 2 m (6 ft) since 1970, when the Kapchagay dam on the Ili River was completed.