Tarim

Tarim, river, north-western China, the principal river of the Xinjiang Uygur (Sinkiang Uighur) Autonomous Region. The river rises in the Karakorum Range in the extreme northern part of India; the upper course is called the Yarkant (Yeh-er-ch’ing) River. It flows north, is joined by the Hotan (Ho-t’ien) River, and then flows east and south-east through the Takla Makan (Taklimakan) Desert. The Tarim empties into the ephemeral region of lakes and marshes known as Lop Lake at the northern base of the Altun Shan (A-erh-chin Shan) mountain range. Including the Yarkant, the river is about 2,100 km (1,300 mi) long. A number of small settlements are located along the Tarim.