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Coordinates: 38°15′16″N 57°49′09″E / 38.25444°N 57.81917°E / 38.25444; 57.81917
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{{Short description|Largest irrigation and water supply canals in the world}}
[[File:Hanhowuz reservoir 2014.jpg|thumb|350px|'''Garagum Canal''' (lower right) and the [[Hanhowuz Reservoir]], 2014. Click to enlarge.]]
[[File:Hanhowuz reservoir 2014.jpg|thumb|350px|The Karakum Canal (lower right) and the [[Hanhowuz Reservoir]], 2014.]]

[[File:MAKarakumKanal4.jpg|thumb|293x293px|a ship crossing the Karakum Canal.]]
The '''Karakum Canal''' (Qaraqum Canal, Kara Kum Canal, '''Garagum Canal'''; {{lang-ru|Каракумский канал}}, ''Karakumsky Kanal'', Turkmen: {{lang|tk|Garagum kanaly}}) in [[Turkmenistan]] is one of the largest [[irrigation]] and water supply [[canal]]s in the world. Started in 1954, and completed in 1988, it is [[navigable]] over much of its {{convert|1375|km|mi|adj=on}} length, and carries {{convert|13|km3|mi3}} of water annually from the [[Amu-Darya]] River across the [[Karakum Desert]] in [[Turkmenistan]]. The canal opened up huge new tracts of land to agriculture, especially to [[cotton]] [[monoculture]] heavily promoted by the [[Soviet Union]], and supplying [[Ashgabat]] with a major source of water. Unfortunately, the primitive construction of the canal allows almost 50 percent of the water to escape en route, creating lakes and ponds along the canal, and a rise in [[groundwater]] leading to widespread soil [[salinization]] problems. The canal is also a major factor leading to the [[Aral Sea]] environmental disaster.
The '''Karakum Canal''' (Qaraqum Canal, Kara Kum Canal, '''Garagum Canal'''; {{lang-ru|Каракумский канал}}, ''Karakumskiy Kanal'', {{lang-tk|Garagum kanaly}}, {{lang|tk-Arab|گَرَگوُم كَنَلیٛ}}, {{lang|tk-Cyrl|Гарагум каналы}}) in [[Turkmenistan]] is one of the largest [[irrigation]] and water supply [[canal]]s in the world. Started in 1954, and completed in 1988, it is [[navigable]] over much of its {{convert|1375|km|mi|adj=on}} length, and carries {{convert|13|km3|mi3}} of water annually from the [[Amu-Darya]] River across the [[Karakum Desert]] in Turkmenistan. The canal opened up huge new tracts of land to agriculture, especially to [[cotton]] [[monoculture]] heavily promoted by the [[Soviet Union]], and supplying [[Ashgabat]] with a major source of water. The canal is also a major factor leading to the [[Aral Sea]] [[environmental disaster]]. The Soviet regime planned to at some time extend the canal to the [[Caspian Sea]].<ref>''Central Asia: 130 Years of Russian Dominance, A Historical Overview'': Third Edition, by Edward Allworth (editor), publ. [[Duke University Press]], Durham and London, 1994: ISBN 0-8223-1554-8 (cloth), ISBN 0-8223-1521-1 (paperback): page 297</ref>


==History==
==History==
[[File:Bridge over Garagum River, Ashgabat.jpg|thumb|Bridge over Garagum River in [[Turkmenistan]]]]
The current Karakum Canal was not the first major attempt to bring the Amu-Darya water to the Karakums. In the early 1950s, the construction was started on the [[Main Turkmen Canal]] ({{lang-ru|[[:ru:Главный Туркменский канал|Главный Туркменский канал]]}}), which would start at a much more northerly location (near [[Nukus]]), and run southwest toward [[Krasnovodsk]]. The canal would use around 25% of the Amu-Darya's water. The works were abandoned after the death of [[Joseph Stalin]], the current Karakum Canal route being chosen instead.<ref>Nikolaĭ Gavrilovich Kharin, "Vegetation Degradation in [[Central Asia]] Under the Impact of Human Activities". Pp. 56-58.
The current Karakum Canal was not the first major attempt to bring the Amu-Darya water to the Karakums. In the early 1950s, construction began on the [[Main Turkmen Canal]] ({{lang-ru|Главный Туркменский канал|links=no}}), which would start at a much more northerly location (near [[Nukus]]), and run southwest toward [[Krasnovodsk]]. The canal would have used around 25&nbsp;percent of the Amu-Darya's water. The works were abandoned after the death of [[Joseph Stalin]], the current Karakum Canal route being chosen instead.<ref>Nikolaĭ Gavrilovich Kharin, "Vegetation Degradation in [[Central Asia]] Under the Impact of Human Activities". Pp. 56-58.
Springer, 2002. ISBN 1-4020-0397-8. [http://books.google.com/books?id=XFmrOmqOYdQC On Google Books]</ref>
Springer, 2002. {{ISBN|1-4020-0397-8}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=XFmrOmqOYdQC On Google Books]</ref>
Reservoirs such as [[Hanhowuz Reservoir]] were created to help regulate it.
Reservoirs such as [[Hanhowuz Reservoir]] were created to help regulate it.


==Important cities on the canal==
==Important cities==
*[[Ashgabat]]
*[[Ashgabat]]
*[[Bereket]]
*[[Bereket]]
*[[Serdar (city)|Serdar]]
*[[Serdar (city)|Serdar]]

==External links==
*[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Garagum+Kanaly/@37.8447884,58.4835418,119863m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x3f6ffa4314bd6181:0x299ffbcb875e8d22!8m2!3d37.8653336!4d58.7694024?hl=en Google Earth view of part of the Karakum Canal, and desert area irrigated by it]
*[https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-map-of-the-karakum-canal-23069399.html Map of Karakum Canal] (annotated in Russian alphabet)


==References==
==References==
<references/>
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Rivers of Turkmenistan}}
{{Rivers of Turkmenistan}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|38|15|16|N|57|49|09|E|display=title|region:TM_type:waterbody_source:dewiki}}
{{coord|38|15|16|N|57|49|09|E|display=title|region:TM_type:waterbody_source:dewiki}}


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[[Category:Interbasin transfer]]
[[Category:Interbasin transfer]]
[[Category:Canals opened in 1988]]
[[Category:Canals opened in 1988]]
[[Category:Amu Darya]]

{{Turkmenistan-struct-stub}}

Latest revision as of 06:55, 4 May 2024

The Karakum Canal (lower right) and the Hanhowuz Reservoir, 2014.
a ship crossing the Karakum Canal.

The Karakum Canal (Qaraqum Canal, Kara Kum Canal, Garagum Canal; Russian: Каракумский канал, Karakumskiy Kanal, Turkmen: Garagum kanaly, گَرَگوُم كَنَلیٛ, Гарагум каналы) in Turkmenistan is one of the largest irrigation and water supply canals in the world. Started in 1954, and completed in 1988, it is navigable over much of its 1,375-kilometre (854 mi) length, and carries 13 cubic kilometres (3.1 cu mi) of water annually from the Amu-Darya River across the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. The canal opened up huge new tracts of land to agriculture, especially to cotton monoculture heavily promoted by the Soviet Union, and supplying Ashgabat with a major source of water. The canal is also a major factor leading to the Aral Sea environmental disaster. The Soviet regime planned to at some time extend the canal to the Caspian Sea.[1]

History

[edit]
Bridge over Garagum River in Turkmenistan

The current Karakum Canal was not the first major attempt to bring the Amu-Darya water to the Karakums. In the early 1950s, construction began on the Main Turkmen Canal (Russian: Главный Туркменский канал), which would start at a much more northerly location (near Nukus), and run southwest toward Krasnovodsk. The canal would have used around 25 percent of the Amu-Darya's water. The works were abandoned after the death of Joseph Stalin, the current Karakum Canal route being chosen instead.[2] Reservoirs such as Hanhowuz Reservoir were created to help regulate it.

Important cities

[edit]
[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Central Asia: 130 Years of Russian Dominance, A Historical Overview: Third Edition, by Edward Allworth (editor), publ. Duke University Press, Durham and London, 1994: ISBN 0-8223-1554-8 (cloth), ISBN 0-8223-1521-1 (paperback): page 297
  2. ^ Nikolaĭ Gavrilovich Kharin, "Vegetation Degradation in Central Asia Under the Impact of Human Activities". Pp. 56-58. Springer, 2002. ISBN 1-4020-0397-8. On Google Books

38°15′16″N 57°49′09″E / 38.25444°N 57.81917°E / 38.25444; 57.81917

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