X-Nico

2 unusual facts about Aral Sea


Uokil

The Yuezhi migration was not limited to the "storm" of Greco-Bactria, a main part of Yuezhi remained in the newly found lands, including the basin of the Syr-Darya and the Aral Sea area.

Later, Uokils united with a Nan Shan branch of the Yuezhi in their movement, initially to the Aral area, and then on to Bactria and Sogdiana.


Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky

Two years later, a Turkmen traveller arrived in Astrakhan and announced to local authorities that the Oxus River, formerly flowing to the Caspian Sea, had been diverted by the Khivans to the Aral Sea in order to extract golden sand from the river waters.

Main Turkmen Canal

Nevertheless, it also resulted in the destruction of the native riparian tugai forests, and greatly diminished the inflow of water to the Aral Sea, which caused great ecological catastrophe.

Syr Darya

The increased water supply would allow the Aral Sea to refill and be connected perhaps all the way up the Syr Darya to Isfara.


see also

Geography of Uzbekistan

shrinkage of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salination; soil contamination from agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Khwarezmian

Khwarezm, a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia bordering the former Aral Sea and the center of the Khwarezmian civilization