Kyrgyzstan names peak in Tian Shan after UN VIDEO

A previously unnamed mountain peak in the South Inylchek Glacier area of the Sary-Jaz Range in the Tian Shan mountains has been officially named the "United Nations Peak."

The decision was announced on January 30, following the signing of a law by President Sadyr Japarov, Caliber.Az reports, via foreign media.

The newly named peak, which stands at an elevation of 5,576 metres, is located in the South Inylchek Glacier region of the Sary-Jaz Range in the Tian Shan mountains. The law aims to strengthen and develop Kyrgyzstan’s relations with the United Nations, in line with the country's national interests.

To recall, Inylchek or Engilchek Glacier, located in the Central Tian Shan Mountains of Issyk Kul Province, northeastern Kyrgyzstan, is a significant natural landmark. The glacier's snout lies 50 km east of the village of Engilchek. The South Inylchek Glacier, the largest and fastest-moving glacier in Kyrgyzstan, holds the title of the sixth longest non-polar glacier globally.

The glacier is divided into two arms: the North and South Engilchek Glaciers, with the South Inylchek being the longer of the two, stretching 60.5 km (38 miles) in length. It covers an area of 17.2 square km and has an ice thickness ranging between 150-200 metres in the lower sections.

The glacier originates from the Khan Tengri and Pik Pobedy massif, straddling the borders of China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Its meltwater feeds a tributary of the Aksu River, which flows into the Tarim Basin in China, while also contributing to the seasonal Merzbacher Glacier Lake, which drains into the Engilchek River.

Engilchek Glacier, renowned for its massive size and rapid movement, is a crucial natural feature in Kyrgyzstan, feeding rivers and seasonal lakes, and straddling international borders. Its importance extends beyond Kyrgyzstan, as it influences water systems in the neighbouring countries of China and Kazakhstan.

By Aghakazim Guliyev