Altai Mountains

The Altai Mountains , also spelled Altay Mountains, are a <a href="/facts/Mountain_range/L7vxtr7A">mountain range</a> in <a href="/facts/Central_Asia/rB8k0CyT">Central</a> and <a href="/facts/East_Asia/D8yGVCQX">East Asia</a>, where <a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a>, <a href="/facts/China/lTjIXY5p">China</a>, <a href="/facts/Mongolia/ogQzUcQb">Mongolia</a>, and <a href="/facts/Kazakhstan/Vfs8NI6e">Kazakhstan</a> converge, and where the rivers <a href="/facts/Irtysh/Hzo6rRKf">Irtysh</a> and <a href="/facts/Ob_River/H6es9voD">Ob</a> have their headwaters. The <a href="/facts/Massif/0tR9poFq">massif</a> merges with the <a href="/facts/Sayan_Mountains/guEVpERW">Sayan Mountains</a> in the northeast, and gradually becomes lower in the southeast, where it merges into the high plateau of the <a href="/facts/Gobi_Desert/Cgrf8RPQ">Gobi Desert</a>. It spans from about 45° to 52° N and from about 84° to 99° E.
The region is inhabited by a sparse but ethnically diverse population, including <a href="/facts/Russian_people/RBG9H1Rj">Russians</a>, <a href="/facts/Kazakh_people/kHVGSwkc">Kazakhs</a>, <a href="/facts/Altai_people/HDACsvdd">Altais</a>, <a href="/facts/Tuvan_people/JgVRE4m1">Tuvans</a>, <a href="/facts/Mongol_people/fb4zx1s8">Mongols</a>, and <a href="/facts/Volga_Germans/GaAGFl1n">Volga Germans</a>, though predominantly represented by indigenous ethnic minorities of semi-nomadic people. The local economy is based on <a href="/facts/Bovine/SWIVbaIQ">bovine</a>, <a href="/facts/Sheep/cjkJyI4f">sheep</a>, <a href="/facts/Horse/uQ3FA0Ak">horse</a> <a href="/facts/Animal_husbandry/aJforlQp">husbandry</a>, <a href="/facts/Hunting/z1XhJdB2">hunting</a>, <a href="/facts/Agriculture/TGztqzJs">agriculture</a>, <a href="/facts/Forestry/puvod5MV">forestry</a>, and <a href="/facts/Mining/g6uDIFab">mining</a>. The proposed <a href="/facts/Altaic_languages/H2SHcyP8">Altaic language family</a> takes its name from this mountain range.

Altai Mountains open-in-new

Altai Mountains