instance_of trans-alay range
The Muksu ___MASK16___ is a west - flowing ___MASK16___ in north - central Gorno - Badakhshan ___MASK70___ , Tajikistan . It is a tributary of the Vakhsh ___MASK16___ which in turn is a tributary of the Amu Darya . The north side of its valley is the Trans - Alay Range and the south side is formed by the high mountains near the Fedchenko Glacier . It begins at Altyn Mazar at the juncture of the west - flowing Sauksai and the northwest - flowing Seldara rivers . It joins the Kyzyl - Suu ( which drains the Alay valley ) to form the Surkhob or Vakhsh ___MASK16___ . At Altyn Mazar there is a pass leading north to Daroot - Korgan in the Alay Valley . Muztagh Ata , or Muztagata ( Uyghur :    ,   , literally " ice - ___MASK61___ - father "), is the second highest ( 7509 metres ) of the mountains which form the northern edge of the Tibetan ___MASK84___ ( not the second highest of the mountains of the Tibetan ___MASK84___ ). It is sometimes regarded as being part of the Kunlun Shan , although physically it is more closely connected to the Pamirs . It is also one of the relatively easier 7 , 000 m peaks in the world to climb , due to its gentle western slope and the comparatively drier weather of Xinjiang , though a thorough acclimatization period and a very strong physical condition are crucial for success . The Wakhan Corridor ( alternatively Vakhan Corridor , or Wakhan ) is the narrow strip of ___MASK10___ in northeastern Afghanistan that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from Pakistan . The corridor , wedged between the Pamirs to the north and the Karakoram ___MASK19___ to the south , is about long and wide . The Tian Shan ( Xiao ' erjing :        " Tjansan "; Old Turkic :   , " Tenri ta "; Turkish : " Tanr Da " " Tenger úl "   , " Tengri tagh " " Teñir - Too / ___MASK50___ - Too ",  -  /  -  " Täñirtaw / Alataw ",  "  -  ",  -  ), meaning the Mountain of Heaven or the Heavenly Mountain , is a large system of mountain ranges located in Central Asia . The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Jengish Chokusu , . Uzbekistan , officially the ___MASK51___ of Uzbekistan , is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia . It is a unitary , constitutional , presidential ___MASK51___ , comprising twelve provinces , one autonomous ___MASK51___ and a ___MASK80___ city . Uzbekistan is bordered by five landlocked countries : Kazakhstan to the north ; Tajikistan to the southeast ; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast ; Afghanistan to the south ; and Turkmenistan to the southwest . The Kazakhs ( also spelled Kazaks , Qazaqs , , ; the ___MASK43___ is transliterated from Russian ) are a Turkic ___MASK34___ who mainly inhabit the southern part of Eastern Europe Ural mountains and northern parts of Central Asia ( largely Kazakhstan , but also found in parts of Uzbekistan , China , Russia and Mongolia ), the region also known as Eurasian sub - ___MASK88___ . Kazakh identity is of medieval origin and was strongly shaped by the foundation of the Kazakh Khanate between 1456 and 1465 , when several tribes under the rule of the sultans Zhanibek and Kerey departed from the Khanate of Abu ' l - Khayr Khan . A ___MASK61___ is a large ___MASK66___ that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area , usually in the form of a peak . A ___MASK61___ is generally steeper than a hill . Mountains are formed through tectonic forces or volcanism . These forces can locally raise the ___MASK100___ of the earth . Mountains erode slowly through the action of rivers , weather conditions , and glaciers . A few mountains are isolated summits , but most occur in huge ___MASK61___ ranges . Afghanistan ( Pashto / Dari : , " Afnistn "), officially the Islamic ___MASK51___ of Afghanistan , is a landlocked country located within South Asia and Central Asia . It has a population of approximately 32 million , making it the 42nd most populous country in the world . It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and east ; Iran in the west ; Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , and Tajikistan in the north ; and China in the far northeast . Its territory covers , making it the 41st largest country in the world . Xiao ' erjing or Xiao ' erjin or Xiaor jin or in its shortened form , Xiaojing , literally meaning " children ' s ___MASK73___ " or " minor ___MASK73___ " ( cf . " original ___MASK73___ " referring to the original Perso - Arabic ___MASK73___ , , Xiao ' erjing :    ; / Benjin ), is the practice of writing Sinitic languages such as Mandarin ( especially the Lanyin , Zhongyuan and Northeastern dialects ) or the Dungan language in the Perso - Arabic ___MASK73___ . It is used on occasion by many ethnic minorities who adhere to the Islamic faith in China ( mostly the Hui , but also the Dongxiang , and the Salar ), and formerly by their Dungan descendants in Central Asia . Soviet writing reforms forced the Dungan to replace Xiao ' erjing with a Roman ___MASK81___ and later a Cyrillic ___MASK81___ , which they continue to use up until today . Central Asia or Middle Asia is the core ___MASK23___ of the Asian ___MASK88___ and stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to China in the east and from Afghanistan in the south to Russia in the north . It is also colloquially referred to as " the ' stans " ( as the six countries generally considered to be within the ___MASK23___ all have names ending with the Persian suffix "- stan ", meaning " land of ") and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian ___MASK88___ . The Pamir Mountains , or the Pamirs , are a ___MASK47___ in Central Asia at the junction of the Himalayas with the Tian Shan , Karakoram , Kunlun , Hindu Kush and Hindu Raj ranges . They are among the world  s highest mountains . The Vakhsh ( ___MASK16___ ), also known as the Surkhob (  ), in north - central Tajikistan , and the Kyzyl - Suu , in Kyrgyzstan , is a Central Asian ___MASK16___ , and one of the main rivers of the ___MASK41___ of Tajikistan . It is a ___MASK1___ of the Amu Darya ___MASK16___ . Kyrgyzstan (; " Kyrgyzstan "), officially the Kyrgyz ___MASK51___ (" Krgz Respublikas "; " Kyrgyzskaya Respublika "), formerly known as Kirghizia , is a country in Central Asia . Landlocked and mountainous , Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north , Uzbekistan to the west and southwest , Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east . Its ___MASK80___ and largest city is Bishkek . The Amu Darya ('; /; //; '), also called the Amu ___MASK16___ and historically known by its Latin ___MASK13___ , , is a major river in Central Asia . It is formed by the ___MASK12___ of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers , at Qal ` eh - ye Panjeh in Afghanistan , and flows from there north - westwards into the southern remnants of the Aral ___MASK14___ . In ancient times , the river was regarded as the boundary between Greater Iran and Turan . Tengri ( Modern Turkish : ; Proto - Turkic *" teri / * tar "; Mongolian ___MASK73___ : , " Tngri "; Modern Mongolian :  , " Tenger "), is one of the names for the sky deity since the early Turkic , Xiongnu , Hunnic , Bulgar and Mongolic ( Xianbei ) peoples . Tajikistan (, or ), officially the ___MASK51___ of Tajikistan (" Çumhuriji Toçikiston "), is a mountainous , landlocked country in Central Asia with an estimated 8 million people in 2013 , and an area of . It is bordered by Afghanistan to the south , Uzbekistan to the west , Kyrgyzstan to the north , and China to the east . Pakistan lies to the south , separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor . Traditional homelands of Tajik people included present - ___MASK60___ Tajikistan , Afghanistan and Uzbekistan . The Fedchenko ___MASK63___ ( Russian  ) is a large ___MASK63___ in the Yazgulem ___MASK19___ , Pamir Mountains , of north - central Gorno - Badakhshan ___MASK70___ , Tajikistan . The ___MASK63___ is long and narrow , currently extending for and covering over . It is the longest ___MASK63___ in the world outside of the polar regions . The maximum thickness of the ___MASK63___ is , and the volume of the Fedchenko and its dozens of tributaries is estimated at  about a third the volume of Lake Erie . Ismoil Somoni Peak ( Tajik :    , " Qulla  i Ismo  ili Somonî / Qullaji Ismojili Somon " Russian :    " pik Ismaila Samani ") is the highest ___MASK61___ in Tajikistan and in the former Russian ___MASK26___ and later in the Soviet Union , named after Ismail Samani , the greatest ruler of the Samanid dynasty . Kongur Tagh or Kongkoerh ( Uyghur : , "   " " Hongor ___MASK57___ ") ( also referred to as Kongur ) is at 7 , 649 m the highest ___MASK61___ wholly within the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China . The Alay ___MASK20___ is a broad , dry ___MASK20___ ___MASK17___ east - west across most of southern Osh ___MASK70___ , Kyrgyzstan . ( From the Russian spelling , pronunciation should probably be ' alai ' rather than ' alay '). It is about 180 km east - west and about 40 km north - south and 2500 - 3500m in altitude . The north side is the Alay Mountains which slope down to the Ferghana ___MASK20___ . The south side is the Trans - Alay Range along the Tajikistan border , with Lenin Peak , ( 7134m ). The western 40 km or so is more hills than ___MASK20___ . On the east there is the low Tongmurun pass and then more ___MASK20___ leading to the Irkestam border crossing to China . Jengish Chokusu (" Ceñi çoqusu ",   " Pik Pobedy " ) is the highest ___MASK61___ in the Tian Shan ___MASK61___ ___MASK65___ at . It lies on the Kyrgyzstan  China border , in the Kakshaal Too , the highest part of the Tien Shan , southeast of lake Issyk Kul . Tin is one of the oldest ___MASK58___ terms for heaven and a key concept in ___MASK58___ mythology , philosophy , and religion . During the Shang Dynasty ( 17  11th centuries BCE ), the ___MASK58___ referred to their supreme ___MASK28___ as " Shàngdì " (" Lord on High ") or " Dì " (" Lord "). During the following Zhou Dynasty , " Tin " became synonymous with this figure . Heaven worship was , before the 20th century , an orthodox ___MASK49___ of China . The Trans - Alay ___MASK19___ ( also Trans Alai ) is the northern most ___MASK19___ of the Pamir Mountains , where the Pamirs and the Tian Shan come together . They form the ___MASK53___ between Osh ___MASK70___ , Kyrgyzstan and Gorno - Badakshan ___MASK70___ , Tajikistan . To the north is the Alay Valley and to the south , the Muksu River . The highest peak in the ___MASK19___ is Lenin Peak . Kazakhstan ( " Qazaqstan ", " Kazakhstan "), officially the ___MASK51___ of Kazakhstan (" Qazaqstan Respwblïkas " " Respublika Kazakhstan "), is a ___MASK76___ in northern Central Asia and Eastern Europe . Kazakhstan is the world ' s largest landlocked country , and the ninth largest in the world , with an area of . Kazakhstan is the dominant nation of Central Asia economically , generating 60 % of the region ' s GDP , primarily through its oil / gas industry . It also has vast mineral resources . Bishkek ( and ] respectively ), formerly Pishpek and Frunze , is the ___MASK80___ and largest city of the Kyrgyz Republic . Bishkek is also the administrative center of the Chuy Region . The province surrounds the city , although the city itself is not part of the province , but rather a province - level unit of Kyrgyzstan . Osh is the second largest ___MASK6___ in Kyrgyzstan , located in the Fergana ___MASK20___ in the south of the country and often referred to as the " ___MASK80___ of the south ". It is the oldest ___MASK6___ in the country ( estimated to be more than 3000 years old ), and has served as the administrative center of Osh Region since 1939 . The ___MASK6___ has an ethnically mixed population of about 255 , 800 in 2012 , comprising Kyrgyz , Uzbeks , Russians , Tajiks , and other smaller ethnic groups . The Alay or Alai Mountains constitute a ___MASK47___ that extends from the Tien Shan ___MASK47___ in Kyrgyzstan west into Tajikistan . It is part of the Pamir - Alai mountain system . The range runs approximately east to west . Its highest summit is Pik Tandykul , 5544 m . The southern slopes of the range drain into the Vakhsh River , a tributary of the Amu Darya . The streams that drain the northern slopes of the range are tributaries of the Syr Darya , and empty into the Fergana Valley to the north of the range . China , officially the ___MASK34___ ' s ___MASK51___ of China ( PRC ), is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia . With a population of over ___MASK78___ . 381 billion , it is the world ' s most populous country . The state is governed by the Communist Party of China , and its capital is Beijing . It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces , five autonomous regions , four direct - controlled municipalities ( Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai , and Chongqing ), and two mostly self - governing special administrative regions ( Hong Kong and Macau ), and claims sovereignty over Taiwan . The country ' s major urban areas include Shanghai , Guangzhou , Beijing , Chongqing , Shenzhen , Tianjin and Hong Kong . China is a great power and a major regional power within Asia , and has been characterized as a potential superpower . Lenin Peak (" Lenin Çoqusu ",   " Pik Lenina " renamed     ( qulla  i Abûalî ibni Sino ) in ___MASK46___ 2006 ), or Ibn Sina ( Avicenna ) Peak , rises to 7 , 134 metres ( 23 , 406 ft ) in Gorno - Badakhshan ( GBAO ) on the ___MASK53___ of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan , and is the second - highest ___MASK35___ of both countries . It is considered one of the easiest 7000 m peaks in the world to climb and it has by far the most ascents of any 7000 m or higher peak on Earth , with every year seeing hundreds of climbers make their way to the summit . Lenin Peak is the highest mountain in the Trans - Alay Range of Central Asia , and in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan it is exceeded only by Ismoil Somoni Peak ( 7 , 495 m ). It was thought to be the highest ___MASK35___ in the Pamirs in Tajikistan until 1933 , when Ismoil Somoni Peak ( known as " Stalin Peak " at the ___MASK83___ ) was climbed and found to be more than 300 metres higher . Two mountains in the Pamirs in China , Kongur Tagh ( 7 , 649 m ) and Muztagh Ata ( 7 , 546 m ), are higher than the Tajik summits . Pakistan ( or ), officially the Islamic ___MASK51___ of Pakistan , is a federal parliamentary ___MASK51___ in South Asia on crossroads of Central Asia and Western Asia . It is the sixth - most populous country with a population exceeding 200 million people . It is the 36th largest country in the world in terms of area with an area covering . Pakistan has a coastline along the Arabian ___MASK14___ and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east , Afghanistan to the west , Iran to the southwest and China in the far northeast respectively . It is separated from Tajikistan by Afghanistan ' s narrow Wakhan Corridor in the north , and also shares a maritime border with Oman .