Talas Valley

an intermontane depression in the northern Tien-Shan, situated mainly in the Kirghiz SSR, between the Kirghiz Range, to the north, and the Talas Alatau, to the south. The valley, which measures approximately 250 km in length, is situated at an elevation of 600–2,000 m. The Talas River flows along the lowest part. The slopes and original bottom of the valley are composed of schists, sandstones, and limestones with granite intrusions. Semidesert, dry-steppe, and steppe landforms predominate. Oases are located on the flat valley bottom and on alluvial cones of the tributaries of the Talas River. A dam and a reservoir for irrigation have been constructed in the lower part of the valley, above the village of Kirovskoe. The city of Talas is located in the valley.