Chu Valley

Chu Valley

 

part of the valley of the Chu River. The Chu Valley, situated in the river’s middle course, extends from the Boam Gorge in the southeast to the eastern edge of the Muiunkum Desert in the northwest, in the Kirghiz SSR and the Kazakh SSR. It measures approximately 200 km in length and ranges in width from 15 km in the southeast to 100 km in the northwest. Elevations range from 500 to 1,200 m. The climate is distinctly continental, with a frost-free period of as much as 180 days. Precipitation totals 250–400 mm annually, mainly in the spring. Almost all of the Chu Valley’s territory is cultivated and irrigated. The main crops are sugar beets, grains, and fruit, including grapes. The city of Frunze is located in the south.