Aktash (river)

The Aktash (Russian: Акташ) is a river in the Kasbek and Khasavyurt districts of the Republic of Daghestan in Caucasian Russia. It is 156 kilometers (97 mi) long, with its width varying from 1.5 meters (5 ft) to 160 meters (520 ft). It has an overall slope of 14%. Its watershed is 3,390 square kilometers (1,310 sq mi).^[1][2]

Aktash
Location
Country	Russia
Physical characteristics
Mouth	Sulak
• coordinates	43.3578°N 47.0326°E / 43.3578; 47.0326
Length	156 km (97 mi)
Basin size	3,390 km2 (1,310 sq mi)
Basin features
Progression	Sulak→ Caspian Sea

Name

Aktash derives from the Turkic ak- ("white") and taş ("stone").

History

The river's basin was settled by the Mountain Cossacks from the 1520s. The Don Cossacks arrived under Andrei Shadrin in the late 1570s, founding Andreyevo (present-day Endirey). The two groups eventually formed the Terek Cossacks. The mountainous area of the river was depopulated in 1877 by the Russian Adjutant-General Svistunov to prevent possible uprisings in support of Alibek Haji.^[3]

Diversion of the river for irrigation now means that it usually does not reach the Caspian Sea during the summer months.^[2]

Tributaries

Major tributaries include:^[1][2]

• Tsyrkikal
• Salasu
• Yaryksu
• Aksay

See also

• Other places named Aktash or Aktaş

References

Citations

1. "Река Акташ in the State Water Register of Russia". textual.ru (in Russian).
2. Zonn (2010).
3. Askerov (2015).

Bibliography

• Askerov, Ali (2015), "Aktash River", Historical Dictionary of the Chechan Conflict, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Zonn, Igor S.; et al., eds. (2010), "Aktash", The Caspian Sea Encyclopedia, Berlin: Springer-Verlag, p. 10, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11524-0, ISBN 978-3-642-11523-3.