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The Zarafshan Range ((ロシア語:Зеравшанский хребет), (タジク語:Зарафшон), (ウズベク語:Zarafshon); also Zeravshan or Zarafshon; from the Persian word (ペルシア語:زرافشان) ''zar-afshān'', meaning "the sprayer of gold") is a mountain range in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, part of the Pamir-Alay mountains.〔 Almost all of the range belongs to the drainage basins of the Zarafshan River. The Persian name is believed to possibly be a reference to gold found in bed of the Zarafshan River and its tributaries, which has ushered prosperity to the region from ancient times. ==Geography and geology== The range extends over in an east−west direction along the south of Sughd Province in Tajikistan, reaching the highest point of (Chimtarga Peak) in its central part. South-west of Panjakent the range crosses from Tajikistan into Uzbekistan, where it continues at decreasing elevations () along the internal border between Samarkand and Kashkadarya Provinces provinces, until it blends into the desert south-west of Samarkand.〔''Atlas of the Soviet Republics of Central Asia'', Moscow, 1988, in Russian.〕 There are two other mountain ranges running in an east−west direction parallel to the Zarafshan Range. To the north, the Zeravshan Valley runs east for approximately from Samarkand and separates the Zarafshan Range from the Turkestan Range. To the south, the Hisar range runs parallel to the Zarafshan Range.〔 To the west of Lake Iskanderkul, the Zarafshan Range and the Gissar Range are connected by the Fann Mountains, which is the highest part of both ranges. The Zarafshan Range is crossed in the meridional direction by three rivers: the Fan Darya, the Kashtutu Darya, and the Maghian Darrya, all of which flow north and are left tributaries of the Zarafshan. The part of the Zarafshan Range east of the Fan Darya is known as the Matcha Range. It has heights around and in the east, it is connected to the Alay Range and the Turkestan Range. This point (the Matcha Mountains) is the location of the Zarafshan Glacier, which is long and is one of the longest glaciers of the Central Asia. The northern slopes of the Matcha Range are relatively smooth and descend to the Zarafshan, whereas the southern slopes sharply drop to the valley of the Yaghnob River. The highest part of the range is located between the Fan Darya and the Kashtutu Darya and includes the Fann Mountains. The western part of the range is up to and is forested.〔 The southern slopes of the western part of the ridge belong to the drainage basin of the Kashka Darya, which rises in the range's southern watershed.〔 The river terminates between Panjakent and Lake Karakul. Water is precious in the region and is utilized for irrigation − an irrigation system that has developed involves 85 main canal totalling a length of . There are several passes crossing the range, including Akhba-Tavastfin, Akhba-Bevut, Akhba-Guzun, Akhba-Surkltat, Darkh Pass, Minora, and Marda-Kishtigeh.〔 Various elevations include at Kshtut Pass, at Mount Chandara, and at Mount Hazret Sultan.〔 Fan Darya makes a gorge going across the ridge. The road connecting Dushanbe and Khujand is built in the ridge. The geological formations in the mountains of the upper Zarafshan Valley contain minerals such as coal, iron, gold alum and sulphur. Gold is reported from the entire course of the Fan Darya, Kashtutu Darya, and Maghian Darya.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Zarafshan Range」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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