Emba

The Emba River starts in the Mugodzhar Mountains in western Kazakhstan and flows into the Caspian Sea. It stretches over 712 kilometers (442 miles) and drains 40,400 square kilometers (15,600 sq mi). It runs across the Ust-Urt plateau to the Caspian, passing via a series of small lagoons that were navigable in the 18th century. The lower route passes through a salt dome region and the Emba fields, which are rich in petroleum. It is occasionally used to define the natural border between Europe and Asia.

The Emba is a minor river in its upper reaches, with a valley just over 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) broad. Lower down, the Emba's valleys extend to almost 7 kilometers once the Temir River's waters flow into it (4 mi). The Emba flows in a single channel, with only a few little arms splitting off here and there. However, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) before entering the Caspian Sea, it splits into multiple lakes, which are connected by slender channels that only run during flooding. The Emba is a river that is fed by snow. In the winter, it freezes over, a process that starts in November and lasts until March.

Between the Mugodzhar Hills and the Volga is the Emba oil basin. Maily kiyan, which means "land blessed with miracle oil," was the name given to this place in the past. During his travels in the mid-17th century, the British merchant Gok stumbled across a spring near the Emba River that spewed oil instead of water. The Bolsheviks attempted to build the Algemba railway and pipeline from Alexandrov Gay between 1919 and 1921 in order to offer a means of transporting oil from the recently acquired oil field to the center of Russia. The initiative, however, failed due to logistical issues, resulting in a significant loss of life.

Length: 712 km (442 mi)