Tasaral Island

Tasaral Island (Kazakh: Тасарал, Tasaral) is an island in the endorheic Lake Balkhash. It is located in the western part of the lake.^[1]

Tasaral Island Тасарал
Island
Tasaral Island
Coordinates: 46°16′N 74°4′E
Country	Kazakhstan
Body of water	Lake Balkhash
Region	Karaganda Region
District	Aktogay District
Elevation	368 m (1,207 ft)
Population
• Total	Uninhabited

Geography

Tasaral Island is located close to the shore, separated from it by a 1.7 km (1.1 mi) wide sound. It has a length of 8.2 km (5.1 mi), a maximum width of roughly 4 km (2.5 mi) and its maximum height reaches 368 m (1,207 ft).^[2] The shore of the island is rocky —'Tas' meaning "rock" and 'Aral' meaning "island"—^[3] with cliffs rising above the lake. Named after the island, the small town of Tasaral, founded in 1928 and dedicated mainly to fisheries, is located on the shore opposite the NW point of Tasaral Island.^[4]

Administratively, Tasaral Island belongs to the Aktogay District of the Karaganda Region of Kazakhstan.

View of Lake Balkhash from Space (August 2002)

The numbers mark the largest peninsulas, island and bays: Saryesik peninsula —separating the lake into two parts— with Uzynaral Strait Baygabyl Peninsula Balai Peninsula Shaukar Peninsula Kentubek Peninsula Basaral and Ortaaral Islands Tasaral Island Shempek Bay Saryshagan Bay

Fauna

The Central Asiatic frog (Rana asiatica) is one of the amphibians found on the island.^[5]

See also

• List of islands of Kazakhstan