KaraKunlun Mountains

Karakunlun Mountains, south to the western part of Kunlun Mountains and west to Wakhan Corridor, linking Hindukush Mountains, ending at the Kongka Pass between India and China, lies from northwest to southeast. The northern slope area is in the territory of China. It is about 500kilometers long and 150 kilometers wide. The general height of the mountain ridges is about 5500 meters. And Karakunlun Mountains has 15 high peaks with the altitude of 7500meters above the sea level, of which 4 are over 8000meters above the sea level. Qiaoger (K2), the second highest peak in the world, stands at the border between China and Pakistan. 

There is much rainfall in the area of the southwest slope, the annual amount of rainfall is 800mm—2400mm in the high mountain area and the snowline is in the area of around 5000meters above the sea level, and this area is the largest mountain glacier area in the low and mid latitude areas of the world. And the tops of the mountains here, in the shape of mountain highland, are capped with the ice-snow with six large glacier, 50-70 kilometers along respectively. In the northern slope of Karakunlun Mountains there is less rainfall and the snow line is higher than that in the southern slope, around 5400meters. 

The Yinsuget Glacier in the northwest slope of the Qiaoger Peak, 42 kilometers in Length, is the longest in china,and the of the glaciers is at the Kurqin Valley, which is the eastern source of Yarkend River. The Mingtiegai Pass was an important passage on the ancient Silk Road, not far from the pass is Kunjerab pass, by which the Karakoram Highway passes. And in the eastern part of the mountains there was a traditional merchant route between India and China. As it is a high and cold area, agriculture is impossible in the mountain area but there are rich mineral and hydraulic resources.