Muyunkum Мойынқұм
View of the Chu river at the edge of the desert
Muyunkum Location in Kazakhstan
Coordinates: 43°53′N 71°52′E / 43.883°N 71.867°E / 43.883; 71.867Coordinates: 43°53′N 71°52′E / 43.883°N 71.867°E / 43.883; 71.867
Location	Kazakhstan / Kyrgyzstan
Part of	Balkhash-Alakol Basin
Area
• Total	37,500 km2 (14,500 sq mi)
Elevation	300 meters (980 ft) to 700 meters (2,300 ft)

The Muyunkum Desert (Kazakh: Мойынқұм, Moiynqūm, is a desert in the Jambyl Region of southern Kazakhstan.

Common plant types in the desert include the saksaul, milkvetch, mugwort and sedge.

Geography

It extends from the Chu River in the north to the Karatau Mountains and Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range In the south and east. Its altitude varies from 300m in the north to 700m in the southeast. The elevations range from from 300 meters (980 ft) in the northern sector to 700 meters (2,300 ft) in the southeast. The Akzhar lake group is located in the desert.^[1][2][3]

Climate

The climate of the desert is continental. Temperatures drop to as low as -40 °C in January and rise to around 50 °C in July.^[4]

Mining

The desert is known to harbor deposits of uranium, with the South Inkai mine of Uranium One and the Inkai Uranium Project of Cameco. The uranium mines at Tortkuduk and Muyunkum are operated by the Franco-Kazakh firm KATCO.^[5]