Naryn

Naryn nərĭn´ [key], river, c.450 mi (720 km) long, rising in several branches in the Tian Shan mountain system, SW Kyrgyzstan and SE Uzbekistan. The longest river in Kyrgyzstan, it flows generally W through the Fergana Valley where it joins with the Kara Darya to form the Syr Darya. The upper course is used for producing hydroelectricity; the lower course for irrigating a cotton-growing area. The city of Naryn(1997 est. pop. 46,400), SW Kyrgyzstan, on the upper course of the river, at an altitude of 6,610 ft (2,015 m), is the center of a wheat-growing and sheep-grazing district.

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