Altay Mountains

Altai Mountains
Map of the Altai mountain range
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	阿尔泰山脉
Traditional Chinese	阿爾泰山脈
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Ā'ěrtài Shānmài
Mongolian name
Mongolian	Алтайн нуруу/Altain nurú
Russian name
Russian	Алтай
Romanization	Altay
Kazakh name
Kazakh	Алтай таулары/Altay tawları/التاي تاۋلارى

Coordinates: 49°N 89°E / 49°N 89°E / 49; 89

The Altai Mountains (also spelled Altay Mountains; Altai: Алтай туулар, Altaj tuular; Mongolian: ᠠᠯᠲᠠᠢ
‍ᠶᠢᠨ
ᠨᠢᠷᠤᠭᠤ , Altai-yin niruɣu (Chakhar), Алтайн нуруу, Altain nurú (Khalkha); Kazakh: Алтай таулары, Altay tawları, التاي تاۋلارى Russian: Алтайские горы, Altayskiye gory; Chinese; 阿尔泰山脉, Ā'ěrtài Shānmài, Xiao'erjing: اَعَرتَىْ شًامَىْ) are a mountain range in Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan come together, and are where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their headwaters. The northwest end of the range is at 52° N and between 84° and 90° E (where it merges with the Sayan Mountains to the east), and extends southeast from there to about 45° N and 99° E, where it gradually becomes lower and merges into the high plateau of the Gobi Desert.