Aldan (river)

The Aldan is a big river in eastern Siberia. It flows through the Sakha Republic. It is the second-longest right tributary of the Lena River and is about 2,273 kilometers, or 1,412 miles, long. Boats can travel along about 1,600 kilometers of the Aldan.

Long ago, the Aldan was part of an important River Route to Okhotsk. In 1639, a person named Ivan Moskvitin traveled up the Aldan and another river called the Maya. He then crossed to the Ulya and reached the Sea of Okhotsk.

The area around the Aldan has gold and many interesting Cambrian fossils. These fossils help us learn about life from long ago.

Etymology

People have different ideas about where the name "Aldan" comes from. One old idea connects it to a word meaning "gold." Another idea suggests it might come from a word for "fish." Yet another idea says it could refer to a special kind of spring ice on the coast.

Course

The Aldan River starts in the Stanovoy Mountains near Neryungri. It flows northeast past towns like Tommot, Ust-Maya, and Eldikan. It joins the Lena River near Batamay.

Tributaries

The Aldan River has many smaller rivers that flow into it. Some larger ones on the right side are Timpton, Uchur, and Allakh-Yun. Others on the left side include Amedichi and Amga.