Yenisei River

Context

Brown bear attacks have recently increased around Podtesovo, a settlement located on the right bank of the Yenisei River in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region. The incidents have drawn attention to the Yenisei River and the surrounding Siberian taiga ecosystem.

About Yenisei River

1. The Yenisei is one of the major rivers of central Siberia in Russia.
2. It flows mainly from south to north across Siberia and empties into the Yenisei Gulf of the Kara Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean.
3. The river proper begins at Kyzyl, in the Russian Republic of Tuva, at the confluence of the Great Yenisei (Bolshoi Yenisei) and Little Yenisei (Maly Yenisei).
4. The Yenisei–Angara system is one of the world’s longest river systems and a major component of Arctic drainage.
5. The Yenisei is commonly regarded as a major geographical boundary between western and eastern Siberia.

Source, Course and Tributaries

1. Great Yenisei: Rises in the Eastern Sayan Mountains of Tuva.
2. Little Yenisei: Has its headwaters in northern Mongolia before entering Russia.
3. From Kyzyl, the Yenisei flows north through the Sayan region and across central Siberia.
4. Angara River is one of its most important tributaries and is the only river flowing out of Lake Baikal.
5. Other major tributaries include the Lower Tunguska and Podkamennaya Tunguska rivers.

Geographical, Ecological and Arctic Significance

1. The Yenisei basin extends across vast parts of the Siberian taiga and supports important freshwater ecosystems.
2. The river is significant for navigation, regional transport and hydropower generation.
3. Major hydroelectric projects include the Krasnoyarsk and Sayano-Shushenskaya dams.
4. Through the Angara River, the Yenisei system is hydrologically connected with Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest freshwater lake.
5. Together with the Ob and Lena, the Yenisei is one of the major Siberian rivers carrying freshwater into the Arctic Ocean.
6. Its large discharge makes it important for Arctic hydrology and freshwater inflow into the Kara Sea.

FAQs

Q1. Where does the Yenisei River flow?
It flows mainly through central Siberia in Russia.

Q2. Where does the Yenisei River originate?
The river proper begins at Kyzyl, where the Great and Little Yenisei rivers meet.

Q3. Into which sea does the Yenisei River empty?
The Kara Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean.

Q4. Which major river connects Lake Baikal with the Yenisei?
The Angara River.

Q5. Why was the Yenisei River recently in news?
Because of rising brown bear attacks near Podtesovo, a settlement on its right bank.