Min Mountains

Min Mountains, range in southwestern Gansu and northwestern Sichuan provinces, central China. The Min Mountains are a branch of the Kunlun Mountains and run roughly along a northwest-southeast axis. The range is made up of rugged limestone, with an average elevation of 8,200 feet (2,500 metres) above sea level; individual peaks reach higher elevations. In the western section of the range, several peaks exceed 13,000 feet (4,000 metres) in height. The structure of the range is complex, as it is composed of several chains that intermingle with the northern part of the Daxue Mountains in western Sichuan that run north to south.

The area is arid and consists mostly of grassland and mountain meadow, although vegetation varies with elevation and location. In the west, the highest peaks are snow-capped. The region is drained to the south by the Min River and its tributaries, which empty into the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). The northern slopes are drained to the west by the headwaters of the Huang He (Yellow River) and to the east by the tributaries of the Jialing River. The region is inhabited by Tibetan herders, with some Mongols living in the far west. Ethnic Chinese (Han) live primarily in the market towns and scattered cultivated areas.

The name Min is ancient; in early times it was the name of one or another of the major peaks in the range, rather than of the range as a whole. Other names are applied to various parts of the Min Mountains. The mountains in the far west are called the Amne Machin (Jishi Mountains), and those in the north are called the Xiqing Mountains. The central section of the range lying west of the Min River, which has an axis running from north to south, is known as the Qionglai Mountains. The easternmost section, which joins the Daba Mountains, is known as the Motian Mountains.