The Ustyurt Plateau is a giant plateau located in Central Asia, on the territory of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, between the remains of the once great Aral Sea.
The plateau rises 180-300 meters above the plain. In some places, it breaks off to the surrounding plain with steep and hard-to-reach ledges – cliffs up to 350 meters high. The Ustyurt Plateau consists of separate ridgesn the south-west, resembling small mountain ranges.
The place attracts with its bewitching landscapes. Nature is in no way inferior to the natural monuments of foreign countries, and therefore the plateau attracts so much attention from tourists.
The main landscape of the plateau is a desert, almost without any vegetation and water, mostly wormwood and saltwort are found. Ground water found in sediments is salty and unsuitable for drinking. Winters are severe (up to – 40 degreesCelsius) here and summers are characterized by burning heat.
Despite this, the Ustyurt Plateau was a habitat for people. More than 60 Neolithic sites were discovered here, and traces of the presence of the Mongols were preserved. Also, the plateau was the object of intersection of many ancient caravan routes, including the Great Silk Road. Due to its climatic conditions, complete lack of water and remoteness from modern routes, Ustyurt is much less studied than the famous Karakum desert even now.