Muyunkum Desert

The Muyunkum Desert (Kazakh: Мойынқұм, Russian: Мойынку́м or Муюнкум) is a desert in the Jambyl Region of southern Kazakhstan. It extends from the Chu River in the north to the Karatau Mountains and Kyrgyzstan in the south. Its altitude varies from 300m in the north to 700m in the southeast.

The climate of the desert is continental. Temperatures drop to as low as -40 °C in January and rise to around 50 °C in July.

The desert is known to harbor deposits of uranium, with the South Inkai mine of Uranium One and the Inkai Uranium Project of Cameco. The uranium mines at Tortkuduk and Muyunkum are operated by the Franco-Kazakh firm KATCO.

Common plant types in the desert include the saksaul, milkvetch, mugwort and sedge.