a river flowing through the Kazakh SSR in its upper course and through China; a main tributary of the Ili River at the letter’s source. The Tekes is 438 km long and drains an area of 29,600 sq km. It originates near the eastern end of the Terskei-Alatau Range and flows mainly in the broad intermontane valley that separates the axial ridges of Eastern Tien-Shan and the Ketmen’ Range. The high-water period is during the summer, and the river freezes from December to March. The mean flow rate near the mouth is 270 cu m per sec. The Tekes is used for irrigation; near the mouth are saline soils and marshes.