The Kara Darya or Qaradaryo is a tributary of the Syr Darya

Syr Darya

The Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...

 in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...

 and eastern Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....

. The river is formed by the confluence of Kara-Kulja River and Tar River

Tar River (Kyrgyzstan)

The Tar River is a river in Kara-Kulja District of Osh Province of Kyrgyzstan. The portion of the Tar River from its source to confluence with Eshegart River is known as Kegart, the portion up to mouth of Terek River is called Alaykuu River, downstream its name is Oi-Tal River, and from its...

. There are more than 200 known tributaries of Kara Darya; the largest are Jazy River, Kara Unkur River, Kegart River

Kegart River

The Kegart is a right tributary of the Kara Darya in Kyrgyzstan. The river is formed at the south-west slope of Fergana Range....

, Kurshab River

Kurshab River

The Kurshab flows into Andijan Reservoir in Kyrgyzstan. The river is formed at the north slope of the Fergana Range. There are several settlements located near Kurshab river: Gulcha, Kyzyl-Korgon, Sopu-Korgon....

, Abshir Sai River, and Aravan Sai River. Its length is 177 kilometres (110 mi), and watershed area 30100 square kilometre. The upper Kara Darya flows northwest across eastern Osh Province

Osh Province

Osh Province is a province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Osh. It is bounded by Jalal-Abad Province, Naryn Province, Xinjiang, China, Tajikistan, Batken Province and Uzbekistan.-Geography:...

 southwest of and parallel to the Fergana Range

Fergana Range

Fergana Range is a mountain range in Tian Shan in Kyrgyz Republic. The length of the range is 206 km, height up to 4893 m, and average height - 3600 m above sea level.-Geography:...

. It enters the Ferghana Valley and Uzbek territory a few miles west of Uzgen

Uzgen

Uzgen is a town in Osh Province, Kyrgyzstan. It is the capital of Uzgen District.-Geography:...

. The lower course is through the Fergana Valley

Fergana Valley

The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Divided across three subdivisions of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse, and in the early 21st century was the scene of ethnic conflict...

, where it is used for irrigation

Irrigation

Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...

. In the Fergana Valley its confluence

Confluence (geography)

In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...

 with the Naryn River

Naryn River

The Naryn River rises in the Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, flowing west through the Fergana Valley into Uzbekistan. Here it merges with the Kara Darya River to form the Syr Darya...

 forms the Syr Darya

Syr Darya

The Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...

, the second largest river of Central Asia

Central Asia

Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

. There are several dams on the river.