Earlier mentions of Ili river can be traced back to the Mahmud al-Kashgari's dictionary of Turkic languages, the Dīwānu l-Luġat al-Turk. In the book, the author defines it in the following way: "Ili, the name of a river. Turkic tribes of Yaghma, Tokhsi and Chiglig live on its banks. Turkish countries regard the river as their Jayhoun." The name possibly originated from Uyghur word Il, meaning hook, resembling the river's geographical shape.
Chinese region
The upper Ili Valley is separated from the Dzungarian Basin in the north, and from the Tarim Basin in the south. This region was the stronghold of the Qing administration in Xinjiang in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It was occupied by Russia from 1871 to 1881. Presently, the region forms part of Xinjiang's Ili KazakhAutonomous Prefecture. The main city of the region, Yining, is located on the northern side of the river. Until the early 1900s, the city was commonly known under the same name as the river, 伊犁. Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County in located on the southern side, which is home to many of the China's Xibe people. There are at least two dams on the Ili's tributary: the Kash River in Nilka County, at and . At least two dams have been constructed on the Ili's left tributary, the Tekes River, and the Qiapuqihai Hydropower Station in Tokkuztara County. There is also another smaller dam at, on the border of Tokkuztara and Künes Counties.
Kazakh region
The region of Kazakhstan partially drained by the Ili and its tributaries is known in Kazakh as Zhetysu. In Russian it is known as Semirechye. The Kapshagay Hydroelectric Power Plant was constructed between 1965 and 1970 near Kapchagay in the middle reaches of the Ili River. This currently comprises the Kapchagay Reservoir, an artificial long lake north of Almaty. The Tamgaly-Tas, a protected site that comprises rock drawings, is located downstream along the Ili River. The name Tamgaly in Kazakh means "painted" or "marked place".
Ili Delta
The Ili River flows into the southeastern edge of Lake Balkhash, where it forms a large delta of about. The delta is situated between the Saryesik-Atyrau Desert and the Taukum Desert. An area of 9,766 km2 within the delta has been designated as a Ramsar Site. This site has 427 species of plants and 345 species of animals, including important populations of rare species. The delta has also become popular amongst anglers for its wels catfish, which can grow up to over. The Ili river ranks third in Kazakhstan after the Irtysh river and the Ural river in terms of water content. The Government of Kazakhstan plans to join the three sanctuaries Balkash, Karoy and Kukan into one National Park. Until 1948, the delta was a refuge of the extinct Caspian tiger. An introduction of the Siberian tiger to the delta has been proposed on account that it is a genetically close relative of the Caspian tiger. A large population of wild boar, the main prey base of the Caspian tiger, can be still found in the delta. There is also a small population of roe deer. In the drier steppes to the south of the delta live saiga antelopes and goitered gazelles. Reintroduction of the Bactrian deer, another prey of the Caspian tiger, is currently under consideration. Another potential prey species considered to be reintroduced is the Asiatic wild ass.
Historical connections
The Ili River treaty of 638 AD formalized the division of the Western Turkic Kaganate into the Nushibi and the Dulu. It also established the Ili River as the border between the two states. In the 21st century, increasing need for water in both China and Kazakhstan makes the management of the cross-border Ili River a topic of concern for environmentalists and politicians in Kazakhstan. The amount of precipitation in summer reaches 150-250 cubic meters.
Fishing
On the river, the most popular type of fishing is fishing for catfish, one of the largest aquatic predators, which reaches 5 meters in length and weighs up to 300 kg. on the river, or catch smaller specimens – 50 – 100 kg.
