Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Geography of Kazakhstan

This article describes the geography of Kazakhstan.

; Location:

Central Asia, northwest of China
; Geographic coordinates:
48° 00′ N, 68° 00′ E
; Map references:
Commonwealth of Independent States
; Area:
  • Total: 2,717,300 km²
Land: 2,669,800 km²
Water: 47,500 km²
; Area--comparative:
About two times the size of Alaska
; Land boundaries:
  • Total: 12,012 km
Border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km
; Coastline:
0 km (landlocked). Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea (1,894 km).
; Maritime claims:
None (landlocked)
; Climate:
Continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
; Terrain:
Extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
; Elevation extremes:
  • Lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
Highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m
; Natural resources:
Major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
; Land use:
  • Arable land: 12%
Permanent crops: 11%
Permanent pastures: 57%
Forests and woodland:4%
Other: 16% (1996 est.)
; Irrigated land:
22,000 km² (1996 est.)
; Natural hazards:
Earthquakes in the south, mud slides around Almaty
; Environment--current issues:
Radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with its former defense industries and test ranges are found throughout the country and pose health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe in some cities; because the two main rivers which flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices
; Environment--international agreements:
Signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
; Geography - note:
Landlocked

See also: Kazakhstan