Kazakhstan Geography:
Location:
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe
Geographic coordinates:
48 00 N, 68 00 E
Map references:
Area:
total:
2,717,300 sq km
land:
2,669,800 sq km
water:
47,500 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly less than four times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 12,012 km
border countries: China 1533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1051 km, Russia 6846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2203 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
note: 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 6,995 m (Pik Khan-Tengri)
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: 7.98%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 91.97%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
23,320 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty
Environment - current issues:
Radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with former defense industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country 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:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
Landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050 |
