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 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 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

Coastline 0 km (landlocked)
note: Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea (1,015 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 oasis and desert in Central Asia

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Zhengis Shingy (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 sq km (1996 est.)

Natural hazards earthquakes in the south, mudslides 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 salinization from faulty irrigation practices

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note landlocked

NOTE: The information regarding Kazakhstan on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Kazakhstan Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Kazakhstan Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.