Kazakhstan Geography Profile 2008

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

Asia

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, 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: 8.28%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 91.67% (2005)

Irrigated land

35,560 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

109.6 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 35 cu km/yr (2%/17%/82%)
per capita: 2,360 cu m/yr (2000)

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 that 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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