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
water: 47,500 sq km
land: 2,669,800 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) | | 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: 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 | | 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
Source: CIA World Factbook
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