Kazakhstan:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Kazakhstan:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many of these newcomers to emigrate. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states combined, largely due to the country's vast natural resources and a recent history of political stability. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; achieving a sustainable economic growth; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's competitiveness; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.

Location	Definition Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe
Geographic coordinates	Definition 48 00 N, 68 00 E
Map references	Definition Asia
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 2,717,300 sq km land: 2,669,800 sq km water: 47,500 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly less than four times the size of Texas
Land boundaries	Definition 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	Definition 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	Definition none (landlocked)
Climate	Definition continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
Terrain	Definition extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m
Natural resources	Definition major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 8.28% permanent crops: 0.05% other: 91.67% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 35,560 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 109.6 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 35 cu km/yr (2%/17%/82%) per capita: 2,360 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty
Environment - current issues	Definition 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	Definition 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	Definition 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

Kazakhstan: Geography

Kazakhstan:
Geography