Page last updated on February 23,

Location:
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Zhayyq) River in eastern-most Europe

Geographic coordinates:
48 00 N, 68 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 2,724,900 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 9
land: 2,699,700 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 25,200 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
slightly less than four times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 12,185 km
border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,224 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

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)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
More Climate Details

Terrain:
vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

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%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.05%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 91.67% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
35,560 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
109.6 cu km (1997)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 35 cu km/yr (2%/17%/82%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 2,360 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

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, Environmental Modification, 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