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Kazakhstan: Geography
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Location:
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Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe
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Geographic coordinates:
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48 00 N, 68 00 E
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Map references:
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Asia
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Area:
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total: 2,717,300 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than four times the size of Texas
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Land boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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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)
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked)
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Climate:
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continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
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Terrain:
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extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m
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Natural resources:
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major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
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Land use:
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arable land: 11.23%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 88.72% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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23,320 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty
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Environment - current issues:
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radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with its former defense industries and test ranges 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
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome
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