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Location
Kazakhstan is a country of Central Asia located in the heart of Eurasia between 45° and 87°E, 40° and 55°N.
The country is positioned at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. About 15% of the territory of Kazakhstan is situated in Europe, and about 85% - in Asia.
The geographical center of Eurasia is located in Kazakhstan.
The population of the country is 17.5 million people.
Its capital is Astana.
The territory extends for 3000 km from the Caspian Depression in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and for 1700 km from the West Siberian Plain in the north to the Kyzylkum Desert and the Tian Shan mountain ranges in the south.
Kazakhstan is equally remote from the Pacific and Atlantic, as well as from the Indian and Arctic oceans, and is the world's largest landlocked state.
Area
Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country by land area.
The total area is 2,724,900 sq.km.
Land area is 2,669,700 sq.km.
Water area is 55,200 sq.km.
Borders
The total length of the borders is more than 15,000 km, land borders are 12,000 km and more than 3,000 km of borders are along the Caspian and Aral Seas.
Land
Length of land borders is 13,364 km.
Bounded by:
- on the east — by China, 1,765 km.
- on the south — by Kyrgyzstan, 1,212 km.
- on the south — by Uzbekistan, 2,330 km.
- on the southwest — by Turkmenistan, 413 km.
- on the north — by Russia, 7,644 km. The Kazakhstan-Russia border is the longest international land border in the world.
Water borders
Though Kazakhstan is landlocked, its border runs along two of the largest bodies of water in the region: Caspian and Aral seas. These are salt lakes, they are called seas due to their size.
- The border along the Caspian Sea is 1,894 km.
- The border along the Aral Sea is 1,070 km.
Highest and lowest points
The lowest point is the Karagiye Depression (132 meters below sea level) on the Mangyshlak Peninsula in the west of the country.
The highest point is Khan Tengri in the east (7,010 meters above sea level).
The mountains of Kazakhstan, concentrated in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country, have a number of peaks sparking interest of climbers from all over the world.
Mountain peaks of Kazakhstan
Climate
Kazakhstan is located in the southern latitudes of the temperate zone. However, while the countries of Eastern Europe, located in these latitudes, have a temperate continental climate, and Western Europe have a subtropical climate, Kazakhstan is a country with dry and highly continental climate. From west to east of the country, the continentality of the climate increases.
Even though its territory spans three geographical time zones, time in Kazakhstan is either GMT +5 and GMT +6.