The Republic of Kazakhstan is a large state located in the northern hemisphere on the cusp of two continents, Europe and Asia. Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, China, the USA, Brazil, Australia, India and Argentina. The total area is 2 million, 774 thousand square km.

The territory of the Republic stretches from downstream of the Volga in the west to the Altai mountains in the East crossing two time zones and from the West-Siberian lowlands in the north  to the Kyzylkum desert and the Tien Shan mountain range in the south.

The northern-most point is at a latitude of 55° 26′ north, which is in line with the southern latitude of the Central Eastern European flatlands and the southern British Isles (the Moscow latitude) and the southern-most point 40° 56′ north in line with Transcaucasia and the Mediterranean countries of Southern Europe (the Madrid, Istanbul and Baku latitude).

Borders

Kazakhstan shares a border with Russia to the east, north and north-west with a length of 6477 km, with Central Asian countries in the south including Uzbekistan (2300 km), Kyrgyzstan (980 km) and Turkmenistan (380 km), and with China to the south-east (1460 km). The total length of the country’s borders is more than 12,200 km., including a 600 km sea border which extends through the Caspian Sea in the west.

Natural landscape

More than a quarter of Kazakhstan’s territory is steppe terrain, half of it is desert and semi-desert terrain and the rest is comprised of mountains, seas and rivers. From north to south, the territory is divided into a number of climatic zones including forest steppe, steppe, semi-desert, desert, foothill and mountain zones.

Altitudes in the country vary from the vast lowland expanses below sea level to high mountain ridges and peaks that can reach 5000 metres above sea level. In the southern and south-eastern parts of Kazakhstan, the steppe meets the Tien Shan mountain range which stretches for 2400 km, the majority of which is situated in Kazakhstan.

Water resources 

Kazakhstan’s water resources mostly depend on rivers and lakes. Ice flows are the main sources of river water. In total, there are about three thousand ice flows in Kazakhstan, almost half of which are in the Dzungarian Ala Tau mountains. 

Lakes are divided into two types: tectonic and exogenous. The Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea and Lakes Balkhash, Teniz, Alakol and Markakol are situated in tectonic basins. 

85,022 rivers and streams flow across the territory of Kazakhstan, including 84,694 rivers up to 100 km long, 305 rivers up to 500 km long and 23 rivers up to 1000 km long. The most significant rivers are the Ural, Ishim, Tobol, Ilek, Shu, Torgai, Sarysu, Talas, Nura and Emba.

Climate 

Kazakhstan climate is extreme continental. The average temperature in January is between -19°C and -4°C and the average temperature in July is between +19°С and +26°С. The lowest temperature in winter can dip as low as -45°С and the highest temperature in summer can reach +30°С.

Mineral resources 

Apart from its variety of notable natural sites, Kazakhstan has immense reserves of mineral resources. 99 out of 105 elements listed in Mendeleyev’s periodic table exist in Kazakhstan, with reserves of 70 of them having been explored and more than 60 are being used in industrial production. About 6,000 mineral deposits have been discovered in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is in the top ten countries of the world in terms of oil reserves. The Uranium deposits discovered in Kazakhstan are the second largest in the world. Kazakhstan also has sixth largest global gold reserves.

Flora and Fauna 

Republic of Kazakhstan is unique in the variety of its rich landscape. Its natural zones are represented by landscapes from the northern desert plains to the Alpine meadows and permanent snow in the south. The plant kingdom of the country consists of more than 6 thousand species. 

The animal world of Kazakhstan is considerably diverse. There are 853 species of vertebrate animals (178 mammals, 512 birds, 49 reptiles, 12 amphibians, and 102 fish species). Invertebrate fauna is varied and consists of about 50 thousand species, including 30 thousand insects. Kulan and Jeiran (Atlantic Antelope) flocks graze in the steppe. Snow leopards live in the mountain peaks. In the mountains, it is possible to hear the songs of blue birds and Indian thrush. Birds, marmots, Usturt wild sheep, the Turkestan lynx, the Tien Shan brown bear, flamingo and swan all live in Kazakhstan. All of these are unique and endangered species.

The “Red Book” of endangered species includes 125 species and subspecies of vertebrate animals, 96 species of invertebrate animals and 303 species of plant which live in Kazakhstan.