ssia 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
has caused many of these newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include:
the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets;
achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and mining
sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other
foreign powers.

Geography Kazakhstan

Location: Central Asia, northwest of China

Geographic coordinates: 48 00 N, 68 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 2,717,300 sq km water: 47,500 sq km land: 2,669,800 sq km

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

Land boundaries: 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: 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: none (landlocked)

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

Terrain: extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the
plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m highest point:
Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

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: 11% permanent crops: 0% other: 89% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 23,320 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty

Environment - current issues: 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 the