Geography
Location:
Central Asia, north of Afghanistan
Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 64 00 E
Map references:
Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total area:
447,400 sq km
land area:
425,400 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total:
6,221 km
border countries:
Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km
Coastline:
0 km
note:
Uzbekistan borders the Aral Sea (420 km)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
International disputes:
none
Climate:
mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid grassland in east
Terrain:
mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya and Sirdaryo; Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west
lowest point:
Saryqamish Kuli -12 m
highest point:
Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum
Land use:
arable land:
10%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
47%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
42%
Irrigated land:
41,550 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues:
drying up of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides is the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salinization; soil contamination from agricultural chemicals, including DDT
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity
Geographic note:
landlocked
