GEOGRAPHY OF KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan is the world's ninth largest nation by area and the world's largest landlocked country but has a population of just 18 million or so. Kazakhstan is a vast country — the largest of the former Soviet republics after Russia — covering two zones (it used to cover three) and has an area that is roughly the size of Western Europe, or five times the size of France or a third of the size of the United States
Kazakhstan is by far the largest of the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union> It is twice the size of the other four Central Asian nations combined and is one of only two landlocked countries in the world that extends into two continents (the other is Azerbaijan). The small portion of Kazakhstan west of the Ural (Oral) River is the easternmost part Europe.
Consisting of a vast flatland, bordered by a high mountain belt in the southeast, Kazakhstan stretched nearly 3,200 kilometers (2,000 miles) from the lower Volga and the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai mountains in the east. Approximately 80 percent of the land consist of lowlands, plains, and plateaus, much of it desert-like steppe with limited and irregular rainfall. Kazakhstan is largely lowland in the north and west (part of the West Siberian, Caspian, and Turan lowlands), hilly in the center (Kazakh Hills), and mountainous in the south and east (Tian Shan and Altai ranges). Kazakhstan is characterized by having inland drainage, meaning waters from its rivers do not reach the oceans. The Syr Darya, Chu, Ili and other rivers drain into the Aral Sea and Lake Balkash. [Source: Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. , Columbia University Press]
Astana is the capital and Almaty (Alma-Ata) is the largest city. Other major cities include Shymkent, Semey, Aqtöbe, and Öskemen. Astana is located 1,300 kilometers (808 miles) north of Almaty (the former capital), roughly in the center of the country. Only about 8 percent of Kazakhstan is good for agriculture. Most of this land is in the mountain valleys, the northern steppe and irrigated areas in the south. Trees and forest are found mostly in the mountains, city parks and along rivers. Most people live in the northern and southern parts of the country around the arable land, industrial areas and oil, gas and mineral deposits. The oil-rich regions of Kazakhstan are in the west near the shore of the Caspian Sea.
Administrative divisions: 17 provinces ( oblystar , singular - oblys ) and 4 cities* ( qalalar , singular - qala ); Abay (Semey), Almaty (Qonaev), Almaty*, Aqmola (Kokshetau), Aqtobe, Astana*, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan [West Kazakhstan] (Oral), Bayqongyr*, Mangghystau (Aqtau), Pavlodar, Qaraghandy, Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Shyghys Qazaqstan [East Kazakhstan] (Oskemen), Shymkent*, Soltustik Qazaqstan [North Kazakhstan] (Petropavl), Turkistan, Ulytau (Zhezqazghan), Zhambyl (Taraz), Zhetisu (Taldyqorghan): Administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers; exceptions show the administrative center name in parentheses. [Source: CIA World Factbook]
Location, Geology and Territory of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is located in northern Central Asia in the heart of the Eurasian continent and bordered by Russia to the north, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the west, Kazakhstan sits deep within the Asian continent, with coastline only on the landlocked Caspian Sea. It's proximity of unstable or isolated countries such as Afghanistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Iran further isolates Kazakhstan.
Strategically located between Russia and China, Kazakhstan stretches 2,000 kilometers (1,280 miles) from the Balkash Lowlands in the east and the Ural River in the west and 1,000 kilometers (630 miles) from the Imum and Irtysh rivers in the south and Syr Darya and Chu river systems in the south to the Tobol River and central Siberia in the north. Kazakhstan embraces 2,300 kilometers (1,426 miles) of Caspian Sea shoreline—or about a third of entire 7,000-kilometer (4,350-mile) Caspian Sea shoreline. The Caspian Sea is a landlocked inland body of water.
Kazakhstan is located in the north central section of the great Eurasian plains. It sits on a vast flat steppe that stretches from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south. Technically Kazakhstan extends beyond Central Asia. Part of the country lies on the western side of the Ural river, one of the dividing lines between Asia and Europe, and thus partly lies in Europe.
Kazakhstan is situated on the Eurasian Tectonic Plate. The Tian Shan mountains were uplifted and folded during the Paleozoic era (541 million years ago to 251.9 million years ago. Deep faulting of their primarily sedimentary rock has been responsible for frequent, severe earthquakes along the rim of this range.[Source: Geo-Data: The World Geographical Encyclopedia, Gale Group Inc., 2003]
Disputed Territory: Post-Soviet border disputes with China and Kyrgyzstan have been settled, but numerous points along the Uzbekistan border remained in dispute in 2006. Jurisdiction over oil, natural gas, and other resources in the Caspian Sea is in dispute with other littoral states. Kazakhstan has signed seabed distribution treaties with Azerbaijan and Russia on resource exploitation in the Caspian Sea. Remaining unresolved in 2006 was the distribution of the Caspian Sea water column among the littoral states. [Source: Library of Congress, 2006]
Geographical Data for Kazakhstan
Area of Kazakhstan: total: 2,724,900 square kilometers (1,051,985 square miles); land: 2,699,700 square kilometers (1,042,255 square miles); water: 25,200 square kilometers (9,730 square miles). Kazakhstan is slightly less than four times the size of Texas. Geographic coordinates: 48 00 N, 68 00 E. Elevation: highest point: Pik Khan-Tengri 7,010 meters (22,999 feet), which is a also the northernmost 7,000-meter peak in the world; lowest point: Qauyndy Oyysy -132 meters (-433 feet); mean elevation: 387 meters (1,270 feet). Russia leases approximately 6,000 square kilometers (2,317 square miles) of territory enclosing the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Jn 2004, the lease was extended to 2050.[Source: CIA World Factbook]
Land boundaries: total: 13,364 kilometers (8,304 miles); border countries (5): China 1,765 kilometers (1,097 miles); Kyrgyzstan 1,212 kilometers (753 miles); Russia 7,644 kilometers (4,750 miles); Turkmenistan 413 kilometers (257 miles); Uzbekistan 2,330 kilometers (1,448 miles). Coastline: 0 kilometers (0 miles) (landlocked); note: Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split into two bodies of water (1,070 kilometers / 665 miles), and the Caspian Sea (1,894 kilometers / 1,177 miles). [Source: CIA World Factbook]
Land use: agricultural land: 79.4 percent (2023 estimate); arable land: 11 percent (2023 estimate); permanent crops: 0 percent (2023 estimate); permanent pasture: 68.3 percent (2023 estimate); forest: 1.3 percent (2023 estimate); other: 19.3 percent (2023 estimate). Arable land is land cultivated for crops like wheat, maize, and rice that are replanted after each harvest. Permanent crops is land cultivated for crops like fruit trees oranges that are not replanted after each harvest. Irrigated land: 17,794 square kilometers (6,870 square miles) (2022). [Source: CIA World Factbook]
Population distribution: Most of Kazakhstan has a low population density, particularly the interior; population clusters appear in urban groupings in the far northern and southern portions of the country. [Source: CIA World Factbook]
Central Asia
Central Asia embraces Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, five former Soviet republics. Sometimes western China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, south-central Russia and/or Mongolia are included depending on whether the countries are grouped together by language family, geography, horseman-nomadic traditions or sharing the “stan” suffix.” The core five Central Asian nation, plus western China (Xinjiang) are sometimes called Turkestan (Turkistan) because many of the people that live there speak Turkic languages. The term “Inner Asia” is also used. It includes Tibet and Manchuria, with a particular focus on people with horseman-nomadic traditions.
Central Asia has traditionally provided a bridge between Asia and Europe, which meet on the Eurasia steppe. The region is often regarded as exotic because its association with the Silk Road, the Great Game, and cultures and people that Westerners have traditionally known little about. The regions inaccessibility during the Soviet area only augmented this reputation.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan together occupy about 7.5 million square kilometers (2,895,766 square miles), an area around half the size of the continental United States or two thirds the size of the European Union. Central Asia is defined geographically by the Caspian Sea to the west, the northern part of the Kazakhstan steppe to the north, the Altay Mountains and Taklamakan Desert of China to the east and the Pamirs and southern Turkmenistan deserts in the south. The dying Aral Sea lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
See Separate Article: EURASIAN STEPPE, CENTRAL ASIA AND TURKESTAN factsanddetails.com
Topography of Kazakhstan
With the exception of mountains in the east and southeast, Kazakhstan is mostly flat and arid. About 85 percent of the country is covered by steppe, plains, semi-desert and desert. The steppes are arid grasslands that are mostly brown and dusty. They are green after summer rains and covered by hard, icy and crusty snow in the winter, and become increasingly arid as one travels south. The main steppes are the Kazakh Steppe and the Betpak Dal (Misfortune) Steppe. These are part of the great Eurasian steppes which stretch from Hungary to Mongolia. Parts of the northern steppes have been converted to wheat agriculture.
Kazakhstan’s topography varies considerably by region. In the east and northeast, about 12 percent of its territory is occupied by parts of the Altay and Tian Shan mountain ranges with elevations of up to 6,995 meters (22,950 feet). More than three-quarters of the country is desert or semi- desert, with elevations less than 500 meters. Along the Caspian Sea, elevations are below sea level. [Source: Library of Congress, December, 2006 **]
There is considerable topographical variation within Kazakhstan. The highest elevation, Khan Tengri Mountain, on the Kyrgyz border in the Tian Shan range, is 6,995 meters (22,950 feet); the lowest point, at Karagiye, in the Caspian Depression in the west, is 132 meters (433 feet) below sea level. Only 12.4 percent of Kazakhstan is mountainous, with most of the mountains located in the Altay and Tian Shan ranges of the east and northeast, although the Ural Mountains extend southward from Russia into the northern part of west-central Kazakhstan. Many of the peaks of the Altay and Tian Shan ranges are snow covered year-round, and their run-off is the source for most of Kazakhstan's rivers and streams. [Source: Library of Congress, March 1996 *]
Some 9.4 percent of Kazakhstan's land is mixed prairie and forest or treeless prairie, primarily in the north or in the basin of the Ural River in the west. More than three-quarters of the country, including the entire west and most of the south, is either semidesert (33.2 percent) or desert (44 percent). The terrain in these regions is bare, eroded, broken uplands, with sand dunes in the Qizilqum (red sand; in the Russian form, Kyzylkum) and Moyunqum (in the Russian form, Moin Kum) deserts, which occupy south-central Kazakhstan. Most of the country lies at between 200 and 300 meters above sea level, but Kazakhstan's Caspian shore includes some of the lowest elevations on Earth. *
Plateaus and Depressions in Kazakhstan
There are numerous large basins and depressions in Kazakhstan. Some are filled with water, forming the country's lakes and seas. Others are dry. The Caspian Depression, which extends between Kazakhstan and Russia, is a vast lowland. Located in both Europe and Asia, it has some of the lowest elevations on either continent. North of the Caspian Sea, the depression covers about 200 square kilometers (75 square miles). [Source: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Physical Geography, Gale Group, Inc., 2003]
At 132 meters (433 feet) below sea level, the Karagiye Depression is the second-lowest spot on Earth, surpassed only by the Dead Sea (408 meters,1,339 feet below sea level). The Karagiye Depression, located entirely within Kazakhstan, lies in the extreme southwest, east of the Caspian Sea.
There are many elevated, yet relatively flat, areas in central and western Kazakhstan. To the south and east of the Karagiye Depression lies the Ustyurt Plateau, an elevated region that separates the Caspian and Aral Seas. Beyond the Aral Sea to the east is the Turan Steppe, a vast region of plateaus and desert extending south into Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Rivers of Kazakhstan
Rivers always played an important role in the life and history of Kazakhs. Almost all main cities have been founded on the banks of major rivers. There are about 7000 rivers and streams in Kazakhstan with the length of more than 10 kilometers (16 miles). There are more than 39,000 permanent and temporary streams in total. The eight largest rivers in Kazakhstan are Irtysh, Yesil, Tobol, Ural, Syr Darya, Ili, Chu. Each of them is more than 1 000 kilometers (630 miles) long.
The Irtysh and Ural rivers flow partly through Kazakhstan and partly through Russia. The Ili River flows from China into Lake Balkhash in eastern Kazakhstan. The Syr-Darya flows from eastern Uzbekistan across Kazakhstan into the Aral Sea. Ural flows through Russia and Kazakhstan and carries its waters to the basin of the Caspian Sea, Syrdarya flows into the Aral Sea, and Irtysh, Tobol and Yesil are waterways empty into the Arctic Ocean.
Many of Kazakhstan's rivers and streams, as well as its lakes, evaporate in the summer. Except for the Tobol, Ishim, and Irtysh rivers (the Kazakh names for which are, respectively, Tobyl, Esil, and Ertis), portions of which flow through Kazakhstan, all of Kazakhstan's rivers and streams are part of landlocked systems. The Tobol and Ishim rivers originate in north-central Kazakhstan and flow northward into Russia. There, they join other rivers and eventually reach the ocean. The Irtysh River enters Kazakhstan from China, flowing west through Lake Zaysan before curving northwest into Russia. The Irtysh is the longest river to pass through Kazakhstan and is among the largest rivers in Asia. It flows 4,441 kilometers (2,760 miles) before emptying into the Ob River in Russia, which eventually leads to the Arctic Ocean. All of the country's rivers and streams either flow into isolated bodies of water such as the Caspian Sea or simply disappear into the steppes and deserts of central and southern Kazakhstan.[Source: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Physical Geography, Gale Group, Inc., 2003]
The rivers in Central Asia are often brown and muddy even many hundreds of miles from their sources. This is because the water contains suspended “yellowish-grey marl, or loess” that is very fine and stays suspended in the water for a long time. One geologist wrote these minerals are “formed by the disintegration of porphyry rock carried by the wind off the surrounding mountains in the form of very fine dust” and “it gradually settled and built by the Central Asian plateau.”
Major watersheds (area square kilometers (square miles)): Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Tarim Basin (1,152,448 square kilometers / 444,963 square miles), Amu Darya (534,739 square kilometers / 206,463 square miles), Syr Darya (782,617 square kilometers / 302,169 square miles), Lake Balkhash (510,015 square kilometers / 196,917 square miles). [Source: CIA World Factbook]
Major Rivers of Kazakhstan
Ural River is one of the most important rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea. It originates on the slopes of the Uraltau Ridge and has a total length of 2,428 kilometers (1,509 miles), including 1,082 kilometers (672 miles) within Kazakhstan. Its drainage basin covers about 231,000 square kilometers (89,190 square miles), making it one of the world's largest river basins. The river is navigable and supports species such as sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, carp, catfish, perch, and bream. Major tributaries of the Ural include the Bolshoy Kizil, Tanalyk, Guberlya, Sakmara, Gumbeyka, Suunduk, Bolshoy Kumak, and Or rivers. The upper reaches of the river are traditionally regarded as part of the natural boundary between Europe and Asia. The Upper Ural and Iriklinsk reservoirs, along with the Iriklinsk Hydroelectric Station, are located on the river. In Kazakhstan, the Ural passes through Uralsk, Chapaev, Taypak, Makhambet, Atyrau, and Balykshi.
Emba River flows through the Aktobe and Atyrau regions of western Kazakhstan. It is 712 kilometers (442 miles) long and drains an area of approximately 40,400 square kilometers (15,600 square miles). The river rises on the western slopes of the Mugodzhar Hills and flows across the Ural Plateau and the Caspian Lowland. Its waters are highly mineralized. The Temir River is its principal right-bank tributary, while the Atsaksy is its main left-bank tributary. Oil and gas development is widespread in the middle and lower reaches of the basin. For many years, some geographers regarded the Emba River as part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. However, studies conducted by the Russian Geographical Society in 2010 challenged this interpretation and proposed alternative definitions of the continental boundary.
Ili River is the largest river flowing into Lake Balkhash. Its headwaters lie in the Chinese section of the Tien Shan Mountains at an elevation of about 3,540 meters (11,614 feet). The river has a total length of 1,439 kilometers (894 miles), of which 815 kilometers (506 miles) flow through Kazakhstan. The Ili is the principal source of water for Lake Balkhash and plays a crucial role in maintaining the lake’s freshwater balance. Major tributaries include the Turgen, Talgar, Kurchi, Chilik, and Charyn rivers. Its waters support fish such as carp and pike, while the surrounding wetlands provide habitat for muskrats, reed cats, Zhetysu pheasants, and white-headed cranes. The Ili River Delta is one of Kazakhstan’s most important wetland ecosystems and a vital refuge for wildlife.
The Ili River Valley is known for its fertility and supports a large agricultural and livestock population along its entire length. During the rainy season, the normally shallow river is navigable for about 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of Lake Balkhash to China. However, a dam near Qapshaghay restricts the flow of water from the Ili to Lake Balkhash by about a third. Consequently, the lake's water level has dropped by more than six feet (two meters) since the dam's completion in 1970.[Source: Geo-Data: The World Geographical Encyclopedia, Gale Group Inc., 2003]
Tobol River is one of the major rivers of northern Kazakhstan and western Siberia. It is 591 kilometers (367 miles) long and drains a basin covering about 426,000 square kilometers (164,500 square miles). The river rises on the eastern slopes of the southern Ural Mountains and in the Turgay region. The Tobol is navigable for approximately 437 kilometers (272 miles) upstream from its mouth. Its principal tributaries include the Ui, Iset, Tura, Tavda, and Ubagan rivers. Important cities along its course include Lisakovsk, Rudny, Kostanay, Yalutorovsk, Kurgan, and Tobolsk.
Yesil (Ishim) River, known in Russia as the Ishim, is the longest left-bank tributary of the Irtysh River. It stretches for 2,450 kilometers (1,522 miles) and has a drainage basin of about 177,000 square kilometers (68,340 square miles). The river originates in the Niyaz Hills of central Kazakhstan. Navigation is possible on sections between Petropavlovsk and the Sergeev Reservoir and between the village of Vikulovo and the river’s mouth. Major tributaries include the Koluton, Zhabay, Akkanburluk, and Terisakkan rivers. Two important reservoirs, Vyacheslav and Sergeev, are located on the Kazakh section of the river. The Yesil flows through Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, as well as Atbasar, Yesil, Derzhavinsk, Sergeevka, and Petropavlovsk.
Uba River is a right-bank tributary of the Irtysh that flows through East Kazakhstan Region. It is 278 kilometers (173 miles) long and drains an area of approximately 9,850 square kilometers (3,800 square miles). The river is formed by the confluence of the Black Uba and White Uba rivers and flows through the mountainous landscapes of the Altai region.
See the Syr Darya and Irtysh River See REGIONS OF KAZAKHSTAN: MOUNTAINS AND LARGEST RIVERS AND LAKESfactsanddetails.com
Lakes and Seas of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is home to tens of thousands of lakes, making it one of the most lake-rich countries in Eurasia. Estimates vary, but more than 48,000 lakes are found across the country, with the vast majority covering less than 1 square kilometer (0.39 square miles). Despite their abundance, these lakes are unevenly distributed. Most are concentrated in northern Kazakhstan and in mountainous regions, while the arid deserts and semi-deserts of central and western Kazakhstan contain relatively few permanent bodies of water. The water levels of Kazakhstan's lakes and rivers fluctuate considerably throughout the year. Levels typically rise during the spring snowmelt and decline during the hot summer months. In particularly dry years, some smaller lakes may shrink dramatically or disappear altogether. Most lakes in Kazakhstan contain saline or brackish water, while freshwater lakes are generally found in mountain regions, steppe zones, and along major river valleys.
Kazakhstan's largest inland water bodies include the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea, Lake Balkhash, Lake Zaisan, and Lake Alakol. The Caspian Sea, located along the country's western border, is the largest enclosed body of water in the world. Both the Aral Sea and Lake Balkhash rank among the largest lakes on Earth. Together, Kazakhstan's lakes cover more than 45,000 square kilometers (17,375 square miles) of surface area.
Major Lakes (area square kilometers (square miles)): fresh water lakes: Ozero Balkhash — 22,000 square kilometers (8,494 square miles); Ozero Zaysan — 1,800 square kilometers (695 square miles); salt water lakes: Caspian Sea (shared with Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Russia) — 374,000 square kilometers (144,402 square miles); Aral Sea (north) — 3,300 square kilometers (1,274 square miles); Ozero Alakol — 2,650 square kilometers (1,023 square miles); Ozero Teniz — 1,590 square kilometers (614 square miles); Ozero Seletyteniz — 780 square kilometers (301 square miles); Ozero Sasykkol — 740 square kilometers (286 square miles). [Source: CIA World Factbook]
Many lakes and reservoirs have become important destinations for tourism and recreation. Popular vacation areas include the lakes of the Burabay Resort Region, the Kapshagay Reservoir, the Bukhtarma Reservoir, and the scenic lakes of eastern Kazakhstan. Some attract visitors seeking beaches, water sports, and resort accommodations, while others are known for their natural beauty and wildlife.
Among the country's most significant ecological sites is the Korgalzhyn Nature Reserve, whose lakes and wetlands provide habitat for more than 300 species of birds. The reserve is particularly famous for its colonies of pink flamingos, making it one of Central Asia's premier destinations for birdwatching and ecotourism.
Kazakhstan is also home to one of the world's most unusual artificial lakes. Lake Chagan, sometimes called the "Atomic Lake," was created in 1965 during a Soviet nuclear test at the former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site. The explosion excavated a large crater that later filled with water, creating a lasting reminder of the Soviet Union's nuclear testing program.
See Separate Articles:
CASPIAN SEA factsanddetails.com
WESTERN KAZAKHSTAN: CASPIAN SEA, OIL AND ANCIENT SITES factsanddetails.com
ARAL SEA factsanddetails.com
DEATH OF THE ARAL SEA factsanddetails.com
BAIKONUR COSMODROME AND THE ARAL SEA IN KAZAKHSTAN factsanddetails.com
LAKE BALKASH Under ALTAY REGION OF KAZAKHSTAN factsanddetails.com
Steppe in Kazakhstan
The famous Eurasian steppe is a 8,000-kilometers (5,000-mile) -long flat or gently rolling grassland, averaging 800 kilometers (500 miles) in width. It is mostly treeless except for areas along riverbanks. It's name is derived from “stepi”, a Russian word meaning plain. The vast sea of grass of the steppe is perfect riders on horseback. The Steppe gave birth the Scythians, Turks, Mongols, Tartars, and Huns. One of the richest grazing areas, the Altai Mountain region between Russia and western Mongolia, not coincidentally is where many of the great horseman cultures originally hail from. Beginning in the second century B.C., Silk Road trading caravans's started traversing the Steppe.
The Eurasian Steppe, also known as the Central Asian steppe, stretches from Mongolia and the Great Wall of China in the east to Hungary and the Danube River in the west. It is bounded by the taiga forest of Russia to the north and by desert and mountains to the south. It is located at about same latitude as the American plains and embraces a dozen countries, including Russia, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and several other former Soviet Republics.
Describing the steppes, Polish Nobel laureate Henry Sienkiewicz wrote in “With Fire and Sword”, "The steppes are wholly desolate and unpeopled yet filled living menace. Silent and still yet seething with hidden violence, peaceful in their immensity yet infinitely dangerous, these boundless spaces were a masterless, untamed country created foe ruthless men who acknowledge no one as their overlord."
Grassland soil and plants store large amounts of carbon dioxide. When they are burned they release large amounts of carbon dioxide onto the atmosphere and contribute to global warming, The poor yellow steppe soil is much less fertile than rich black earth found in southern Russia and Ukraine. When the topsoil is stripped of vegetation it becomes dusty and is easily blown away in the wind.
See Separate Article: EURASIAN STEPPE, CENTRAL ASIA AND TURKESTAN factsanddetails.com
Agriculture and Land Use in Kazakhstan
In 2005 some 8.3 percent of land was rated as arable, a reduction from the 1998 estimate of 11.2 percent. Less than 0.1 percent of that land was under permanent crops. About 4.8 percent is forest and woodland. The remainder is pastureland, meadows, desert, and mountains. In 2003 irrigated land totaled an estimated 35,560 square kilometers. [Source: Library of Congress, December, 2006 **]
The Central Asian steppe doesn’t receive very much rain. The soil is dry and dusty. For the most part the steppe and desert are not suitable for agriculture unless expensively irrigated. Much of the steppe lies on humus-rich black soul that is ideal for growing grains such as wheat, rye and barley (which are kinds of grass). The poor yellow steppe soil is much less fertile than rich black earth found in southern Russia and Ukraine. When the topsoil is stripped of vegetation it becomes dusty and is easily blown away in the wind.
Soil fertility generally decreases as one travels southward in Kazakhstan. South of the chestnut-colored soil area, in the deserts areas, fulvous and grey-fulvous soils are prevalent. Deserts cover 120 millions hectares, or 44 percent of Kazakhstan, mostly in the southern part of the country. Irrigation is necessary in many agricultural areas. Near the Syrdarya, Ili, and Karatal rivers rice farming is practiced.
Chestnut-coloured soils occupy the big part of central Kazakhstan, the north Caspian lowlands and the plains of East-Kazakhstan province. These soils are found mostly in dry-steppe and semi-desert regions. They occupy 90.6 million hectares, or 34 percent of the country. The chestnut soils in Kazakhstan are divided into 3 sub-zones:1) the black-chestnut-colored soils of the dry steppes; 2) the chestnut-colored soils of dry steppes; 3) the light-chestnut-coloured soils of semi-desert zones.
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons
Text Sources: Kazakhstan Tourism website (visitkazakhstan.kz), Kazakhstan government websites, Library of Congress, CIA World Factbook, National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Live Science, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.
Last updated June 2026