Location: Central Asia, west of China

Geographic coordinates:

Area:
total: 198,500 km²
land: 191,300 km²
water: 7,200 km²

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries:
total: 3,878 km
border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: dry continental to polar in high Tian Shan; subtropical in southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone

Terrain: peaks of Tian Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kara-Darya 132 m
highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m

Natural resources: abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc.

Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 44%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 45% (1993 est.)
note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut forest in Jalalabad oblast, with an enormous variety of different genetic characteristics, and it is believed that most of the world's walnut varieties derive from the original species still found here.

Irrigated land: 9,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: prone to earthquakes, major flooding during the snow melt.

Environment - current issues: Nuclear waste, left behind by the Soviet Union in many open-air pits in hazardous locations. Water pollution; many people get their water directly from contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation practices. Illegal hunting of very rare species such as the snow leopard and the Marco Polo sheep .

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: landlocked

See also : Kyrgyzstan