Geography
Kyrgyzstan
Area
land
191,801 sq km
water
8,150 sq km
total
199,951 sq km
Climate
The climate ranges from dry continental to polar in the high Tien Shan Mountains, subtropical in the southwestern region (Fergana Valley), and temperate in the northern foothill area.
Terrain
The entire nation is encompassed by the peaks of the Tien Shan mountain range along with its associated valleys and basins.
Land use
other
39.4% (2023 est.)
forest
6.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
54% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 6.7% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 46.9% (2023 est.)
Location
Situated in Central Asia, it lies to the west of China and south of Kazakhstan.
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
lowest point
Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m
highest point
Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m
mean elevation
2,988 m
Irrigated land
10,041 sq km (2022)
Map references
Asia
Land boundaries
total
4,573 km
border countries
Borders: China 1,063 km; Kazakhstan 1,212 km; Tajikistan 984 km; Uzbekistan 1,314 km.
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
Experiences significant flooding during the snowmelt period and is susceptible to earthquakes.
Geography - note
The country is landlocked and entirely mountainous, primarily characterized by the Tien Shan range; 94% of its territory stands at an elevation of over 1,000 m, with an average height of 2,750 m. It features numerous lofty peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes.
Natural resources
Rich in hydropower resources, gold, and rare earth metals; there are also locally available deposits of coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as additional resources of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc.
Area - comparative
Its size is slightly less than that of South Dakota.
Geographic coordinates
41 00 N, 75 00 E
Population distribution
A significant portion of the Kyrgyz population resides in rural regions, with the highest density of inhabitants located in and around the capital, Bishkek, in the north, followed by Osh in the west; the eastern part, within the Tien Shan mountains, is the least populated.
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s)
Ozero Issyk-Kul covers an area of 6,240 sq km
note - it is the second-largest saline lake following the Caspian Sea and the second-highest mountain lake after Lake Titicaca; it exists in an endorheic mountain basin and, despite being surrounded by snow-capped peaks, it never freezes.
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage
Tarim Basin (1,152,448 sq km), (Aral Sea basin) Amu Darya (534,739 sq km), Syr Darya (782,617 sq km)
Major rivers (by length in km)
The source of the Syr Darya river (shared with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan [m]) is 3,078 km
note: [s] following the country name indicates the river source; [m] indicates the river mouth.